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.
Gregor Walkingshaw is looking to follow up his dream first success on Shanroe Street in the hunters’ chase at Kelso’s popular ladies day fixture.
As a point to point trainer and rider, he gained his maiden strike aboard the same horse at Perth just eleven days ago.
Walkingshaw inherited the gelding from his boss Lucinda Russell last year and was over the moon when the partnership sprung an upset at their local course.
“I was shaking with excitement after that win,” he said. “This was the obvious race to go for again as we were fourth in it last year.”
The 2022 winner Steely Addition, and a close third to Shanroe Street at Perth, is one of his rivals again.
Iain Jardine’s Exit To Where bids for another Kelso win under Conor O’Farrell in the 2m 5f chase at the borders track’s final card of the spring.
His owner Ray Green said: “We had planned his win a few weeks ago since November and Conor gave him a lovely ride and went wide to give him a nice sight of the fences.”
Opposition includes The Ferry Master, who fourth in the 2021 Scottish National for Sandy Thomson off a much lower mark.
Recent Ayr runner-up Bythesametoken bids to go one better for Irish handler Ross O’Sullivan in the feature handicap hurdle.
Robbie Dunne again takes the ride after the combination chased home useful juvenile Afadil in late April.
Sandy Forster’s Lissen To The Lady, trained just 20 minutes away, is after a fourth Kelso victory in the long-distance handicap hurdle.