Musselburgh & Haydock selections Saturday 4th April
We are in that period now where jumps and flat racing share top billing and on this Easter weekend there is so much action to enjoy. I am concentrating on two big handicaps on the jumps card at Haydock and two big handicaps on Musselburgh’s opening flat meeting.
Musselburgh 1.55: Bellarchi
With reasons to oppose two short priced horses in the race, I like the each-way appeal of BELLARCHI. This track will be tight enough for Midnight Gun from a wide draw, whilst Al Arbeed is completely unproven with cut in the ground.
Therefore Bellarchi, who won twice over this course and distance last season, and has twice won under the good-to-soft conditions she will face today, has plenty going for her. She was only beaten 3l on her comeback at Wolverhampton last month when sent off 50/1 and that will have set her up nicely for a more suitable challenge today.
Admittedly she finished 2025 on a poor note after her second win here in October. She then only beat a total of four horses home in three subsequent starts, but as a result she has dropped back below that last winning mark. Assigned an inside draw today for the short run to the tight turn, things should up set nicely for the mare and she looks worth chancing that she will bounce back to form on a track she clearly likes.
Haydock 2.12: We’re Red and Blue & Ice in the Veins
With Bucephalus in this race a strong pace is guaranteed on drying ground, so I want two horses with the natural pace to compete over this sharp 2m.
WE’RE RED AND BLUE is an obvious starting point having run a cracker last time to be third in the Imperial Cup at Sandown last time. A horse who is comfortable racing up with the pace, he has been a bit more adaptable this season and I expect Jonjo O’Neill to lie up behind the leader here.
Despite that fine run at Sandown, I think he is best on a flatter track and proved as much when winning at Huntingdon in December. As such he should be very efficient running around Haydock and drying ground should not be an issue for him.
ICE IN THE VEINS still remains in the ownership of Dan Skelton, but I think this horse has been laid out for this target and he will get the top of the ground conditions he clearly needs, plus a strong pace to ensure he settles early.
He served his apprenticeship over hurdles running in summer novice hurdles, but clearly got the hang of it by the autumn, winning twice in a week at Warwick and Kempton, just before the ground started to soften. Given a rest over the winter, he ran in two handicaps in February, but both were on going far too soft for him and he faded well before the end. I expect to see a totally different horse on this going and he could prove very dangerous off his rating of 117 for a stable that remains in great form.
Haydock 3.20: Outlaw Peter & The Flier Begley
It is two against the field again for a fiercely competitive Veterans Chase.
OUTLAW PETER is an out and out fast ground performer who had no chance to show his true ability in runs at Ascot and Warwick in mid-winter. However his last run at Exeter was very promising on slightly better going, holding every chance at the last before being run out of things by Genois.
I expect him to give an even stronger performance today on this flatter track. His best form has been around the likes of Kempton, similarly flat and whilst most of his best performances have come going right-handed, his last win came around Ayr in the spring of 2024 and from a 6lbs higher mark than today. First time cheekpieces are applied today which should help sharpen him up further.
THE FLIER BEGLEY won this very race last season by 6l and whilst he has a 7lbs higher mark to defy today, this has clearly been the long-term target and he could yet back up that success. Ben Macey takes the mount to remove 5lbs from his back and he warmed up for this with a rare outing over hurdles where he was a respectable second at Southwell.
Subsequent to his authoritative success in this race, he went on to win again next time, albeit narrowly at Market Rasen, from a mark actually 1lb higher than today. Whilst he was later beaten heavily in two further runs at the Lincolnshire track, that has at least helped reduce that burden of weight back down.
Musselburgh 3.42: Pilgrim & Jer Batt
The father/daughter partnership of David & Nicola Barron are double handed for the Scottish Sprint Cup, the first big turf sprint of the new season, and I like the chances of both.
PILGRIM is a horse I have followed for a while in these big 5f sprints. He won a soft ground novice over 6f at York as a juvenile, but it was over 5f he really made his name the following spring. A good third at York’s Dante meeting, he then bolted up by more than 5l over this course and distance next time. He then defied an 11lbs rise to win the Palace of Holyrood at Royal Ascot.
He hasn’t lived up to that since, but did start 2025 on a promising note at Ripon when second, but could then only finish mid-division at York when fancied for a big handicap at the Dante meeting. However that was the last we saw of him last summer, so there was presumably something amiss. He has had two warm up runs on the AW this winter, and whilst he made little show, it should have served its purpose of getting him fit for today. A rails draw could be an advantage and he is beginning to get some slack in the handicap now, dropping to the very same mark he won off at the Royal meeting.
JER BATT has not had the benefit of a recent outing, not having run since last October. However that did not stop him running a very good race first time out in this very contest in 2025 when third from a mark of 92. He performed consistently all season without ever quite getting his head in front.
In fact he ran up five consecutive third places, starting with a Racing League meeting at Yarmouth in July and ending with a third at Haydock in October. He was never quite finding enough under pressure having threatened 1f out, but perhaps a winter wind operation might see him finishing off more strongly today. The handicapper has also given him a chance by dropping him to 85, 7lbs lower than when running here last season.
Recommended bets:
0.5pts each-way – Bellarchi– 1.55 Musselburgh – 14/1 Unibet, Paddy Power (1/5 odds 1st 3)
1pt each-way – We’re Red and Blue – 2.12 Haydock – 9/2 William Hill (1/4 odds 1st 3)
1pt each-way – Ice in the Veins – 2.12 Haydock – 11/2 Bet365, Skybet, Paddy Power (1/5 odds 1st 4)
1pt each-way – Outlaw Peter – 3.20 Haydock – 9/1 William Hill (¼ odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – The Flier Begley – 3.20 Haydock – 11/1 William Hill (¼ odds 1st 5)
0.5pts each-way – Pilgrim – 3.42 Musselburgh – 7/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 4)
1pt each-way – Jer Batt – 3.42 Musselburgh – 5/1 William Hill (¼ odds 1st 4)
