Queen's visit should prompt a royal double at Musselburgh

For the Royal colours can prevail for a double on a day when Her Majesty visits the East Lothian track to help celebrate its bi-centenary.

Newmarket trainer Michael Bell has dispatched both Elementary and Forecaster on the long trek north and both can make the winner’s enclosure on what promises to be a great day in the history of the seaside venue.

Elementary went into my notebook after a promising debut at Kempton a fortnight ago and can initiate the Royal double by taking the Musselburgh Silver Arrow Maiden Stakes (2.50).

The colt was green on his racecourse bow and was in the rear for much of the way before making steady late progress under tender handling and although he beat only one opponent home, the form looks solid.

Two of those ahead of him were previous winners, while the runner-up – Prerogative – was narrowly beaten off a mark of 83 in a nursery at Pontefract this week.

Elementary is a half-brother to a juvenile winner, is reported to have learned a great deal from that experience and can open his winning account in style.

Stable companion Forecaster has yet to score from five outings, but did show a little promise in three starts as a juvenile last term.

But her form has been much more progressive this year. The three-yrear-old had no luck when sixth over a mile at Lingfield on her reappearance where she was staying on well when left with little room in the closing stages.

She finished sixth, but was beaten just two lengths and she took another step forward over an extra furlong when third at Hamilton at he end of May.

Always prominent, she went on two furlongs from home, but the stiff uphill finish proved just too much in the closing stages and she faded into third place.

She steps up another furlong tomorrow, but is closely related to two winners, has stamina in her pedigree and can boost her paddock’s value by winning the Musselburgh Bi-Centenary Cup (3.20) – a handicap exclusively for fillies.

Sisyphus seems to appreciate the Musselburgh air, winning in great style here on his reappearance in the spring when he made much of the running and came home more than four lengths clear.

That was his first attempt at two miles and although he disappointed with a wayward effort afterwards at York, he came back to Musselburgh and finished second here at the end of May.

The gelding was also a close second here last year when beaten in a photo finish after being hampered and he can defy top weight in the Musselburgh Fair Day Association Handicap (4.55).

Fumbo Jumbo was runner-up at Southwell and Catterick in the spring before going one better on this track in April when justifying favouritism.

The gelding has since been runner-up at Catterick before returning to this track to win again recently off a 7lb higher mark. He made all the running for a clear-cut success then and can follow up under a 6lb penalty in the Musselburgh Links The Cold Course Handicap (4.25).

Selections: 2.50: Elementary; 3.20: Forecaster; 4.25: Fumbo Jumbo; 4.55: Sisyphus