​Elvis Mail delivers second win on trot in £50,000 feature race at Kelso

Hawick jockey Bruce Lynn was in the saddle for the ten-year-old grey gelding’s sixth success at the Borders course, riding out his claim and finishing three lengths clear of Cumbrian trainer Nicky Richards’ Famous Bridge, ridden by Sean Quinlan, in the £50,000 feature race.

That was Lynn’s fourth first-placed finish on the bounce on the 10/1 chance – three of them at Kelso and one, in April, at Carlisle – and fifth in total and his Fife-trained mount’s tenth victory all told, his other three at Kelso with Lucy Alexander riding.

Top-weight Elvis Mail was among five of seven runners to complete the three-mile-two-furlong course, with its last two fences omitted due to low sun.

“I was a bit worried that the ground might not be soft enough for him but he jumped super,” said winning trainer Nick Alexander.

“It was very much the target to see if he was still at the top of his game or whether he goes down the veterans’ route, and he’s given us his answer.

“He’s been a super horse for us. My daughter Lucy always thought he could be a 150-plus horse and she could be right.

“We might look at the Rehearsal Chase for him at Newcastle towards the end of next month.”

Perth and Kinross trainer Lucinda Russell was forced to settle for fourth place in the 3.55pm feature race with Apple Away, ridden by Derek Fox, but she notched up a 335/1 winning treble on the day, thanks to jockey Alan Doyle on Bold Light and Walk On Quest and Fox on Old Gregorian.

Bold Light won the opening two-mile Halloween After Party National Hunt Maiden Hurdle at 3/1, finishing seven lengths ahead of stablemate Tommy’s Law, with Fox riding, to pick up £4,901 in prize money.

Walk On Quest edged out Selkirk trainer Stuart Coltherd’s Augharue, with Ross Chapman as jockey, by three-quarters of a length over two miles and a furlong in the 2.45pm Jumps Season Free Trial on Racing TV Novices’ Handicap Chase to take its £3,961 top prize, also at 3/1.

Old Gregorian beat Cumbrian trainer Dianne Sayer’s 5/2 favourite Heart Above, with William Maggs riding, by almost four lengths to spring a 20-1 upset in the two-mile William Hill Handicap Hurdle at 3.20pm and claim its £4,753 top prize.

Coltherd was the only Borders trainer to come up trumps on home turf at the weekend, 2/1 favourite Similar Story, ridden by his son Sam, finishing the two-mile-seven-furlong Clifford, Martin and Sarah Firth Memorial Novices’ Handicap Chase at 2.10pm half a length clear of Kelso handler Sandy Thomson’s Meetmeinthemorning, with Ryan Mania as jockey.

That was the six-year-old bay mare’s first win ever in nine runs, landing prize money of £5,281, much to the delight of her trainer.

“It was her chase debut and she has schooled well since day one,” said Coltherd senior.

“We were expecting a big run and she duly delivered for us.”

Saturday’s other winners were Pay the Piper in the 4.30pm Nuts Well Handicap Chase over two miles and a furlong and Maura Jeanne in the one-mile-longer Racing TV Conditional Jockeys’ Training Series Handicap Hurdle at 5.05pm.

The former, trained by Ann Hamilton in Northumberland and with Danny McMenamin riding, finished six lengths clear of Thomson and jockey Jamie Hamilton’s Gold des Bois to pick up prize money of £10,562 and the latter, trained by South Ayrshire’s Ian Duncan and ridden by Ellis Collier, landed a £4,753 payout.

Kelso’s next meeting is on Saturday, November 9. Tickets are £18 in advance or £23 on the day. For details, go to https://kelso-races.co.uk/

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