NAP of the Day: Himself can strike for Kirby in Scotland

There is plenty more racing action across Britain and Ireland on Tuesday with five meetings coming from Musselburgh, Ripon, Bellewstown and Lingfield (AW) on the Flat alongside Stratford's jumps card. 

Our NAP runs at Musselburgh, where trainer Philip Kirby has a fantastic record this season, and is looking to make a winning start in handicaps after catching the eye last time over an inadequate trip. 

Horse Racing Odds

The Philip Kirby yard have enjoyed their visits to Musselburgh this season, saddling three winners from just six runners at the Edinburgh layout. 

They go north from their base at East Appleton in Yorkshire with just a single runner on Tuesday's card as HIMSELF looks to get off the mark on handicap debut. 

The Coulsty colt has three qualifying runs behind him. He looked quite green on debut at Ayr (7f, good to firm) in early July, never laying any sort of blow on the main protagonists. 

However, he should have learned a bit more at Catterick (7f, good to firm) next time out, having raced closer to the pace and amongst rivals before fading. Both those contests have thrown up next-time-out winners. 

Kirby's runner, meanwhile, went to Newcastle earlier this month for a 6f novice contest on the Tapeta. 

Claiming rider Aidan Brookes was in the plate and his mount was anchored in the last pair for much of the journey in that nine-runner contest. 

They soon got outpaced when the taps were turned on up front, but Himself stuck to the task and made some pleasing late gains in closing up to finish in fifth spot, outrunning an SP of 50/1. 

Off the back of that latest effort, he has been allotted an opening mark of 63 by the handicapper and that could prove lenient. 

There is a nice mix of speed and stamina in his pedigree and that Newcastle run was certainly a hint that we could see improved form now stepping up in trip. 

Paul Mulrennan rides for the first time now, replacing claimer Brookes, who was on board for each of those three qualifying runs. 

No rider has more Musselburgh winners than Mulrennan's 44 over the last five seasons and, once more, he's the leading pilot at this track this season with a 23 per cent strike-rate. This handicap debutant is taken for a significant step forward now. 

Tim Easterby's Law Degree could be the market leader. He won at Beverley in July and has run well twice since off his current mark. 

Al Waseela stayed on quite well on her own handicap bow at Leicester recently over 7f and is a player too in first-time blinkers for an in-form William Haggas yard. 

However, the way Himself moved late on at Newcastle at the start of the month left enough of an impression to believe he may be more than equal to this task. 

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