LIKE most bugs, racing can be a difficult one to shake off once you've been smitten, as David Murray Smith would doubtless testify.
Not that many years ago, the then Lambourn-based handler was sending out winners at the Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot and even in the Irish Grand National, but as high profile as those successes were, they still weren't enough to balance the books
and he eventually decided to give up the unequal struggle and quit training.
Murray Smith is now back in business however at a new base in Cheshire, this time as a salaried trainer to owner Rob Lloyd in whose colours Elusive Deal will appear at Hamilton today.
Formerly trained by Richard Fahey, the filly has promised once or twice in the past without actually delivering, which might explain why she started off her career as a five-furlong sprinter but will contest a mile-and-half for the first time at the Lanarkshire track this afternoon.
On her only outing for Murray Smith, Elusive Deal wouldn't have gone into too many note-books when finishing in midfield at Chester last month, but her handicap mark continues to drop and she's now on her lowest ever rating.
It's interesting to note she was entered in three races over the next few days and connections have opted to send her on the longest, and most expensive, journey of the trio.
Given the price of diesel these days, that hopefully means they fancy her chances and while it hardly seems fair to lumber Elusive Deal with the nap at a time when her trainer is trying to re-establish his career, if he can pass this acid test, Murray Smith is home and hosed.
The opener is the first nursery to be run in Britain this season and as you would imagine, top-weight Sweet Smile boasts the best form in the race and as such, Kevin Ryan's youngster is there to be shot at.
At the other end of the handicap, Elaine's Folly takes the least impressive credentials of the six-strong field into the event, but she at least has a victory to her name and in receipt of weight from her rivals, might be good enough to cause an upset.
The drop to claiming class should be enough to enable Howards Tipple to get back to winning ways, while Jollyhockeysticks and Supercast can complete a treble for the southern raiders, though the Yorkshire duo of Kings College Boy and Kenmore can ensure it's not a bad afternoon for the White Rose county either.
A field of 12, meantime, have been left in Saturday's Eclipse, with perhaps the biggest surprise for punters being the absence of Derby winner New Approach. Trainer Jim Bolger had said on Sunday that the injured Epsom hero definitely wouldn't be entered at Sandown and he isn't.
You surely weren't expecting the Count Carlow trainer to change has mind?
The full article contains 494 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
