Collateral Damage hasn’t won for a long time, but he has slipped markedly in the weights as a result and looks worth chancing at 20/1 to finally take advantage in the 3.30 at Musselburgh.
Tim Easterby’s charge last scored at Doncaster back in 2009 when beating Mia’s Boy by 3/4 of a length off a mark of 92.
Since then he has been a bit hit and miss, but he has run well in some competitive handicaps and is now running off just 75.
That gives him a huge chance from a handicapping perspective, and there is no doubt in my mind that his shrewd connections will place him to good effect to exploit it.
So far this season he hasn’t troubled the judge in two spins, being well beaten first time up at Donny but then running a much better race last time out at Redcar.
The nine-year-old travelled far better in that mile contest, and after coming under pressure approaching the final furlong weakened inside the last to finish 8th of 17 to Abidhabidubai.
Although beaten 5 1/4 lengths he ran far better than that distance suggests and should now be spot on to do himself justice.
The slight concern is that he has never won over today’s 1m 1f trip, but he has won over a mile in the soft and it could be that the extra furlong is what he needs to enable him to get back in the winners’ enclosure now that he is in the veteran stage.
I had him priced up at around 10/1 for this, so at the 20s on offer with bet365 he looks way overpriced and makes plenty of each-way appeal.
Daily Sport recommended bet: 2pts each-way Collateral Damage (20/1 bet365 – BOG)