By William Hayler
THE recent rainy spell has left many trainers shaking their heads as winning opportunities pass by with the abandonment of jumps racing nationwide.
As a result, there are some unusual visitors at Musselburgh tomorrow as stables travel miles in search of decent racing ground for horses who have been ready to race for days.
And Lambourn-based Oliver Sherwood can improve his already-decent strike-rate at the track (two wins from four runners in the last three years) by landing a double with Mossy Bay and Forever Noble.
Mossy Bay, the winner of three of his five starts for Sherwood, can capture the Carlina Draftworldwide Hurdle (Showcase Handicap).
After his last success at Towcester, Sherwood declared that they would wait for good ground with him, possibly with a view to sending him novice chasing.
But he is decently weighted for this, his handicap debut, and unlike some of his rivals, his stamina is guaranteed over this three-mile trip.
Forever Noble, the selection for the Fine Blue Line Handicap Chase half an hour later, is a prime example of a horse who is well-handicapped over fences compared to his form over hurdles.
He failed to make much of an impact in his novice chasing season - when campaigned at quite a high level - but connections thought he had improved over the summer and so it proved when he bolted up by 21 lengths first time up this season at Fakenham.
The handicapper has raised him 8lb to a mark of 111 for that success but as his final start over hurdles saw him register an impressive victory off 118, he still looks nicely-treated and with the good ground in his favour, can score again.
Workaway can defy a 7lb penalty in the thehorses
mouth.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.
Andrew Parker's charge, bought in Ireland by owner Ray Anderson Green for 30,000 guineas, has stamina in abundance in his pedigree but made a solid impression on his debut at Carlisle, coming from off the pace to win going away.
He will find it tough having to give the weight away but his experience should prove invaluable.
Czar Wars landed a hefty gamble in the closing event at Wolverhampton on Saturday night and can extend his purple patch if making a quick reappearance at the course in the Saffie Joseph And Sons Handicap.
John Balding clearly has the ex-selling plater in the form of his life and the return to racing over six and seven furlongs has been his making.
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