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.
NICKY RICHARDS is looking forward to another big run from veteran performer Caius Marcius as Kelso begins its bicentennial celebrations on Wednesday.
The Greystoke raider, partnered for the first time by Sean Quinlan, is set to face seven rivals in the featured £25,000 Weatherbys Handicap Hurdle over 2m 4f.
Richards said: “There’s no reason he shouldn’t run his race again. He runs mostly over hurdles these days and well done to Kelso for putting on a nice race with good money.
“I’ll leave tactics up to Sean and hopefully it won’t get too soft as we had to take him out at Perth the other day due to that. He’s been a tremendous servant and he seems to stay that little bit further as he’s got older so this trip is fine.”
Opposition to Caius Marcius includes some in-form horses. Dallas Des Pictons, now with Dianne Sayer, won at Cork on his farewell outing for Gordon Elliott while Alex Hales-trained Solo Saxophone and Donald McCain’s Latino Fling are both on hat-tricks.
Mortlach, the winner of five of his last seven starts for Fergal O’Brien, looks the one to beat in the opening Kelso Races Bicentenary Novices’ Hurdle.
All bar one of those runs were over fences and he reverts to hurdles for just the third time under conditional pilot Jack Hogan.
Course and distance winners Exit To Where (Iain Jardine) and Raecius Felix (Rebecca Menzies) take the eye in the 1822 Foundation Stone Handicap Chase (Go North Monet’s Garden Series Qualifier).
Both have been in action during the summer jumps campaign while Cardboard Gangster has winning form at Perth and Stratford in June and July.