Menu Close

Kelso – Preview 20th September 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.

WITH a BHA rating of 144, Sebastopol is the class act on display at Kelso on Wednesday where he shoulders top-weight in the £25,000 Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers To Follow Handicap Hurdle.

After falling in a valuable chase at Newbury in the spring, Tom Lacey’s Herefordshire raider successfully reverted to the smaller obstacles with a comfortable strike at Newton Abbot 18-days ago

Sebastopol bids to supply both his jockey Stan Sheppard (two previous mounts) and Lacey (six previous runners) with their first wins at the borders venue.

Jamie Snowden-trained Bucko’s Boy, on a hat-trick after his wins at Bangor-On-Dee and Stratford, appears one of the main dangers.

Owner Ray Green has his eye on the Belhaven Brewery for the second year running, this time with Sandy Thomson-trained Cedar Hill.

A four-time course and distance winner, the local raider attempts to follow in the hoof-prints of Iain Jardine’s Gold Des Bois, who carried Green’s colours to victory twelve months ago.

Lucinda Russell is looking forward to running Idem in the Ferguson Planning & Developing 10th Anniversary Novices’ Hurdle.

“He went close in the good Go North Series Final Bumper at Kelso in March and then won on his hurdles debut at Hexham in the first week of the new season,” she said. “We didn’t see as much of him as would have liked because of a couple of little niggly issues but we have high hopes for him this winter.”