Musselburgh Course Guide

Right handed, sharp. The turns at the top end of the course are particularly sharp, so the adaptability to negotiate the bends is of paramount importance. Big, long-striding, cumbersome horses are at a disadvantage on the round track, especially at races at up to nine furlongs. On the straight course the fields typically race towards the stand rail, although the deceptive camera angle can give the impression that the horse nearest the rail is further back than is actually the case. The course is one of best draining in the country, conditions rarely on the testing side.

Musselburgh used to have the tightest right-hand bend in British racing, but they’ve spent a fortune re-cambering and now you can ride into it much faster, without feeling you have to pull your mount around it. It’s a track that still suits sure-footed horses, though, and, if you’re on a nimble one when conditions are fast, you can scoot away and leave the others struggling. The 5f course is very quick indeed, despite a slight uphill incline, and, generally, you’d want to be towards the stands’ side rail.

View from the saddle: Jason Weaver

A right-handed oval track a little over a mile and a quarter in extent, almost flat with sharp bends, favouring handy types as opposed to gallopers. A polytrack strip was installed on the bend running away from the stands towards the end of 2012 in order to protect ground which tended to get worn and bare due to overuse. There are eight fences (four in each straight) or six flights of hurdles (three in each straight nowadays) to a circuit. The two-mile start is on a spur on the last bend.

The last four furlongs at Musselburgh feel as if they’re downhill and if you see a horse that comes from way off the pace there, the chances are it’s a good one. I always think a novice who wins round there, especially if it’s been ridden from behind, could be well handicapped when it goes somewhere else. Generally, it pays to be handy, especially when conditions are quick, and horses unable to make ground from off the pace can get disappointed. When it gets soft, you can afford to be a bit more patient.

View from the saddle: Mick Fitzgerald