BORDERS trainer Dick Allan has an unblemished record this flat season thanks to Zabeel Tower who scored at Musselburgh yesterday.
Allan recently moved his small string across the Tweed to Greenlaw and the five-year-old made it two wins from two starts this year when taking the Rectangle Group Handicap.
The gelding was Dick's first runner on the level this year when scoring
on his reappearance at Thirsk nine days ago and he followed up in great style at the remarkable odds of 12-1.
"He did not like the all-weather when we tried him on it before Christmas, but has just come to himself and had thrived since Thirsk," said the trainer.
Punters got off to a flyer when the favourite Mullglen made his experience tell to take the opening juvenile event to initiate a double for Scottish-born jockey David Allan and Yorkshire trainer Tim Easterby.
They also collected the finale with Discanti, a well backed 11-2 chance despite starting from the widest stall over five furlongs. The three-year-old was quickly away and made all to beat another well supported contender in Speedy Senorita.
Twenty-two-year old Travis Block from Cape Town netted a winner on his first ride on the seaside circuit when scrambling home on the red-hot favourite Kasumi, who just got the better of Cha Cha Cha to win the main event by a head.
Irish jockey Willie Supple paid a flying visit and netted a winner when Novellen Lad defied top weight in the seven furlong handicap for three-year-olds.
The colt is trained by Eric Alston, who also enjoyed multiple successes with the his half-brothers Ellens Lad and Ellens Academy and owner Con Harrington made the long trip from West Cork to see the victory.
Novellen Lad was repaying a first slice of his 50,000 guineas purchase price but he got the run of the race, while the runner-up, Red Tarn, had been backed from 8-1 down to 7-2 and looked an unlucky loser.
The favourite, Annibale Caro, justified favouritism in the stayers' handicap, but the bookies got a bit of respite when the odds-on Proud Linus was unplaced in the sprint maiden won by Rio Rocks, enjoying a deserved success after finishing second in his last two races.
The full article contains 395 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
