£275,000 in prize money on offer at Kelso race meeting this weekend

A £100,000 bonus is up for grabs for winning the day’s feature race, the Bet365 Morebattle Hurdle, and then following up with a further victory at Gloucestershire’s Cheltenham Festival later this month.

County Carlow trainer Emmet Mullins and owner Paul Byrne pulled off that winning double with the Shunter in 2021 and they’re hoping to repeat that feat this weekend with Mctigue.

Mctigue, already bookmakers’ favourite, has four options at Cheltenham, and the four-year-old bay gelding is one of nine of 26 entries vying for the Morebattle Hurdle’s £51,440 top prize with at least one potential run at the English festival pencilled in.

Last year’s Morebattle Hurdle winner, Cormier, forced to settle for a seventh-placed finish when bidding for the Cheltenham jackpot a fortnight later, is another likely runner on Saturday for North Yorkshire trainer Brian Ellison, with Sean Quinlan lined up as jockey.

Kelso handler Sandy Thomson, set to be a guest on ITV Racing’s Opening Show live on Saturday morning, is planning to saddle Benson, a winner at Musselburgh on New Year’s Day, for the two-mile race at 1.50pm, one of four runners he’s got lined up.

He’s one of two Borders trainers to submit entries for that race, the other being Lindean’s Katie Scott with Enemy Coast Ahead.

Jonathan Garratt, managing director at the track, said: “We’ve been bowled over by the quality of the entry for Saturday’s seven-race programme.

“It’s the sort of card that every racing enthusiast in the north should want to come and see.

“The ground is perfect and we’re looking forward to a fabulous day.”

Grand National-bound Le Milos, trained by Warwickshire’s Dan Skelton, is being given a warm-up for that Aintree outing in the £60,000 Bet365 Premier Chase at 3.35pm.

The Shunter, a ten-year-old bay gelding, is also among the entries, along with likely favourite Sounds Russian, a three-time Kelso winner trained by North Yorkshire’s Ruth Jefferson.

“We’ve enjoyed a bit of luck at Kelso in the past and Le Milos is an intended runner,” Skelton said. “I’m very happy with his preparations, and after Saturday he’ll go straight to Aintree.”

Thomson’s also got an entry lined up for that race, Empire Steel, as have Camptown training partnership Harriet Graham and Gary Rutherford, namely Aye Right.

Skelton is also hoping to be represented by Hoe Joly Smoke in the £50,000 Bet365 Premier Novices’ Hurdle at 2.25pm, with Gloucestershire handler Fergal O’Brien’s Accidental Rebel, a holder of two entries at Cheltenham, another possible runner, along with Thomson’s Carcaci Castle.

The opening Bet365 Cyril Alexander Memorial Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at 1.15pm is named after Fife trainer Nick Alexander’s late father and it’s a race he’s won in the past.

He’s hoping to repeat that feat and is going double-handed with Gaillimh Storm and dual course victor Ned Tanner.

Thomson’s got an entry for that one lined up too, Donna’s Double, to be ridden by Ryan Mania.

Gates open at 11am. Tickets cost £21 in advance or £25 on the day. For details, go to www.kelso-races.co.uk