Good luck to Aye Right and his borders connections as the pride of Jedburgh bids for glory in Saturday’s Grade 2 bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

 

Trained by Harriet Graham and partnered by Callum Bewley, he is owned by Kelso Director Geoff Adam whose colours were pipped by a neck in 1992 when worn by Neale Doughty aboard Pat’s Jester.

 

Plucky Pat’s Jester, trained by now-retired Dick Allan, was carried out on his shield as he was conceding 8lbs to a race-fit Tipping Tim who went on to land the race formerly known as the Mackeson Gold Cup.

 

He was no slouch over timber either as he landed the Scottish Champion Hurdle, Bula Hurdle and Ekbalco Hurdle.

 

Apart from the SCH, ‘Pat’ also won over fences and on the Flat at Ayr where the new jumps season gets underway on Monday.

 

Following the end of the track’s Flat campaign, the thick-end of forty horses enjoyed a galloping session recently and Nicky Richards, Ian Duncan and Mike Smith were among the trainers represented. My spies reported seeing some quality youngsters on parade as well as last year’s Scottish National hero Takingrisks.

 

Plenty of national hunt’s big names are set to be in attendance on Monday and on Saturday which is traditionally a decent quality fixture featuring the Tennent’s Cup Scottish Champion Hurdle Trial.

 

Ayr winds up 2020 with a mid-week card on 11th November but the New Year is set to start with a real swing as the ITV Racing cameras are covering the meeting on Saturday, 2nd January.

 

Horses from the Lucinda Russell yard are sure to be competing on all three days and Scotland’s leading jumps trainer recorded her first-ever sprint winner in the shape of Ballyare at Newcastle.

 

Paul Mulrennan was on board the five-furlong scorer and it was actually only her third winner of all-time on the Flat and first on the all-weather.

 

She gained her maiden Flat success on Newcastle’s old turf circuit with Robert Winston-ridden Summer Soul in 2009 while her other victory came at Hamilton Park three years later courtesy of Livvy Inn under Catherine Walton in an amateur riders’ handicap.

 

Famous colours were spotted in the winners’ enclosure after the success of Relativity at Kempton on Wednesday. The Harry Dunlop-trained gelding is part-owned by Jockey Club senior steward Sandy Dudgeon and it was his colours that were worn by Harry Bentley.

 

Sandy, brother of Perth chief executive Hazel Peplinski and a former top amateur rider over jumps, was on hand to acclaim the success. The silks, originally white, red sleeves and black cap with white spots were first registered to Dudgeon’s paternal grandfather Neil.

 

Sandy did the steering himself in the very same colours when Gayle Warning, owned and trained by his late father John, landed the Foxhunters’ Chase over the pre-modified Aintree fences in 1984.

 

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