Sky Bet Sunday Series: a tip for every race at Musselburgh

The Sky Bet Sunday Series is returning for a fifth year having now delivered more than £4m in additional prize money since its launch in 2021. 

This year, the Series will span six fixtures at Musselburgh (April 13), Newmarket (May 18), Chelmsford City (June 1), Hamilton Park (June 15), Haydock Park (August 10) and York (September 7). 

And as always there will be a host of potential bonuses on offer, including £100,000 to the connections of the first horse to win three races across the Series. 

Hoping to kick things off with a bang in the opening Enter ITV7 For Free Handicap – and continue where he left off last season having picked up the £100,000 bonus with Letsbefrank – will be Jim Goldie who saddles Shine On Brendan. 

Chasing a hat-trick after wins at Hamilton and Ayr last season, the now eight-year-old gelding has a wide draw and is back on his highest winning mark so is taken on with stablemate SPUN TO GOLD who looks to have been brought along steadily since leaving Andrew Balding and he is fancied to make the most of his low draw and drop in the weights. Code Purple is feared most. 

There is just one piece of form to work with in the Sky Bet Club British EBF Novice Stakes, with Harswell Calling having shown bright early speed before fading into a well-held 12th in the Brocklesby, and the most interesting newcomers are Clear Force, Dickensian, Frio and Star Material. 

The last-named is a more expensive purchase than Adrian Keatley might normally deal with and the yard has a £18.50 profit to a £1 level stake with debutants, but they haven’t had a juvenile winner at the course in the past five seasons. 

By contrast, Karl Burke has a 30% strike-rate with his and CLEAR FORCE, a son of Middle Park Stakes winner Supremacy, gets the nod. 

The Sky Bet Acca Freeze Handicap was won impressively by Goldie’s American Affair last season and the wily Scottish handler looks to hold the key once again. 

American Affair’s owners have Classy Al this time, but he isn’t in the same league and instead it’s the prolific mare ETERNAL SUNSHINE who is preferred. 

Winner of five of her 14 starts, she is reunited with regular rider Paul Mulrennan here after a pipe-opener at the start of the month and is fancied to resume her progress at the chief expense of fellow course and distance winner Zarzyni and Alligator Alley, who has not been with Ruth Carr for long. 

The aforementioned Letsbefrank returns to action in the Sky Bet Extra Places Handicap and whilst it might be dangerous to assume that he might need the run on his first start, especially over this trip, he shouldn’t be taken lightly. 

Preference, however, is for the ex-Irish SPORTINGSILVERMINE who represents one of the most up-and-coming dual-purpose yards around and looks the type to progress now he’s broken his duck. 

The returning Papagei and the race-fit It’s A Love Thing look the most obvious dangers. 

On the front-end is often the place to be at Musselburgh given its tight bends and speedy nature and as a result MARHABA GHAIYYATH is preferred in the Sky Bet Build A Bet Handicap despite giving weight to his seven rivals; stall 1 should help him see off Arbitration for the early pace-setting duties. 

Stablemate Benacre is respected in the following Sky Bet Proud To Support ROR Handicap, but stall 12 makes life very tough given the bend comes up quickly over this seven-furlong trip. 

By contrast, a berth in two should enable VINCE LE PRINCE to hold a lovely position and, with a good record fresh, he’s fancied to make a winning reappearance at the main expense of Doncaster runner-up Stockpyle and the adaptable Jonny Concrete. 

Finally, the very much Scottish-named Dain Ma Nut In bids for a four-timer in the Sky Bet For The Fans Handicap but this looks a tough return up significantly in grade. 

Ramazan is the class act in the race but the Richard Fahey-trained gelding doesn’t have a great record fresh, unlike NEW IMAGE who receives 7 lb from his main market rival. 

A well-backed winner on his return to action last spring, he added three further wins in an excellent season. Back over this trip on decent ground, he’s fancied to make a winning return.