Kelso ​Racecourse to end season this weekend with ladies’ day

By Gordon Brown
Published 22nd May 2024, 15:13 BST
Hawick jockey Craig Nichol, left, and trainer Ewan Whillans, right, with Cracking Destiny at a prior meeting at Musselburgh Racecourse (Photo: Alan Raeburn)Hawick jockey Craig Nichol, left, and trainer Ewan Whillans, right, with Cracking Destiny at a prior meeting at Musselburgh Racecourse (Photo: Alan Raeburn)
Hawick jockey Craig Nichol, left, and trainer Ewan Whillans, right, with Cracking Destiny at a prior meeting at Musselburgh Racecourse (Photo: Alan Raeburn)
It’s Kelso Racecourse’s biggest event of the year on Sunday, May 26, its season-finale ladies’ day, and Borders trainers including Sandy Thomson, Ewan Whillans and Stuart Coltherd have got entries lined up for six of its seven races.

Cheshire trainer Donald McCain’s Collingham is among the provisional entries for the day’s £20,000 feature race, the 3.25pm Elliott Henderson Group Handicap Hurdle over two miles.

The six-year-old bay gelding, owned by Dundee United director Jimmy Fyffe, unseated jockey Charlie Maggs at the second in 2023’s Morebattle Hurdle on his only previous visit to Kelso but Maggs, in the saddle again, will be hoping to avoid that fate this time round.

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“The plan is to go to Kelso when the going should again be to his liking,” said Fyffe, 55.

“He’s the type of horse who could still be well handicapped over hurdles and fences.”

Rivals to Collingham could include Kelso trainer Thomson’s Carcaci Castle, potentially reverting to hurdles with Ryan mania riding, and Cracking Destiny, trained by Whillans in Hawick.

Recent Hexham winner Five Dollar Fine is a likely runner for Northumberland trainer Ann Hamilton in the 2.50pm Schloss Roxburghe Hotel Handicap Chase, offering a top prize of £5,281.

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The nine-year-old bay gelding’s potential opponents include Thomason and Mania’s Go Boy and Coltherd’s Hidden Commander, to be ridden by his son Sam.

The final race of Kelso’s spring campaign is the See You in September Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race at 5.45pm and Whillans has booked Craig Nichol to ride Lizzie Luna in that one, with Lindean trainer Katie Scott and jockey Patrick Wadge’s Crafty Dancer also among the entries.

The first race of the day is the 2.15pm JA Wilson Contractors Novices’ Hurdle and the Coltherds have got Famous Liss pencilled in for that one, prospectively up against Yethoilm trainer Sandy Forster’s Rock’n’Roll Champ.

Tickets cost £30 in advance or £35 on the day. For details, go to https://kelso-races.co.uk/

Gates open at noon.

Related topics:KelsoBorders