Kelso Racecourse to see out 2024 with festive fling

Ryan Mania in prior action on trainer Sandy Thomson's Carcaci Castle at Kelso (Pic: Alan Raeburn)

Dumfries and Galloway trainer Iain Jardine is hoping to sign off for 2024 with a win in one of the two £15,000 feature races on Kelso’s final card of the year on Sunday.

Jardine, formerly of Hawick but based near Carrutherstown since 2015, has entered Dunnet Head, to be ridden by Conor O’Farrell, for the two-mile-six-furlong Slainte Mhath Handicap Hurdle at 12.53pm, the second of six races making up a meeting billed as a festive fling.

“He made his chase debut at Kelso on Borders National day three weeks ago but the ground was just too soft for him, and it’s not likely to be as testing this time,” said Jardine.

“He is a chaser in the making but we’ve no concerns bringing him back over hurdles in the time being.

“We think there is a really good race in him somewhere along the line and he’s still quite well handicapped.

“He’s a lovely big, jumping type and the track and trip won’t pose him any problems. I could see him running a big race.”

Kelso trainer Sandy Thomson and his jockey son-in-law Ryan Mania won the corresponding race 12 months ago with Imaginary Dragon and they are back this time round with I Am Max, a winner at Ayr and Carlisle in February prior to falling at Wetherby during his chase debut in November.

Bertie-B, a winner at Plumpton in East Sussex earlier this month, could be a first Kelso runner for Herefordshire permit-holder Clive Boultbee-Brooks and County Durham trainer Chris Grant’s Young Jack is likely to try to follow up his recent course and distance success under Danny McMenamin.

The Children’s Hospices Across Scotland Handicap Chase over two miles and a furlong could see Escapeandevade attempt to notch up a hat-trick of wins at Kelso after prior successes this February and March.

Trained at Langholm by James Ewart, the eight-year-old bay gelding has won on two of his three trips to Kelso and four of his five career victories have been achieved with three-time champion jockey Brian Hughes in the saddle.

Thomson and Mania are also set to vie for that 2.03pm race’s £7,922 top prize with Carcaci Castle, another horse with two course wins to his name.

The fixture gets under way with the Visit Kelso in 2025 Novices’ Hurdle at 12.18pm, with Perth and Kinross trainer Lucinda Russell’s Derryhassen Paddy among 16 entries after making a winning debut over timber at Uttoxeter in Staffordshire last month.

Tickets cost £23 in advance and £28 on the day. For further details, go to https://kelso-races.co.uk/fixtures/