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THIS is the Saturday which many would label the calm before the Grand National storm of next week, but of course in reality it is far from that with two cracking meetings under both codes, on the level at Musselburgh and over the sticks at Haydock Park.

It may not be the most valuable race on the card at the Edinburgh track, but the Queen’s Cup Handicap over a mile and three quarters will probably be the biggest betting event at the course.

With ground just on the soft side of good, this year’s renewal will favour those horses that have a bit of speed in their profile over this sharp track, rather than those who are out and out sluggers. Top weight Wise Eagle ran a lovely warm up for this when third of 17 in a big handicap hurdle at Kelso at the back end of February and in similar conditions he was a staying on fourth of 14 in this race 12 months ago off a mark of 103. 

The positive is that he gets to race off just 93 here, with the negative being that he is quite obviously also on the downgrade so the market may tell us plenty, but a price of around 6/1 looks plenty short enough for me.

Instead I shall be having a wager on ALMUHIT (3.05) who has also been running with credit over hurdles, clearly didn’t stay the extended two and a quarter miles of the Cesarewitch late last year and any further drying of the ground should be massively in his favour.

The valuable Scottish Sprint Cup Handicap looks well up to scratch this year with two runners set to race off marks in three figures and five others in the 90s. There is a wholesale set of speed in this race headed by the lightning fast top weight Democracy Dilemma and several other front runners and pressers and that could set this class two handicap up for PILGRIM (3.42). Winner of the big three-year-old sprint handicap at Royal Ascot in 2024, the Palace of Holyrood House Stakes off a rating of 92, he subsequently couldn’t handle marks in three figures or the high 90s last season.

However, his two comeback runs on the all-weather this spring at Newcastle and Southwell have been much more promising and with William Pyle taking three pounds off his back, the five-year-old will get the chance to run off just 89 here. He has a good sit in box 14 and his chance is clear to see if he can be covered up for a late run to grab the pacesetters close home.

Of the other races on the card I couldn’t put any of you off of VINCENZO PERUGGIA (1.25) who could be a class level above his three-year-old rivals in the opening mile handicap, while the finale class four, five furlong handicap may well go the way of old boy ZARZYNI (4.45). He had a nice pipe opener the other day on the sand and should be cherry-ripe at the age of nine to make a mark over a course and distance that has served him well in the past.

Over at Haydock Park, despite some smaller fields for finals day I thought most of the races were pretty hard to fathom. The Middle Distance Veterans’ Handicap Chase at 3.20 looks pretty interesting with the likes of Minella Drama and The Flier Begley sure to play a part, but I thought that it was worth giving the 11-year-old, FUGITIF one last chance.

He has rather run in snatches in his races this season, but Richard Hobson is trying to counteract that by adding the visor for the first time in his 33-race career. There was certainly more to like about his run on very heavy ground at Warwick last time out behind Guard Your Dreams and he has a huge turnaround in the weights with that rival here. As long as Tom Bellamy can get him into a rhythm, then I expect a huge run from the selection at around the 12/1 mark.

I am also interested in the Challenger Series Stayers Hurdle Handicap Final at 2.46, with a smaller and more select field of only nine set to go to post. Top weight and veteran Super Survivor is only 2lbs higher courtesy of Joe Anderson’s 3lbs claim for winning last time out at Warwick and I fancy will confirm that form with the second home that day, Porter In The Park. But the value call here could be the well-handicapped SECRET TRIX from the Olly Murphy yard, who has traded at a 32 per cent strike rate in the past fortnight.

Any of the forecast rain will not be a problem for this nine-year-old and I am pinning some of my hopes on the fact that he has undergone a small wind procedure since his last run at the beginning of February. This will be the lowest handicap mark he has raced off for nearly three years and that last outing at Market Rasen suggests he has a solid each-way chance here at odds of around 12/1, which in a field of nine makes him the solid play under the very capable Lewis Saunders.

Finally, we have to have a brief look at the Fairyhouse Irish National Easter meeting and MYSTICAL GODDESS (2.40) could be the each-way call for this Listed Mares Handicap Chase stepping back up to two and three quarter miles.

But the best bet on the card could well be THAT’S ABOUT RIGHT (3.15) in the Ladies National Handicap Chase. The eight-year-old runs off a two figure mark for the first time since August 2024 and ran well under today’s inexperienced rider when a cracking fifth at Leopardstown last time out.