NEWS

 

 

Kalahari King Heads Quality card at Kelso

Saturday 5th November sees the return of a quality card to the Border track at Kelso with the first race off at 12.25pm.  The Mayfield Restaurant Handicap Chase worth £15,500 will be the richest race on an excellent seven race card and has been selected by Ferdy Murphy for Kalahari King’s seasonal debut.

Neil Morgan, husband of owner Julie Morgan commented “Kalahari spent the summer at our farm in Derbyshire, and really thrived while he was here. We believe he went back to Wynbury (Ferdy Murphy’s yard) better than he has been for two or three years, it's almost like he's getting younger!”

Morgan also commented on Kalahari Kings plans for the future after his seasonal debut at Kelso “The plan is to start at Kelso in the 2m1f Mayfield Restaurant Limited Handicap Chase, the next target will probably be the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase at Huntington.

Morgan continued “The main target for the season will be the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, so let's hope he stays healthy. He is a marvellous horse to own, and to be placed at four successive Cheltenham Festivals is a remarkable achievement.”

Glen Lambert, the owner of the Mayfield Restaurant and proprietor of Stoneage Paving two of Hawicks most successful businesses has generously enabled the racecourse to attract real quality to the feature Class 2 race. Glen and his wife Cath will be on hand to make the presentations after what promises to be a race worth travelling to see. Some quality performers are in the line up along with  Kalahari King, who was third in the corresponding event 12 months ago also expected  to be in the line-up are the ex-Paul Nicholls-trained Tchico Polos, now with Lucinda Russell. Nicholls himself is represented by Take The Breeze while Langholm’s James Ewart has entered stable star Sa Suffit and Vosges.

 

Persimmon Homes return to sponsorship at Kelso since the housing market has started to show signs of positive movement. Persimmon  have kindly sponsored the £12,000 Handicap Steeple Chase, the third race on the card.  The Life President and Founder, Duncan Davidson will be on hand to do the presentations after the race which has been pencilled in for Skippers Brig , owned by Langholm-based Ashleybank Investments and trained by Nicky Richards, Skippers Brig won the Premier Chase on his only previous visit to Kelso before coming an admirable ninth in the Grand National at Aintree. Malcolm Jefferson may go for the hat-trick with The Panama Kid after his wins at Perth and Kelso.

 

Berwick upon Tweed business man, Frank Flannigan has very generously sponsored the Frank Flannigan Skip Hire and Border Skip Hire Handicap Hurdle.  This is Flannigan’s second year of sponsorship at the Border track, with his  Border Skip Hire business going  from strength to strength his lorries are a regular sight on the main arterial routes in the Borders and North Northumberland. Hawick-based former jockey Iain ‘Scobie’ Jardine has saddled two winners on the Flat this season and he has entered Carters Rest, a close fourth at Kelso on October 2. Others representing the same area are Cassius from Bruce Mactaggart’s Greendale yard and Inoogoo from George Bewley’s nearby Bonchester Bridge base.

 

One of Kelso’s longest standing and most loyal supporters, David Logan again sponsors the Novice Handicap Chase under the name of the Ship Inn in Dalkeith.  David and Margaret will head up a large party from Dalkeith for a day out and will do the presentation after what is sure to be  a very competitive event. Stuart Coltherd’s Selkirk raider Paddys Unyoke is an interesting contender as he was runner-up twice over fences at Kelso in March 2010. Ray Green’s Super Ally, trained by Andrew Parker, is attempting to add to his win on Kelso’s opening card of the autumn.

 

Another Kelso regular is Garry Mansell of Premier Traffic Management.  Garry has brought a party racing at the Border track since 2003 and has great plans for his tenth Anniversary in 2013. Sandy Thomson, based at Lambden, near Greenlaw, is represented by Mini Beck who has been second three times in previous visits to his local course.  In the biggest entry of the card-  31, Ferdy Murphy has pencilled in Jaws, an encouraging fourth on his jumps debut at Kelso three weeks ago.

 

Graeme Todd is another long term supporter at Kelso and is sponsoring the fourth race on the card through his highly respected Edinburgh haulage business, Graeme Todd Haulage which is based at Brunstane in Edinburgh.  Graeme and his friends will judge the best turned out for this £6,000 Handicap Hurdle which has attracted a lot of Borders interest including Bollin Fiona (Donald Whilans), Political Paddy (Rayson Nixon), and Scotswell (Harriet Graham). Scotswell has already won twice this term for his Jedburgh trainer while Bollin Fiona carries the colours of her Hawick trainer’s father Chas.

 

George and Jane Millar are generously supporting the Ferneyhill Handicap Chase to celebrate a Birthday. George is hugely respected in the farming community and his wife, Jane is head of the highly successful agricultural and automotive dealership J Rutherford’s of Earlston. County Durham-based John Wade, who now has around 70 horses in training has pencilled in Otto Quercus. Duke Of Malfi could make his first appearance for Harriet Graham since arriving from Lucinda Russell.

 

Kelso Races and Girsonfield Stud have teamed up to give Thoroughbred Horse Breeders in the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland a treat before racing at 11am  when Susan Corbett of the Otterburm based Girsonfield will be parading her three most popular stallions Bahri, Millkom and Ferrule.

Bahri who is now in his second year at Girsonfield was European Champion Miler and is the sire of World Champion Sakhee. His Progeny have amassed £7.4 million in prize money and he is now represented over fences by the promising Gilberry who won The Grade 2 Future Champion Novice Chase at Ayr in April 2011. 

Millkom will also be lining up, he was an outstanding race horse winning 12 races including three Group One races and has already proven himself capable of sireing Group 1 winning racehorses including the tough 2 year old Milk it Mick.

Rounding off the parade will be Ferrule a son of the great Danehill who raced mostly in Japan and is from the outstanding family of 2000 guineas winner Haafhd.

These three brilliant stallions will open what promises to be an outstanding day of racing at the Border Track.