Musselburgh Races: One Boy and Bee Machine can sting bookies

One Boy was an impressive all-the-way winner at Beverley at the weekend and can repeat the dose at Musselburgh tomorrow.
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The gelding turns out quickly for the final event of this two-day fixture – the Best Odds Guaranteed at 188bet Handicap (4.55) – when he will have to shoulder a 6lbs penalty, but trainer Paul Midgley has booked smart apprentice Oakley Brown and his 7lbs allowance will annul the additional burden.

The seven-year-old had been runner-up at Hamilton just five days before that success and clearly shows his best form in the second half of the summer. He scored over this course and distance in September 2016, while he was successful at Hamilton Park almost exactly a year ago before following up at Beverley again.

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He has a decent draw towards the stands rail and I expect another quick getaway. Windforpower was unable to match strides with him at Beverley on Sunday and may well be chasing the coat tails of One Boy again.

Bee Machine is another who makes a quick return to action in the Tuv-Sud Handicap (4.20) after landing a gamble in style on the all-weather at Southwell on Bank Holiday Monday.

The three-year-old has a 6lbs penalty to carry, but apprentice Ger O’Neill will claim a handy 5lbs allowance. The three-year-old won in great style and has been running well all season since opening his winning account on his reappearance at Catterick in the spring.

Packington Lane has to concede weight all round in the opening 188bet Extra Places Races Novices Stakes (1.50), but is bred totally for speed and will be ideally suited by this sharp five furlongs.

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The youngster is a half-brother to two juvenile winners over the mi minimum trip, while his dam also scored over five furlongs as a youngster and his grand-dam clocked up multiple sprint victories.

All five of his starts to date have been over five furlongs and he was caught only close home when narrowly beaten at Hamilton last month. He was beaten a dozen lengths on his penultimate outing, but fluffed the start badly that day and made amends when leading all the way to justify favouritism at Beverley recently.

Trainer Tim Easterby has his team in great form and Packington Lane – who cost 10,000 guineas as a yearling – is a confident choice.

Qasr, who cost 32,000 guineas, was backward and did not race until last autumn, but has made the frame in five of his six races so far, He began in National Hunt bumpers, finishing third at Carlisle and then runner-up at Ayr before switching to the flat on the all-weather at Southwell before Christmas.

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He failed to handle that surface and was a well-beaten fourth, but shaped with promise again when fifth on his reappearance at Carlisle in June following an eight-month break. He disappointed a little next time at Hamilton, but then opened his winning account when stepped up to ten furlongs at Ayr and moving into handicap company for the first time.

The gelding should be suited by the same trip in the RSM Handicap (3.50). A half-brorher to two winners, he is clearly a late developer with plenty of stamina in his pedigree and may well improve with age and as he steps up in distance.

Selections: 1.50 Packington Lane; 3.50 Qasr; 4.20 Bee Machine; 4.55 One Boy.