Racing TV Free For A Month Standard Open NH Flat Race

Off time: 16:17 | Winning time: 4m 14.70s

Fernhill Lad^h1⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Lucy Alexander| T: N W Alexander

66/1

Cost €27,000 as a 3yo; half-brother to the 2m6f chaser Sweet As A Nut; in need of the experience (keen) when tailed-off on debut at Newcastle (2m, soft) six weeks ago; a hood is now applied.

Form: 0

Manorbank

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Callum Bewley| T: A M Thomson

6/1

Unraced Arcadio gelding who represents a bang in-form trainer; it's considered probable that he'll lack the required speed (or nous) to cope with these rivals at a sharp track like Kelso; one for the future.

Form:

Sir Charles Lytton

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: R A Fahey

9/2

Unraced Elusive Pimpernel gelding; trainer has a 33% jumps strike-rate (3-9) this season, saddling an impressive bumper winner (Lubeat Foras) at Sedgefield earlier this month; monitor the market closely for relevant clues.

Form:

Lady Villanelle

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Callum Whillans⁽³⁾| T: D W Whillans

10/1

Unraced Shantou mare (cost €4,100 as a 3yo); first foal from a bumper winner (Definite Deploy); trainer is 11-150 (7%) with his bumper runners (0-4 so far this season).

Form:

Missy May²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: Thomas Willmott⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell

100/1

Second foal from a 2m6f hurdle winner; out the back throughout and tailed-off (20-1) on debut at Musselburgh (1m7½f, good to soft) 24 days ago; very tough to consider on that admittedly limited evidence.

Form: 9

Master Malachy

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr

9/4

Unraced Mastercraftsman gelding who carries the well-known Tim Leslie silks; must make the shortlist with Brian Hughes booked to do the steering; trainer is 4-22 (18%) with his bumper runners so far this season.

Form:

Sol De Mayo⁷⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: Harry Reed⁽³⁾| T: T Davidson

15/8

Dubawi gelding (bought unraced for 18,000gns in February 2019); brother to the useful stayer Natural Scenery (1m2f-2m); raced prominently until weakening deep inside the final furlong on debut at Aintree (2m1f, soft); sets the benchmark.

Form: 3

Forecasts

Sol De Mayo (15/8), Master Malachy (9/4), Sir Charles Lytton (9/2), Manorbank (6/1), Lady Villanelle (10/1), Fernhill Lad (66/1), Missy May (100/1)

Sir Charles Lytton and Master Malachy tick plenty of boxes on paper. It'll be interesting to see if a strong market move develops for the former, with the impressive performance of stablemate Lubeat Foras (Sedgefield) firmly towards the forefront of mind. However, Tristan Davidson's SOL DE MAYO sets a reasonable standard. He failed to get home from the front (third) on debut at Aintree (2m1f) in November, but that form appears solid enough with the winner Let Me Be following up at Newcastle, and the fourth-placed horse Gerolamo Cardano winning over hurdles at Hereford.