Musselburgh Sunday review and free video replays from the Cheltenham trials in Scotland

Nicholls and Cobden hit it for four

Liari made it a winning start for champion trainer Paul Nicholls on Musselburgh’s Cheltenham trials card, the four-year-old making most of the running under Harry Cobden to win the bet365 Scottish Triumph Hurdle in good style.

It was a fourth victory for Nicholls in the juvenile contest and the well-backed 10/11 favourite readily justified the support, powering away from Roaring Legend (11/2) to win by five lengths, with 10/1 chance Balboa back in third.

Betfair reacted by cutting the winner to 16/1 (from 20s) for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, while he’s 14/1 from the same price for the Boodles Fred Winter.

It didn’t take long for Nicholls and Cobden to double up as Beau Balko landed the Never Ordinary At bet365 Handicap Chase.

The 5/4 market leader toughed it out to beat a rallying Mint Gold (9/1) by a length and a quarter with Ganapathi close up in third at 13/2.

Nicholls, having his first visit to the course in person, said on Racing TV: “He jumped a lot better today and a fast-run race has suited, we’re delighted. He was keen (last time) but much better today. Harry rides well around here and I’m going to do everything I can help him win the title – I think that gets the gap with Sean (Bowen) down to seven winners.”

It was three from three for Nicholls and Cobden as 11/2 chance Panjari won the bet365 Scottish Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, who kept on finding from a prominent position throughout to beat Bertie’s Ballet (11/4) and Titanium Moon (13/2).

Welsh Charger took the bet365 Handicap Hurdle for trainer Alastair Ralph and jockey Johnny Burke at odds of 7/2, while the concluding bet365 Open NH Flat Race was marred when Sandy Thomson’s Getagin – who had the race at his mercy with just yards to go – went wrong under jockey Ryan Mania, leaving the Nicholls-trained and Cobden-ridden Wicked Thoughts (2/1 favourite) as the winner.

The official Stewards’ report read: “An enquiry was held to consider the placings in this race when GETAGIN fell approaching the line. Having viewed the recordings; the official photo and interviewed the Judge and Ryan Mania, the Stewards were satisfied that the rider of GETAGIN had not made contact with the ground until after the line and therefore were satisfied that GETAGIN should be placed second.”

The Ditcheat team endured their own loss over the weekend, with Hermes Allen suffering a fatal fall in the Grade One Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown on Saturday.

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Curley Finger, trained by Rebecca Menzies and ridden by Nathan Moscrop, showed a brilliant attitude to make all the running in the Pertemps Network Group Handicap Hurdle.

The 16/1 shot looked a sitting duck coming to the last flight but found extra for pressure to repel the smooth-travelling Springwell Bay (4/1 joint-favourite) at bay by a neck, with three and three-quarter lengths further back to Hector Javilex (28/1) in third.

There was a sad postscript to the race as the Gordon Elliott-trained Absolute Notions broke down and was fatally injured.

Corrigeen Rock returned to winning ways in the bet365 Scottish Champion Chase.

Given a positive ride by Derek Fox, Lucinda Russell’s seven-year-old jumped well after taking up the running at the fourth fence and was driven out to beat fast-finishing Thunder Rock (100/30) by two lengths. Outlaw Peter (7/2) was a neck further back in third for Nicholls and Cobden.

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