Musselburgh preview: Ifwecan can run his rivals ragged

Ifwecan reserves his best for right-handed tracks, and looks to have been found a nice opening to get back on the winning trail in the the 1m handicap at Musselburgh today (16.00).

The Mark Johnston trained gelding is a tough sort who won on his sole start over course and distance 14 months ago when bolting up by five lengths off a mark of 81.

Ifwecan went on to finish an excellent second of 13 in a class 2 contest at Sandown off 94, and also ran very well to finish fourth of 13 to Safety Check at York off the same rating in another class 2 affair.

The four-year-old struggled to find his form in the earlier part of this season, but that resulted in the handicapper cutting him plenty of slack, and Ifwecan took advantage to get back to winning ways in the Carlisle Bell seven starts back.

Ifwecan made all and ran on strongly to score easily by 2 1/4 lengths off a mark of 82, and has since performed with great credit in more competitive affairs.

They include a really solid second in a class 2 contest at Newmarket off 88 and a decent seventh of 16 to Mister Music Glorious Goodwood off the same rating.

This class 3 contest is nowhere near as strong as those races, and Ifwecan’s current mark of 89 looks exploitable on the pick of his form.

There is also every chance that the son of Exceed And Excel will be able to get an easy lead and dominate from the front and, if that proves to be the case, Ifwecan is likely to be hard to peg back in the hands of Joe Fanning.

In the 1m 4f handicap (15.30), Love Marmalade looks the one to be on following an eye-catching run last time out.

The Alistair Whillans trained gelding was last successful in a class 5 handicap over course and distance 15 months months ago off his current mark of 75, and has since run well to be placed on two occasions in class 4 contests.

Love Marmalade is now back in the same grade as when last successful, and comes into the contest on the back of a strong finishing 3/4 length third at Haydock which suggested his time was near.

The five-year-old holds major claims at the weights if building on that effort, and the return to this venue is a plus.

Selections:
14.00: Life of Fame
14.30: Isla Rose
15.00: Gone With The Wind
15.30: Love Marmalade (NB)
16.00: Ifwecan (NAP)
16.30: Can You Reverse
17.05: Lizzy’s Dream