THERE is a strong case for giving Hitchhiker the thumbs-up in this afternoon's 2-mile Showcase Handicap Chase at Musselburgh.

The Sean Graham sponsored race has a weak-looking profile and in such instances it is often worth seeking out a lively outsider. Hitchhiker fits the bill to perfection at anticipated odds of 10-1 or better.

Three years ago, when trained by Venetia Williams, Hitchhiker proved himself to be a pretty useful middle-distance chaser. But after winning three times, he seemed to lose his confidence, blundering away any prospects of victory with a costly errors.

Having spent a couple of less than fruitful spells with other trainers, the ten-year-old has found his way to Richard Ford's stable at Tarporley in Cheshire. Richard appears to have found the key to unlocking the selection's potential, ably assisted and abetted by his wife, Carrie, who rides most of the yard's horses.

There was certainly plenty to like about Hitchhiker's latest effort at Ludlow, where he was on the heels of the leaders throughout until lack of peak fitness told over the final two fences.

It is a devil of a long way from Lambourn to Musselburgh and trainer Charlie Egerton will be hoping his Seixo Branco (1.55) can make the near 800-mile round trip pay by clinching the two-mile Teletext Novices' Chase.

The omens are at least fairly promising for Seixo Branco, who never saw another rival at Market Rasen last time out, setting off like a scalded cat and keeping up a relentless gallop to record an impressive pillar-to-post success.

By my reckoning only Family Venture stands in the way of Curtins Hill completing a hat-trick in the longest race on the card, the three-mile Handicap Hurdle at 3.05.

Ferdy Murphy's gelding, a big rangy individual with plenty of scope for improvement, won a point-to-point in Ireland before showing promise in a trio of novice hurdles on this side of the Irish Sea.

Having been allotted a rather lenient rating, Family Venture might well be more than capable of spoiling the party for Curtins Hill in the £6,000 event.

The Letherby & Christopher Novices' Chase has attracted an absolutely excellent field, including the top-notchers Lord Maizey, Better Thyne, Its Only Polite, plus Ask Henry (3.15).

Although the latter is the only one not to have won his last race, Ask Henry still warrants the utmost respect judged on his last two runs at Newbury and Wincanton, when touched off in photo-finishes by high-class opponents.

There's not too much to set the pulse racing on the sand at Wolverhampton, where Miss Glory Be (4.00) is the only horse of interest for betting purposes.

Newmarket handler Gay Kelleway has her string in sparkling form, a point underlined by Miss Glory Be's most recent run at Southwell, where she led virtually all the way until being heartbreakingly collared right on the wire.

* Canadiane proved best of the Martin Pipe ten in the Orchard Restaurant Handicap Hurdle at Taunton yesterday when spearheading a one-two for the champion trainer with victory over Maragun.

Pipe had spent the week on a break in Lanzarote but flew back to Somerset to help his son David and staff saddle his runners in the contest.

He said: ''I landed at Exeter Airport at 12.30, got home in time to watch Our Vic win the first race and then came straight here to supervise the saddling of all our runners."

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