Keith Dalgleish has sent out more than 950 winners from his stable in South Lanarkshire since 2011, but said in February that he intends to hand in his licence later this year to “do other things for a while”, and that his 1,000th winner “might be a good time to go out”.
It will be a significant loss for Scottish racing if or when his yard winds down, but Dalgleish should still be a force on the northern scene for a few months yet and his four-year-old Good Show (3.35) is an interesting contender for the Queen’s Cup Heritage Handicap, the feature event on Musselburgh’s valuable card on Saturday.
Good Show did not see a track until late August in his three-year-old season, when a debut success prompted his trainer to give him a try in the Group Three Cumberland Lodge at Ascot. That proved to be a step too far on only his second start, but he had no luck at all in running before finishing a close second at Nottingham next time up.
Market Rasen 1.34 Bushtucker Park 2.09 A Definite Getaway 2.44 Erigmoor 3.19 Having A Barney 3.54 Snowy Clouds 4.29 Stormin Crossgales 5.04 Animal 5.39 Take No Chances
Ffos Las 1.40 The Same 2.15 Dicey Reilly 2.50 Big Bresil 3.25 New Age Dawning 4.00 Couldbeaweapon 4.35 Airtothethrone 5.10 The Jukebox Man
Plumpton 1.55 Abingworth 2.30 Elmount 3.05 Iskar D’Airy 3.40 Pawpaw 4.15 Dr T J Eckleburg (nb) 4.50 Bold Reaction 5.25 Doyannie
Southwell 2.05 Wreck It Ryley 2.40 Sommelier 3.15 Sovereign Spirit 3.50 Na Scoitear 4.25 Mountain Warrior 5.00 Dark Side Thunder (nap)5.35 Elladora
Dalgleish has an excellent record with handicap debutants on the Flat – a level stakes profit, in fact, from a 13% strike rate – and the Nottingham form over Saturday’s trip and with ease in the ground suggests that Good Show’s opening mark of 90 is workable.
Haydock 1.30: Bubble Dubi’s defeat of the reopposing Word Has It at Stratford in March looks like the strongest form on offer and a 5lb rise in the weights may not be enough to prevent Stuart Edmunds’s progressive hurdler following up.
Musselburgh 1.50: In a fiercely competitive three-year-old handicap, Lion Of War could be worth a small interest to progress from a solid handicap debut at Doncaster in October.
Musselburgh 2.25: Autumn Festival is the likely favourite as he looks for a sixth straight win but he appeared a little fortunate to beat Abduction over track and trip in October and, on 2lb better terms, Jim Goldie’s runner has to be the bet at around 6-1.
Haydock 2.40: Feivel has unseated his jockey in two of his last four starts but has looked useful and progressive apart from that and has a solid chance at around 9-1 if cheekpieces sharpen him up.
Musselburgh 3.00: Vintage Clarets has gone well fresh in the past and remains feasibly weighted on his best form but can be no more than a hopeful pick in a wide-open sprint handicap.
Haydock 3.15: A 9lb hike in the weights will not make life easy for Farmer’s Gamble but his 14-length win last time was a career-best and any further progress would put him firmly in the picture.
