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THE start of the flat mixes it with the back end of the national hunt season on Saturday afternoon with really good prize money up for grabs across several cards. The most interesting meeting for me has to be the Musselburgh card with the premier race being the one-and-three-quarter-mile Queen’s Cup at 3.35, in which the Andrew Balding-trained Spirit Mixer is likely to start favourite.

The Kingsclere trainer has started the season in really good fashion and this five-year-old ran in some top staying/middle distance handicaps last year with his best run arguably coming at Newcastle in the Northumberland Plate. He will be a tough nut to crack if ready first time up and I make him the main danger to ONESMOOTHOPERATOR.

Braan Ellison’s charge had a lovely pipe-opener behind Earlofthecotswolds at Wolverhampton when last of five, but holding every chance until the race developed into a sprint from the two furlong pole. That run should have sharpened him up and a drop to a mark of 94 in the weights is an added bonus.

He was 16.5 lengths behind Spirit Mixer at Newcastle in the Plate, but those racing towards the rear that day were at a marked disadvantage and he is now slightly better off at the weights, and anything around the 10/1 mark would entice into an each-way play.

This Saturday afternoon at the Edinburgh track offers a card full of sprint handicaps and the valuable Scottish Sprint Cup at 3.00 has a full allocation of 14 runners with the layers likely to offer something like 6/1 the field.

Luck will play an important factor as the speedsters will probably try and make a bee line for the stands’ side rail (high numbers) and that points me in the direction of MATTICE trained by Tim Easterby.

Winner of a class three handicap off 72 last year, he then stepped up in grade which included a cracking third in the Ayr Bronze Cup off a rating of 81. The drop back to the minimum trip on a sharp track should prove no problem and he is preferred to the likes of course and distance winner Digital and Last Crusader.

Ey Up Its Maggie eased to victory at Doncaster last week and a 5lbs penalty shouldn’t be a problem for the mare in the class four handicap at 4.45, but she may just fail to deal with the well handicapped ROCK MELODY. Jim Goldie’s bay filly has been running over both a mile and seven furlongs of late, but has a high cruising speed and may well be suited by this very different task and is nicely boxed up in stall number 16.

Elsewhere on the card, the lightly raced AHAMOMENT can improve past his rivals in the 10-furlong handicap due off at 5.20, while at the top of the card, DUMFRIES can back up his recent Southwell victory off bottom weight for Marcus Tregoning.

On what should be perfect jumping ground, the national hunt Challenger Series Finals take place at Haydock Park and the best bet on the card could well be the top weight JATILUWIH in the staying handicap hurdle at 3.15.

The 10lbs conditional Elizabeth Gale got a good tune out of the selection when they finished third of seven behind Loup de Maulde last time out and a similar performance may well be enough to put away the likes of Itso Fury and the very well handicapped Young Butler. The last named could well be worth a saver at a massive price especially on the tote or on the exchanges.

The staying handicap chase final at 2.40 looks similarly wide open and after a fair third over two and a half miles at Kempton Park last time out when he was outpaced turning for home, the return to three miles should prove right up the street of ONE TRUE KING. The Nigel Twiston Davies-trained runner is back down to his last winning mark of 127, and should be available at a double figure price to boot.

The Veterans’ Handicap Chase at 3.50 sees some old friends and foes, depending on your punting history with them, turn up for battle once again and with just the 3lbs penalty for a ready success at Chepstow last time out, DOMAINE DE L’ISLE strikes me as a well handicapped horse and he has every chance of taking care of West Approach (outstandingly well weighted on his old form) and Achille. 

I didn’t have any other fancies on the rest of the card so I will go elsewhere for my remaining wagers of the day starting with Cheltenham Festival runner-up ALLEGORIE DE VASSY who has a straightforward task down in grade in the Listed Mares Novice Chase (3.20) at Fairyhouse.

If you are looking for something at a bigger price on the card, then VERDANT PLACE could fit the bill in the staying novice handicap hurdle at 4.30. He has wracked up wins off 102 and 108 and with Aidan Kelly taking 7lbs off the selection is only 3lbs higher in real terms here and may make the most of the weight he is set to receive from the classy Favori De Champdou.

Finally, at the evening meet at Wolverhampton PURPLE REIGN is the call in the opening amateur riders handicap over a mile and three quarters at 5.30. BERWICK LAW can see off the Andrew Balding-trained top weight Torre Del Orro in the extended mile and a half, three-year-old handicap due off at 6.00.

Later on, under the lights have a second look at HOOFLEPUFF in the class six, extended mile handicap at 8.30 being back down to his last winning mark and at a track where he always performs well.