Musselburgh

Day two featured some classier action than the day before but it was pretty tepid stuff and very little business was done.

The first two events were quickly passed over. Favourites Cape Of Glory and Taurian both just looked better animals than their respective opponents, although neither was impressive in landing odds of Evens and 10-11 respectively. Chris Grant's Feeltherhythm didn't look fit in race two so may be one to take forward, but let's not get carried away with this form.

The third race on the card was a no-bet race on account of several horses appearing to have similar chances, and none of them were particularly enticing in the market.

I Williams' Faithful Mount looked a bit of value at 4s but this fair sort didn't go through with its effort very well...however the nice chasing type that is Clonalig House, who was first mentioned here when landing a bumper in 2014, certainly did. He floated on the good ground and was very light footed around the paddock, so softer terrain will likely be a no-no.

Stoneham looked well and was nicely backed, but was involved in a skirmish at the start before rallying well late on. She looks in form and could be one to be on next time. Arthurs Secret was in good shape and might do better under positive tactics, with some headgear back on.

A three-runner staying chase saw Grove Silver sent off a warm order in the face of weak opposition, but there was plenty not to like about the burly grey, whose trainer is cold at present. I've seen the horse looking really well in the past but he looked disinterested and not especially fit, while the ground was a concern.

He was taken on by Irish pair Our Sox, who by contrast was very alert, fit, almost too bouncy. His head carriage didn't really make him an enticing prospect either, which left the rag, an Irish point winner called Castletown Bridge.

Without prior knowledge of the beast you were guessing as to how he would cope with the stiffer fences, and he too appeared to be carrying a bit of timber. But he got round, and had the cajones to see off Our Sox with the jolly well stuffed.

Juvenile hurdler Milrow looked a worthy favourite getting a ton of weight from a nice sort in Canton Prince, but Venue took advantage of what turned out to be a fairly weak race by going in for a second time this autumn, without actually having to improve a great deal.

With Dr Newland's horse vanquished his short-priced jolly in the feature race Seefood looked one to take on, even though he was taking a sizeable drop in class.

Ms R Menzies saddled chief market rival Royal Macnab, who looked pretty straight despite the yard's horses all needing a run this term. Punters might have been hoping for an aggressive ride from the front, but T Kelly tried to sit on an easy lead and things didn't pan out.

Prince Khurram ran his race but isn't up to this grade, and thus it was left to the classier southern raiders to dominate the finish, Seefood travelling well down in trip to overcome a few sketchy jumps and win well from Wings Of Smoke, a big bull of a horse who could never land a telling blow.

Senatus was a good favourite in the closing bumper - which looked a weak affair - based on a solitary outing in May. The McLintock horse looked straight enough and had enough about him to suggest he would go on from this.

He put his experience to good use in the final furlong, with Drums Of War and Wemyss Point fighting out the minor honours despite looking like the race would bring them on plenty. T Vaughan's Sergio isn't very big but looked straight enough to get involved, but proved disappointing, while the Menzies youngster Strike Fear is a nice animal who nevertheless needs quite a bit of time.

Sedgefield - McCoy Magic

The ground was generally good for last night's card and although the times were slow that was owing to the slow early pace in most of the races, which saw the hurdles races in particular develop into unsatisfactory sprints. Therefore the form should not be over-rated although there was nothing wrong with the performance of Admiral Hawke in the opening novice hurdle.

Shrewd connections from the in-form B Ellison yard had no-doubt been working the price down from an early 7-2 about the Market Rasen seller winner and he was sent off a red-hot 6/4 jolly in the face of a remarkable drift from Bloomfields' Questioning, who had gone down to a 100/1 shot on his NH debut.

The Hawke had a size advantage over his rivals in the paddock and looked in great heart is you would expect - of the others Silver Shuffle was also well-backed but this Irish import is 1/47 under rules and is by no means a looker, being on the smallish side and rather bullish.

D McCain's Apollo Eleven was the only other given a chance but he looked as though his first run from a 262-day lay-off would do him the world of good. He went without the advertised first-time tongue strap incidentally.

Danny Cook was able to dictate on the favourite and he won as he liked. It's a great surprise that his previous connections hadn't tried him over fences and surely he will have the larger obstacles as an option going forward.

Hawke-eyed punters were on good terms with themselves in the opener

Not an awful lot to glean from the second event other than the short favourite Hawdyerwheesht was very fit, if not overly so, and was disappointing, while huge outsider Roll Of Thunder has a lot more about him physically than a rating of 77 might suggest. Let's hope the handicapper isn't too harsh in a race difficult to assess, as he can win a small handicap in the near future.

The 2m handicap chase saw Danbys Legend sent off a short-priced favourite against a hit-and-miss bunch. M Jefferson's seven-year-old looks sure to progress over fences if looks are anything to go by - that is if his heavy fall early in the race hasn't had an adverse effect. That's two falls since switching to the larger obstacles now though and connections will surely put him back over timber in the short term.

It was hard to put up much against it beforehand - Muwalla is a nice big sort on good terms with himself and back to a winning mark can go close again soon, while the winner Toledo Gold is a wiry, leggy sort who unsurprisingly likes things his own way in front as he did here. The play though was to lay Sue Smith's Baccalaureate just a couple of days from an outing at Cartmel. It was hard to see why he was as short as 4/1 in only his fourth race over fences, where he lacks the scope to match up to his hurdles rating. This may have come too soon but he's one to oppose over fences. Finally the mare Hopeand did not take the eye at all and ran accordingly poorly four weeks on from victory at Worcester.

The next was a competitive handicap hurdle in which Vuvuzela looked to have solid credentials. Mounted on the course and taken down very early, he's clearly not straight forward but raced with zest and may well gain compensation for an unfortunate exit two out here when challenging. He also has the size for fences.

It was a difficult puzzle to solve with the first three all given positives in the prelims...eventual winner Right To Rule looking on good terms without having the profile to encourage a punt, while it's surprising Renegotiate hasn't performed to a higher standard - although at five he has time on his side and this was a better effort.

An Capall Mor simply has the look of a very moderate horse while the lay angle here was Playhara, who ran up a four-timer earlier this year. M Todhunter has had some time to work his reverse-magic on the mare, bought out of N Henderson's yard midway through the winning spree, and again it was a surprise to see her trading around the 5/1 mark. She's quite plain and ran up a bit light to these eyes, and ran no sort of race, although there was little assistance from the inexperienced Ryan Day it has to be said.

P Haslam's Ever So Much is not one for the mortgage money next time

The novice handicap chase saw B Haslam's Irish import Ever So Much go off a warm order, and with little in opposition it was a matter of whether McCoy could get it round in one piece. He looked really up for this but a rather a close-coupled sort, it wasn't surprising to read he was not convincing on his chase debut in Ireland and he was extremely novicey here, McCoy seen at his best having to sit tight a number of times, and it was only due to the fact that he had so much in hand of the assessor that he won so well in the end. I wouldn't be sure he can follow up as progress is not assured considering his physique.

Anyway, he got a nice tow into it from Unknown Legend, who has settled down since I first saw him run for A King a year ago. He jumped well bar a mistake at the last and there's no reason why he can't win a small one, a comment that also applies to the third Sir Lynx. C Bealby was known to be bullish on the grey's chances but not for the first time to these eyes he didn't appear as fit as he could be. First time cheekpieces needed to help and they did as he went with the first two, only to fade out of it late on. Disappointment was Debt To Society, who had been in great form over timber but doesn't really have the scope for larger obstacles.

The handicap hurdle was another to be run at a dawdle and it didn't suit the in-form Push Me who was one of many outdone in the sprint to the line by Dynamic Drive, a winner here last year. He finished his race off really well but will find things much harder off a higher mark in a stronger race. There wasn't much else to note for the future here.

The bumper may have been an above average affair with some nice looking horses on show from decent yards, honours going to R Fahey's Clonalig House who has plenty of size for the NH game while being still on the leg. J Quinn's Luccombe Down is a nice if weaker type while Divine Port and Blayney Queen also have plenty going for them. P Niven's Tom Barton is a likeable type as well and should continue to progress with experience. It was a messy affair but winners will come from it.