Musselburgh Races: Collingham fancied to come up trumps in East Lothian

Musselburgh hosts a classy card with a series of finals for the Go North Series and it is Collingham who is taken to play a starring role at the East Lothian venue.

The final jumps meeting of the season at Musselburgh on Friday has a stellar cast and is expected to attract a bumper crowd

Trained by Donald McCain and ridden by champion jockey elect Brian Hughes, Collingham seemingly has plenty to recommend him for the Go North Grey Bomber Series Final over an extended two miles and a furlong.

The four-year-old won a qualifier for this at Musselburgh in November on what was his debut for McCain having previously been trained in France, before landing another such contest at Catterick on his penultimate start in February.

He also placed in two more qualifiers as well as narrowly losing out in the Chatteris Fen at Huntingdon, going down by just a head to Kotmask with the reopposing Genuflex back in third.

His most recent effort at Haydock is best forgotten as he was up against it with Porticello, who is probably Britain's best four-year-old hurdler.

Beaten 46 lengths in the Victor Ludorum, Collingham was all at sea on very heavy ground, losing two shoes in the process and it is best to put a line through that effort with conditions set to suit now.

Wynford has fallen to an attractive mark ahead of the Go North Brindisi Breeze Series Final.

Rated 133 when trained by Dan Skelton back in 2018, he lost his way a bit the following year and moved on to Lucinda Egerton before eventually transferring to the care of Rebecca Menzies.

That switch seemingly reinvigorated Wynford, who won off a mark of 99 at Market Rasen back in July before adding two Flat successes later in the year and while he was well beaten when third at Catterick last month, he is another that will appreciate better ground and his perch of 104 does not look beyond him.

Ravenscar can prove a fitting winner of the Go North Lady Buttons Mares' Series Final for Phil Kirby.

The seven fixture card boasts more than £140,000 prize money including four £30,000 races as the East Lothian course joins Kelso and Carlisle to celebrate the best of northern racing and the best northern-based owners and trainers.

Gates open on Friday at 11.30am on Friday and first race is off at 1.15pm. For more information and to book tickets visit www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk