12:30 Kelso

Sunday 9 December 2018

All12:0012:3013:0513:3514:1014:4015:15

Mrs Ivan Straker Paris Pike Novices' Chase

Off time: 12:30 | Winning time: 5m 58.30s

Castletown^b³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Henry Brooke| T: Miss P Robson| OR: 105

10/1

Hurdles winner at Perth in April (2m4f, soft) but lacks much in the way of obvious natural scope for progression over fences - already 0-11; tough task at these weights against some far less exposed rivals.

Form: 3221-57

Claud And Goldie²⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-1| J: R P McLernon| T: Miss S E Forster

8/1

Latecomer to rules racing at the age of nine, but is a PTP winner (3m, soft); couldn't have been expected to fare any better than he did (66/1) in a very warm looking novices' chase at Carlisle (2m4f, soft) latest.

Form: 172/45

Donna's Diamond¹⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-1| J: Sean Quinlan| T: C Grant| OR: 146| CD

10/11

Much improved hurdler in the 2017/18 season, winning the Grade 2 Rendlesham at Haydock (2m7f, heavy) in February before an ambitious tilt at the Stayers Hurdle (ran with credit); perfectly respectable second over fences at Hexham (3m) 18-days ago.

Form: 4/1102-2

Lovely Schtuff¹⁶⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Callum Bewley| T: Mrs J Stephen| OR: 109

50/1

PTP winner who truthfully didn't achieve a great deal over hurdles in the early part of 2018; should be better suited by this discipline but rates as more of a long-term handicap project than a potential winning novice.

Form: 1/533-74

Rocket Man Rodney¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: S Mulqueen⁽³⁾| T: Mrs H O Graham

150/1

Closely related to the PTP/2m4f chase winner Mor Brook, so perhaps no surprise that he bypasses the hurdling route completely following three fair (at best) runs in bumpers; rates as a highly unlikely winner on these terms.

Form: 6-67

Senor Lombardy¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: B S Hughes| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 135| BF| CD

12/5

Cost €125,000 in April 2017; showed plenty of ability in bumpers and over hurdles (runner up to Coole Hall in the 2017 French Furze Novices' Hurdle); bred for chasing; bitterly disappointing at Hexham (3m) 18-days ago.

Form: 1/2112-4

Slanemore Hill³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Danny Cook| T: C Grant

16/1

Bought for £20,000 in May (1-4 in PTP's); half-brother to the PTP winner Syddan Rose; never in the hunt on rules chasing debut at Wetherby (3m, good) and predicted to struggle again this afternoon.

Form: P341-3

Catchamat²²⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 10-8| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: J Walton

28/1

Mare who looked the part as a novice hurdler over staying trips at Newcastle (two-time winner). Well suited by cut but has struggled to regain any positive momentum over hurdles over the past 12-months; relatively untested over fences (3-9 PTP's).

Form: 1/50666-

Forecasts

Donna's Diamond (10/11), Senor Lombardy (12/5), Claud And Goldie (8/1), Castletown (10/1), Slanemore Hill (16/1), Catchamat (28/1), Lovely Schtuff (50/1), Rocket Man Rodney (150/1)

Classy hurdler Donna's Diamond made a perfectly respectable second start over fences at Hexham despite being beaten decisively by Top Ville Ben. On the other hand, the selection SENOR LOMBARDY turned in a very laboured effort in that particular race (tailed-off fourth). However, time remains a friend of this useful novice hurdler who is bred for a career over fences (dam was a half-sister to Irish Grand National winner Glebe Lad). With some experience of Kelso and marginally quicker ground underfoot, the hope is that he can swiftly resume his otherwise promising racing career. Of the remainder, both Catchamat and Claud And Goldie are no complete back-numbers.