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.
Minella Drama is likely to go off a short priced favourite as he bids land the feature race at Kelso on Friday under top-weight.
An impressive winner at Musselburgh on New Year’s Day, Donald McCain’s Cheshire raider faces three rivals in the £25,000 Racing’s Best Ratings With Timeform Handicap Chase.
The mare produced an instant dividend for her Kinneston handler on Betfair Chase day at Haydock and he said: “She was impressive in November and then found the ground a little too holding for her next time.
Ridden again by dual champion jockey Brian Hughes, he should go close as he has only been raised 5lbs for his six and a half length romp.
Up against him this time are Nick Alexander pair Elvis Mail and Dubai Days along with Doyen Breed, trained just a few miles from the track by Sandy Thomson.
Harry and Dan Skelton team up on several occasions notably with West Cork in the Subscribe To Racing TV No Handicap Hurdle.
A close fourth in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham and second in the Scottish Champion Hurdle last season, he reverts to the smaller obstacles following some moderate efforts over fences.
Selkirk trainer Stuart Coltherd loves having runners at his local course and he is represented in a couple of races. He said: “Zopito is a new horse to us and he goes in the Johnston Smillie Novices’ Hurdle. He has already had a race over hurdles in France where he wasn’t beaten far on soft ground in mid-November. He’s got a lovely pedigree as there are plenty of winners over hurdles and chases in the family.”
Coltherd added: “I also run Oscar Wilde in the Church House Investments Open Hunters’ Chase and I’ve got Tom Hamilton coming over from Ireland to ride him. He’s won four point to points for my daughter Amy but she hasn’t got a licence yet to ride in hunter chases.”