14:40 Kelso

Monday 8 April 2019

All14:1014:4015:1015:4016:1016:4017:10

Duncan & Margaret Sinclair Memorial Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:42 | Winning time: 5m 50.20s

Rivabodiva^t¹⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-11| J: Thomas Willmott⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 116| D

14/1

Prominent-racer who is plenty high enough in the weights nowadays, and mightn't find these ground conditions entirely to her liking (relishes cut); 7L runner-up to Talkofgold on her penultimate start at Ayr (2m5f, soft).

Form: 419427

Uptown Harry³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-11| J: Ross Chapman| T: Mrs J Walton| OR: 116

10/3

Hexham PTP winner (3m, soft) in December 2018; has made a relatively smooth transition to rules racing; made most until the third last flight, but ultimately no match for Jammy George at Newcastle (2m6f) latest; handicap debut.

Form: 3S1242

Landecker^v⁴²

Age: 11| Weight: 11-8| J: Lucy Alexander| T: N W Alexander| OR: 113| CD

9/1

Course specialist; 4lb higher than when recording a sixth success at this track on his penultimate start (3m2f, good); poor elsewhere more latterly; thrice placed in this race between 2015-2017 (2,3,3); stablemate of Always Tipsy and Benny's Secret.

Form: 966219

Chicoria¹⁰³

Age: 10| Weight: 11-8| J: Harry Reed⁽³⁾| T: T Davidson| OR: 113| CD

9/2

Game neck winner of this race in 2018 (beat the 9/4f Geronimo); didn't show much promise on a couple of subsequent starts (December); off since; just 2lb above his last winning mark; trainer saddled a double at Newcastle on Saturday.

Form: 5411-60

Oscar Blue²²¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-5| J: Sean Quinlan| T: Mrs J C McGregor| OR: 110| CD

66/1

His career has been punctuated by various absences from the track which would imply that he has been difficult to train; finished a poor second over fences at Sedgefield (3m2f) in August 2018 when last in competitive action; unappealing.

Form: 3P4/PP2

Sunny Destination^p¹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Jonathon Bewley⁽³⁾| T: G Bewley| OR: 109| C

9/2

Bounced back quickly from his Newcastle flop (well backed) when beating Ballynatty by ½L at this track (2m5f, good) just seven-days later; the introduction of cheekpieces has clearly aided; holds a realistic chance off a 5lb higher mark.

Form: 2-238P1

Always Tipsy¹⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-1| J: Mr C J Robertson⁽¹⁰⁾| T: N W Alexander| OR: 106| C

10/1

Saw off the tenderly handled Beau Sancy by 1L in the 2m5½f handicap chase on this card in 2018; unable to build upon that success since, including when reverting to hurdles latest; least fancied stablemate of Landecker and Benny's Secret.

Form: 1-648P6

Benny's Secret^h¹⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: Grant Cockburn⁽³⁾| T: N W Alexander| OR: 105| C

3/1

Like his stablemate Landecker, he tends to come alive at Kelso (back-to-back winner over 2m5f (good) in late 2017); 3lb higher than when an admirable ½L second to Ask Paddington on his return to the smaller obstacles here 16-days ago.

Form: 035232

Forecasts

Benny's Secret (3/1), Uptown Harry (10/3), Sunny Destination (9/2), Chicoria (9/2), Landecker (9/1), Always Tipsy (10/1), Rivabodiva (14/1), Oscar Blue (66/1)

Nick Alexander saddles three runners, the pick of whom is evidently the 9yo BENNY'S SECRET. He stayed on from an unpromising position to finish a closing half-length second to Ask Paddington at this track (2m5f) just over a fortnight ago, appearing well suited by making a return to the smaller obstacles. In a relatively open race, one must also consider both Sunny Destination, and the 2018 race winner Chicoria who represents the Cumbrian trainer Tristan Davidson, a man in the thick of the action winners wise at Newcastle on Saturday.