Racing: Destination Musselburgh for big a finish

Saturday 16 June 2012

Blue Destination won a thriller at Musselburgh, bringing a sell-out crowd of 9000 to its feet on its way to clinching the HBJ Employment Solutions Ladies Day Cup Handicap.

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Gordon Brown

The 17-2 winner, trained at Malton by John Quinn and available at 20-1 at the start of the day, scrambled home by half a length from Golden Future in the rain-softened ground, with Stags Leap a neck back in third.

Successful jockey Michael O'Connell said: "He's a grand horse and when he came to us we thought he needed a good gallop and a stiff mile and a quarter. He worked well with some sharp horses and here he is winning over a mile and six furlongs. He's very genuine and I think we have found the key. This should have done his confidence the world of good."Liberty Island, with Duran Fentiman on board, took division one of the Jenners & Frasers Handicap for Strathaven trainer Ian Semple, the 48th winner in the colours of Highland Racing.He said: "This was only his second run for us since coming from Ireland and he had a bit of a leg when I bought him at the sales in October. I think he's better than this class as Duran said that he was freewheeling, so we might raise him in grade."n Hexham's National Hunt meeting this afternoon is under threat because of heavy rain in the area. A total of five millimetres fell on Thursday night at the Northumberland venue, with another 12mm yesterday morning. With more rain expected, course officials called an 8am inspection.Clerk of the course James Armstrong is, however, optimistic the meeting will go-ahead."We're okay at the moment but there's more rain possible on top of what we have had so far," he said."We raced on ground last week at Hexham that was very testing. We're just being on the cautious side."We're pretty optimistic we will be okay. We know we can race round Hexham in extreme conditions like we did last week without any bother. The chances are that we'll be fine, but we are just being extra cautious."Leicester's meeting this evening remains under threat from waterlogging. Following an inspection yesterday afternoon, officials decided to take another look at 7am this morning.The East Midlands track has been hit with 102mm of rain in the last 11 days, with 20mm falling on Thursday night."We're going to give it another shout. We're still not out of the woods by any means," said Jimmy Stevenson, Leicester's clerk of the course."It has improved, but it has been raining again. We felt we just needed to give it every chance, so we are going to have another look in the morning."

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Racing: Destination Musselburgh for big a finish

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