Sun won't go down at Musselburgh

MUSSELBURGH stage their biggest day of the year tomorrow when a sell-out crowd will throng the East Lothian track for Ladies Day.

There's a good, seven-race card on the seaside circuit, while the winner of the style competition for the ladies will drive away in a brand new car. Meanwhile, three giant screens will ensure that everyone can see the Derby action at Epsom.

Musselburgh have their own Derby – the totesport.com Tradesman's Derby (3.20pm) which is the main event on the card. This mile-and-a-half handicap has attracted a decent field including runners from some of the big southern yards.

Indeed, the spoils can fall to Sundowner – trained by Gerrard Butler, who has recently moved to Newmarket. The three-year-old showed promise on his only start as a juvenile and won over a mile on the Polytrack at Lingfield on his reappearance in March.

The colt was then sent off favourite at Windsor on his handicap bow with Jamie Spencer on board, but did not get the run of the race and disappointed when only seventh.

He again ran below par when sixth at Newbury recently where he got well behind in the early stages and was squeezed for room when making ground inside the final quarter of a mile. That was over ten furlongs and he was doing all his best work in the closing stages, so the step up in trip tomorrow should suit and Robert Winston will be on board.

Winston can make it a double on The Nifty Fox in the Lothian DAF Handicap (5.05pm) when this sharp five furlongs should prove ideal for Tim Easterby's four-year-old.

All three of his career wins have been over the minimum trip and although the last was almost exactly a year ago, he ended last term with a close fourth over this course and distance in November.

He has been slipping nicely down the weights and has run well on all three starts so far this year. He was collared in the final stride when beaten in a photo finish at Redcar recently and looks set to make amends here.

Stellite can complete a hat-trick of victories on this track in the Balfour Kilpatrick Supply Chain Handicap (3.50pm). Trained at Uplawmoor near Glasgow by Jim Goldie, the gelding always seems to run well on the seaside circuit and has won at the last two meetings here. Both those victories were over seven furlongs and indeed all seven of his victories have come over that trip.

He steps up a furlong this time, but has form at the longer trip and has actually been second twice over nine furlongs on the all-weather at Wolverhampton, so I am not unduly worried about his stamina.

Silver Seeker looks set to send punters home happy too by completing a hat-trick in the finale – the Stephen Hay & Associates Ltd Apprentice Handicap (5.35pm) – for he romped home by ten lengths over this course and distance recently. The grey, who followed up in easy style over a shorter trip at Redcar, is clearly in great heart and will be ridden by a promising lad in Campbell Gillies.

Musselburgh boss Bill Farnsworth reports that the ground is likely to be just on the fast side of good. "It has been drying out nicely, but we are scheduled to get between two and four millimetres of rain today," he said.

"We sold all 7500 tickets in advance and with owners, trainers and other professional, we expect around 8500 to turn up. The weather forecast is good and it promises to be a great day."

Joe Rowntree's Musselburgh selections: 3.20 Sundowner; 3.50 Stellite; 5.05 The Nifty Fox; 5.35 Silver Seeker.