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.
BIG RIVER, partnered by Derek Fox, bids for a record-breaking ninth win in the feature race at Kelso on Saturday.
Lucinda Russell’s twelve-year-old, who currently shares top billing at the borders venue with long-since retired pair Whaat Fettle and Davy Blake, faces nine rivals in the £40,000 Edinburgh Gin Limited Handicap Chase over 3m 2f.
“He’s now into the veteran stage of his career but he seemed as good as ever last season with his two Kelso wins including that memorable Sunday afternoon in the Borders National,” Russell said. “We’d love to try and win it again but his owner Debs Thomson is desperate for him to win the Kelso record outright so that will be his main objective.”
In a wide-open contest, Ruth Jefferson saddles fast-improving Sounds Russian. His exploits over fences have already seen his mark rocket up by 39lbs and he was a two-winner at Kelso last term.
Harriet Graham’s stable star Aye Right, a three-time course scorer, embarks on his latest campaign under top-weight while Rapid Flight has won won five of his seven starts since moving from Nicky Henderson to Jimmy Moffatt.
Emma Lavalle has only sent one previous runner from her Wiltshire base and she is represented by De Rasher Counter, who was last seen in action when unseating his jockey early on in the Grand National.
The Grade 1 winning handler’s afternoon starts with Captain Broomfield in the Lynnie’s Big Bozzie Birthday Bash “National Hunt” Maiden Hurdle and continues later on with Point Him Out in the Beauchamp Estates Handicap Chase.
Of the opposition to Point Him Out, Langholm trainer James Ewart normally begins to get going around this time and Ryan Mania is an interesting jockey booking for Lake Takapuna.
He bids to defy an injury-enforced 535-day lay-off but he has won first time back before and has also had his wind tinkered with again.