Musselburgh best bets: Coup De Coeur and Duyfken look serious contenders in wide open final
Musselburgh
There’s plenty in with a shout of landing this hurdle final, but our partners at Tipstrr have run their numbers to narrow the field down to their two most widely-picked selections.
18:40 Musselburgh: Go North Sea Pigeon Hurdle Series Final (2 miles 1½ furlong)
With the three market leaders all still available at 13/2 and barely three points covering the top nine in the betting, this is clearly a wide-open race with a frame finish up for grabs for any of the 13 scheduled starters.
We could make a valid case for all of them but with four places available, Tipstrr’s each-way specialists have been out in force and have gravitated towards a couple of contenders with realistic place claims.
Two wins and three frame finishes in his last six competitions make Coup De Coeur a serious contender for the in-form yard of Micky Hammond, who has produced three winners from the last eight runners he has saddled over the last week.
Equally significant is the rebooking of Brian Hughes, whose only two times in Coup De Coeur’s saddle just happen to be those two wins, the most recent of which was last time out in similar testing conditions at Sandown six weeks ago.
That success has incurred the wrath of the handicapper, but such was the manner of that last 13-length success that the seven-year-old looks more than capable of coping with the subsequent seven-pound penalty.
Suggested best bet: Coup de Coeur each-way in the 18:40 at Musselburgh
- Tip advised by Interesting Method on Tipstrr
Also creating a buzz in the Tipstrr camp is Nick Alexander’s promising five-year-old Duyfken, who has yet to finish outside the first four in ten outings since moving to Scotland from a decent upbringing on the French Flat circuit.
He rounded off last season with a decent win at Perth, and kicked off his new campaign by crowning two frame finishes with another win at this venue in January, seeing off the short-priced favourite by almost a length, with their other six rivals floundering behind in the Musselburgh mud.
Bruce Lynn’s three-pound claim remains a welcome boost to his chances, and although slightly sub-par in a first-time tongue strap last time out 39 days ago, there is no reason to suggest anything other than another bold showing from this consistent performer.
Suggested best bet: Duyfken each-way in the 18:40 at Musselburgh
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