ANCIENT ORIGINS

It’s hard to imagine that horse races haven’t been taking place since the very first day that horses became domesticated. Like two young children with new bikes, wherever two horses were found in close proximity, the urge to test them against each other must be great. Whereas the first bike was produced in the 1860s, the oldest known man-made sculpture of a horse was produced roughly twenty-eight thousand years before the birth of Christ.

The history of racing in Scotland was set out in fascinating detail by J. FairfaxBlakeborough in his ‘Northern Turf History’, Volume IV, 1973, starting with the legend that Scotland’s fastest horses were descended from those that were rescued from the ship-wrecked Spanish Armada, off the coast of Galloway, in 1588. However, in the chapter on Kelso, he places the first record of a race at Caverton Edge in a period prior to 1734 – when Mr Justice’s grey mare, Miss Modesty, beat Sir William Maxwell’s Whitefoot and Lord Cranston’s Almanzor

In 1751 the Caledonian Hunt gave a plate worth 50 guineas to be run for at Caverton Edge and, from 1760 onwards, the races were established on a semi-regular basis By 1773, when Mr Weatherby published his first Racing Calendar, the only two Scottish meetings thought worthy of inclusion were at Edinburgh and Kelso where The Hon.

It’s probable that the horses were ridden by their owners or their owners’ grooms, there being no professional jockeys at this time. Both the riders and the grooms would have worn the owner’s livery and taken the horses to the races by road frequently a journey of four to five days. The grooms would have slept alongside their horses in loose boxes at hotels along the way.

In 1821 Kelso Races moved from Caverton Edge to Blakelaw, about 3 miles south of Kelso But when the site at Blakelaw became overrun with travellers, the Duke’s tenants objected and the racecourse was moved to its current location on the Berrymoss – a freshly drained piece of ground which had been reclaimed from the marsh close by the northern edge of the town.

FIRST RACE | 1.40

THE DAVID BROWNLEE 50 YEARS AT KELSO

NOVICES’ HURDLE RACE (CLASS 4) (GBB RACE) for novice four yrs old and upwards x Total prize fund £8000

Owners Prize Money. 1st £3338, 2nd £1670, 3rd £834, 4th £418. (Penalty Value £4356.80)

Race Stats

Leading course trainer (17-22): N Alexander (24 wins from 207 runners, 12%) runs LUCKY SOLDIER and NOT IN KANSAS

Trainer-in-form (last 14 days): Miss K Scott (3 wins from 11 runners, 27%) runs FLASH BULB

Fancy That: D McCain won this race in 2014 and 2022. The stable runs BALLYPOREEN today

Longest Traveller: JIMMY CHOU PECOS AA trained by J Mcconnell, Ireland.

Br Breeding O Owner B Breeder J Jockey T Trainer S Sponsor no horse age st-lb

1

BALLYPOREEN (IRE) (24) 253451 6 11-12

Br B g Fame And Glory - Littlemissthistle (IRE) Brian Hughes J

O The Top Silk Syndicate Donald McCain, Cholmondeley T

B Littlemissthistle Partnership New Red Planet Limited, Proactive Personnel Limited S

TIMEFORMVIEWImmediateimprovementfornewtrainerDonaldMcCainwheneasilywinninga21/2mMusselburgh novice handicap last month. Bold show likely if showing up in similar form. TFRHHHHI BHA113

2

CHASE A FORTUNE (GB) (34) 223212 BF 5 11-12

Br B g Cannock Chase (USA) - Lucematic Sean Quinlan J

O Chasing the dream Chris Grant, Billingham T

B T. C. Dawson www.chrisgrantracing.com S

TIMEFORM VIEWConsistentsortwhomadethemostofagoodopportunitytogetoffthemarkin9-runnermaidenatCatterick(2m,good)inFebruary.Foundlife tougherunderapenaltywhen19lengthssecondatSedgefieldsince.Goodplacechancebutprobablyvulnerableforthewinagain. TFRHHHII BHA114

3

DIAMANT SUR CANAPE (FR)(97) 0-0P0P 5 11-5

Br B g Diamond Boy (FR) - Belledonne (FR) Henry Brooke J

O Mr Gary Downie Ewan Whillans, Hawick T

B Mme Gerard De Tarragon Lorry Living S

TIMEFORM VIEW Well held in bumper and little to shout about in 4 starts in this sphere. First run for new yard after leaving Mark Walford. Wears a hood for the first time. TFRHIIII BHA67

4

JIMMY CHOU PECOS AA (FR) (44) 25-22 7 11-5

Br B g Walk In The Park (IRE) - Rose Chou (FR) Ben Harvey (5) J

O Matthew Rogers John McConnell, Ireland T

B E.A.R.L. Haras Du Pecos

PromisingsecondinmaidenhurdlesatDownRoyalandNavanthiswinter TheonetobeatforanIrishstablewith a 2-4 record here. HHHHH BHA125

5

KOPA KILANA (IRE) (140) 140- 6 11-5

Br B g Milan - Kophinou (FR) Conor Rabbitt (7) J

O Mr John Wade Maurice Barnes, Brampton T

B Mr R. Bryan STONEGRAVE AGGREGATES LTD, Maurice Barnes Racing Ltd S

TIMEFORMVIEWBumperwinnerforRebeccaMenziesbutbeatenalongwayoverhurdlesonnext2startsandonlymodestform on the Flat since. Has a first-time tongue tie added now starting out for a new stable after 140 days off TFRHIIII BHA-

6

LUCKY SOLDIER (IRE) (49) 246

5 11-5

Br Br g Soldier of Fortune (IRE) - Kilbarry Flame (IRE) Conor O’Farrell J

O Dudgeon, Loudon, Monroe & Morris N. W. Alexander, Kinneston T

B Mr Sean Tanner Kinneston Bloodstock Ltd S

7

8

TIMEFORM VIEW Promising second on Ayr bumper debut in October but below that level in 2 outings at the same venue since. Still early days and makes hurdle debut now.

TFRHHHII BHA-

MIDNIGHT FIDDLER (GB) (76) 6-P 7 11-5

Br Ch g Midnight Legend - Overlady

Edward Austin (5) J

O Mr W. Jeffrey Harriet Graham & Gary Rutherford, Jedburgh T

B William F. Jeffrey Clockwork Mortgages Limited S

TIMEFORM VIEW No show in novice hurdles 11 months apart. Outsider

TFRHIIII BHA-

MONKLAW (IRE) (32) FF0 6 11-5

Br B g Kalanisi (IRE) - Miss Generosity Sam Coltherd J

O Coltherd McDougal Stuart Coltherd, Selkirk T

B C. Berry & Berry Farms Bell Rural Solutions S

TIMEFORM VIEW Fell both starts in points 50/1 did travel well for a long way on his Hexham hurdle debut but folded tamely to finish 10th of 13. TFRHIIII BHA-

6

Br B g Valirann (FR) - Estuary Princess (IRE) Thomas Dowson J

O Miss R. Holmes Philip Kirby, Richmond T

B Francis Flynn Topspec Equine Ltd, Philip Kirby Racing S

TIMEFORM VIEW Showed ability in bumpers (trained in Ireland first 2 starts) without achieving enough to suggest he’s likely to make a major impact on hurdle debut

TFRHHIII BHA10

(48) P130 6

Br Gr m Mahler - Castle Lake (IRE) Alan Doyle (5) J

O Mrs Wilma Duffus Patrick Neville, Leyburn T

B William O’Leary

11

12

13

14

The Red Armoury, Sinclair’s of Rhynie Limited S

TIMEFORM VIEW Winning Irish pointer but beaten a long way in 2 hurdles at Catterick (25f then 2m) in February. Has a hood on for the first time now.

TFRHHIII BHA-

Br B m Califet (FR) - Glen Eile (IRE) Craig Nichol J

O Mr I. J. Jardine Iain Jardine, Carrutherstown T

B Ms Claire O’Connell Bloomfields Raceline Horseboxes S

TIMEFORM VIEW Pulled up both starts between the flags and no show in maiden/novice hurdles this year, refusing to race on last month’s stable debut when fitted with blinkers (left off now). TFRHIIII BHA-

NOT IN KANSAS (GB) (49) 66PF

6 10-12

Br B m Gentlewave (IRE) - Spinning Away Bruce Lynn (3) J

O Alexander, Baxter & Jardine-Paterson

N. W. Alexander, Kinneston T

B Kinneston Bloodstock Kinneston Bloodstock Ltd S

TIMEFORM VIEWSeemedtobeintheprocessofshowingimprovedformwhenfalling4outinmaidenhurdleatAyr(19.5f)7 weeksago,butquitewhatshe’dhavedoneoffthebridleisopentodebategivenshe’dagainbeenkeen. TFRHHIII BHA-

060

4 10-11

Br Ch g Churchill (IRE) - Organza Emma Smith-Chaston (3) J

O Caron & Paul Chapman Jedd O’Keeffe, Leyburn T

B Caron & Paul Chapman Racing Jedd O’Keeffe Racing S

TIMEFORM VIEW Modest form at best in bumpers ahead of this switch to hurdles TFRHHIII BHA-

FLASH BULB (IRE) (49) 0

4 10-4

Br B f Camelot - Ethel Stephen Mulqueen J

O Making Headway Racing and K Scott Katie Scott, Galashiels T

B O’Connor International Limited Overlander Vehicles S

TIMEFORM VIEW Fair maiden on Flat but tailed off on Ayr hurdle debut in February. Has had wind surgery since then. TFRHIIII BHA-

DECLARED RUNNERS 14 2022: MASKED CRUSADER (FR) 6 11 7 Brian Hughes 1-14 (Donald McCain) 6 ran

Hood worn first time by No 3, 10. Tongue Strap worn first time by No 5.

Tongue Strap worn by No 4, 9, 12. Running for the first time since Wind Surgery No 14.

Stewards Note:

MONKLAW: Following its run on 16/3/2023 it was reported that the horse weakened quickly heading home.

Probable S.P’s: 5-4 Jimmy Chou Pecos Aa (FR), 5-2 Ballyporeen (IRE), 11-2 Chase A Fortune (GB), 18-1 Lucky Soldier (IRE), 33-1 Monty Nevett (IRE), 40-1 Special Rate (IRE), 66-1 Beauty To Behold (IRE), 100-1 Kopa Kilana (IRE), Monklaw (IRE), Glen Ali (IRE), Not In Kansas (GB), 300-1 Diamant Sur Canape (FR), Midnight Fiddler (GB), Flash Bulb (IRE)

PLAY SMARTER

JIMMY CHOU PECOS AA has shaped well when runner-up in a couple of maiden hurdles in Ireland and is taken to make the most of the weight he receives from Musselburgh winner Ballyporeen. Chase A Fortune is clear third pick in a race where it’s hard to make a case for many

TIMEFORM PREDICTION: 1.JIMMY CHOU PECOS AA (FR) 2.BALLYPOREEN (IRE) 3.CHASE A FORTUNE

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