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Brave continues Musselburgh love affair

A general view of the racecourse during Stobo Castle Ladies Day at Musselburgh Racecourse, East Lothian.
Image: A general view of the racecourse during Stobo Castle Ladies Day at Musselburgh Racecourse, East Lothian.

Royal Brave continued his rise through the sprinting ranks by claiming a third victory at Musselburgh.

Rebecca Bastiman's six-year-old carries the colours of former stable star and dual Nunthorpe hero Borderlescott and while it would be fanciful to suggest he can scale those heights, he may not yet have reached the ceiling of his ability judged on his performance in the Arthur Mckay Servest Handicap.

Turning out just 24 hours after finishing third at Ayr, Royal Brave was the 5-2 favourite under apprentice Rowan Scott.

Pearl Acclaim made most of the running, but Royal Brave mowed him down in the last of five furlongs and got up to score by a neck.

Bastiman said: "It's nice to see him win again. That's his fourth win this year and his third here, so he obviously likes the place.

"There is another race back here for him next Friday, but obviously this is his second run in two days, so we'll enter him up and see how he is nearer the time.

"He's entered in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood, but he won't get in. There's the consolation race, but it's very unlikely he'd get in that either.

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"He's obviously in great form at the moment and hopefully he can keep on improving."

Borderlescott, now a 15-year-old, is enjoying his retirement at Bastiman's Cowthorpe base in West Yorkshire.

"He's still galloping around the field and still thinks he's a racehorse. He's a legend," Bastiman added.

Bastiman went on to complete a double with See Vermont in the concluding Finest Collection Of Racing On Racing UK Handicap.

Our Place In Loule (9-4) passed the post a nose in front, but the stewards felt he had impeded 6-1 shot See Vermont and he was promoted to the number one spot.

Trainer Karl Burke continued his hot streak with Myboyhenry landing the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Median Auction Stakes.

The Leyburn-based trainer struck Group Two gold with Unfortunately in Sunday's Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte and enjoyed another winner in France just a couple of hours before Myboyhenry hit the bullseye at 3-1 in the hands of Clifford Lee.

"I'm very happy with him. He was a little bit green when Clifford asked him, but once he got him level and balanced he ran straight and true," said Burke.

"I was hopeful he'd run well. He ran a nice race on his debut at Ayr, he'd come on for it and I think he'll keep on improving.

"We'll just take it one step at a time. I think we'll go for a novice race somewhere first and we'll see how high we can go after that."

The opening 100% Racing UK Profits Back To Racing Handicap went to 9-2 favourite Haymarket, providing apprentice Seamus Cronin with a fourth winner from five rides.

Winning trainer Mike Smith said: "He did it well and I thought the boy gave him a very confident ride. As we all know, confidence is a big thing in this game.

"We'll see what the handicapper does, but Carol Bartley has already been on to me about riding him in a lady riders' race at Ayr on August 12 if he gets in."

Jim Goldie's stable stalwart Jonny Delta (7-2) made every yard of the running in the Racing UK Profits Returned To Racing Handicap, before 10-1 shot Destination Aim lunged late to claim the Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers Handicap for trainer Fred Watson.

Sebastian's Wish (4-6 favourite) secured his fourth win since joining Keith Dalgleish in the Never Miss A Race On Racing UK Handicap.

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