Tree blossoms in Musselburgh heat

Tree Of Liberty caused a minor upset when making all the running to open his account in the totepool Novices' Hurdle at Musselburgh.Placed in his three previous races under Rules, the Charlie Longsdon-trained five-year-old lowered the colours of the odds-on Burbank.Brian Hughes dictated affairs on Tree Of Liberty (5-1) from the outset as he took his tally for the season to 104.After setting a sedate pace, he upped the tempo from three out and was able to see off the 30-100 shot by a length and a quarter.Winningtry was 22 lengths back in third after briefly threatening in the straight."He likes proper good ground, but I thought two-mile-three might be a little short for him, hence I said to Brian dictate and wind it up and there's no-one better to do that on this track than him," Longsdon told Racing UK."I didn't see Burbank as a 3-1 on shot. In theory on the weights, he was probably 4lb better than us."I thought we had a good little chance if we dictated from the front."