Thursday 14 May Preview of Racing

Just Dottie is aiming for her fifth course win as she bids to land the Edinburgh Gin Ladies Day feature contest for the second year running.

Mike Smith’s Ayrshire raider receives weight all round in the £13,000 Edinburgh Gin Seaside Handicap on a sold-out seven-race card at the Scone venue.

“She clearly loves the track and she’s won three times at the May meeting and once at the Perth Festival in April in the past so this seems to be her time of year as well,” Smith said. “Trip-wise two miles seems to bring out the best in her and she’s back on the exact same mark she won off last year -hopefully the ground doesn’t become too soft for her.” 

Olly Murphy could have some say on Just Dottie’s chances as he is triple-handed with Double Oban, Castle Ivers and Sean Bowen-ridden Trust House, who is on a hat-trick following easy wins as a hot favourite at Market Rasen in March and Ffos Las in April.  

Inis Oirr, the 2024 Edinburgh National hero, bounced back to form at the Perth Festival three weeks ago and he after a follow-up in the DM Hall Surveyors Handicap Chase.

Trained by Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore, he has been raised 7lbs for that comfortable course and distance strike, his first since that wide-margin victory at Musselburgh.

Dual-champion jockey Sean Bowen is again very much in demand at Britain’s most northerly racecourse and he has a ride in all seven races beginning with Lexington Wood in the opening Edinburgh Gin Classic Maiden Hurdle.

 

 

Wednesday 13 May Review of Racing

There was a great finish to the Murrayshall Cairns Handicap Chase when Olly Murphy-trained The Flying Poet pipped Defying Gravity by a short-head.

“The second horse missed out the last but my lad didn’t jump it great either,” reported winning jockey Sean Bowen. “It was his first run over fences and that’s going to suit him.” 

Ebselysees, trained by Susan Corbett, was an impressive winner of the Murrayshall Golf Handicap Hurdle as she followed up last month’s strike at the Perth Festival.

“It’s hard to say she definitely stayed that 3m 2f as I made the running at my own pace and then slowed it up,” said winning jockey Nathan Moscrop. “Her previous connections ran her in headgear but, as you can see, she’s fine without them.”