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Kelso – Preview 10th May 2023

Gordon Brown – Race Reporter

Gordon has a wealth of experience of racing through his background in the written and broadcast media. His current principle role is reporting and supporting the scene in Scotland on Racing TV and relaying the latest news with Scottish angles.

JAMES EWART is looking forward to running veteran Lake Takapuna in the £15,000 feature race at Kelso on Wednesday.

 

The 12-year-old makes the short journey up the A7 to take on five rivals in the Bedmax Handicap Chase over 2m 1f.

 

“He’s a good, fun horse for this syndicate and he seems to be coming into his own in the twilight of his career,” Ewart said. “He was only beaten a nose at Kelso around this time two years ago and we were all delighted when he defied our  worries about the soft ground to win at Ayr in February.”

 

Among the opposition is Sandy Thomson’s three-time Kelso scorer Cedar Hill, who was runner-up in the contest twelve months ago.

 

Shouldering top-weight under triple-champion jockey is Donald McCain-trained Geromino, five times a winner from just ten starts over fences.

 

Six of the nine declared runners in the opening Racing TV Handicap Chase are previous winners at the borders venue.

 

They include Just Don’t Know for Hawick-based former jockey Paul Robson, Hidden Commander, trained at Selkirk by Stuart Coltherd and Iain Jardine’s Carrutherstown raider Exit To Where.