Musselburgh tips: Kajaki can put recent hard-luck stories to bed

Kajaki was runner-up over hurdles at Musselburgh during the winter and can go one better on the level there when the East Lothian track stages a two-day fixture this week.

Racing takes place at Musselburgh over two days. Pic: TSPL

The grey has recorded three career victories on the flat and was successful over hurdles at Sedgefield and Wetherby before Christmas He was sent off favourite to make it a hat-trick here in January and looked a little unlucky as he was disputing the lead when hampered by a faller at the penultimate obstacle.

He could find no extra when headed on the run-in, but then enjoyed a spring break before reappearing on the level at Pontefract last week.

The six-year-old again headed the market and was going well when involved in some jostling on the home turn. He still held every chance before weakening into fourth place inside the final furlong, but was beaten only a couple of lengths.

The winner has since boosted the form by completing a hat-trick and Kajaki will be fitter now, so gets my vote in the McRoberts LLP Handicap (2.45) tomorrow.

He has slipped down the ratings and is now 5lbs below his last winning mark at Chester in 2017, but recent performances suggest that he has lost little of his ability.

Jazz Hands has yet to score in eight starts, but he can call the tune in the Boogie in the Morning Handicap (2.15).

The three-year-old showed some promise when ending his first season by finishing third at Ayr and on the all-weather at Chelmsford in October and a recent outing at Nottingham will have helped to blow away the winter cobwebs.

He is closely related to three winners and trainer Richard Fahey’s string is beginning to click into top form.

Lexington Place is a tough sprinter who has won a dozen of his 70 races and has been placed on 18 occasions. Those victories include one over the minimum trip on this track and he can score again in the Follow Racingtv on Twitter Handicap (1.45).

The gelding has plenty of weight to carry, but has got a good draw near the stands rail and has returned from a winter break to run with credit on the all-weather at Southwell and Wolverhampton in recent weeks.

He was noted staying on into fifth place on his reappearance and showed the benefit of that exercise when beaten in a photo finish on the Midlands track where he was slowly into stride before finishing with gusto.

Cosmic Ray won at Nottingham early in April 2017 and then scored twice here at Musselburgh that same month and I hope history repeats itself in the concluding RacingTV.com Handicap (5.00).

The gelding was also successful at Ripon that summer, but was win less in eight starts in 2018 and as a result he slid almost two stone down the ratings. He didn’t show much in three starts on the all-weather in the opening weeks of 2019, but landed some nice bets when making all the running to win unchallenged at Nottingham recently.

Connections put that return to form down to a switch back to turf, but the drop in the ratings undoubtedly helped. He has gone up just 4lbs for tomorrow and looks a solid bet to follow up.

Selections: 1.45 Lexington Place; 2.15 Jazz Hands; 2.45 Kajaki; 5.00 Cosmic Ray.