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.
EWAN WHILLANS is looking forward to running Cracking Destiny in the feature race on day two of the William Hill Perth festival on Thursday.
The Hawick raider, who supplied the rookie handler with his first success when scoring at Stratford in August, is one of eight runners declared for the £25,000 Phil Nelson River Tay Handicap Chase over 2m 4f.
Whillans said: “This will be his first run of the spring and hopefully we have him fit enough to do himself justice. He’s in good fettle and we took him for a wee gallop at Kelso the other day.
“He’s a course and distance winner and has only been out of the first two in five trips to Perth. Ideally I’d have liked him to have had less weight but it’s good prize money and this is the ideal starting point.”
Alnadam, representing Dan and Harry Skelton, is a two-time winning chaser and makes his first appearance at Britain’s most northerly venue while Stuart Coltherd-trained Pookie Pekan was an all-the-way winner over course and distance last summer.
The Skeltons could also play a part in the William Hill Scoonieburn Handicap Hurdle with recent Warwick winner Boss Man Fred.
Gordon Elliott’s Robinstown and Sandy Thomson’s Flower Of Scotland also catch the eye in an open race over 3m 2f.