Paper Roses & Hartforth run at Kelso today

Just along the road for us, first up is Paper Roses on Kelso's Morebattle Hurdle card.

As seems the norm, the classier the event, the fewer runners and Kelso has a field of 4 for each of the main races on the card, the Morebattle Hurdle itself, and the supporting Conditions Chase. There are three seven runner races - probably small fields due to the heavy ground - and both our horses are represented in one of those.
Facing Paper Roses, there are 3 horses with fair form in opening novices' hurdle - Lycidas, Reivers Lad and Al Reesha - who will head the market. Paper Roses is a talented mare whose jumping has been lacking a little fluency to date (safe rather than quick), but we've been working on that aspect and we hope to see some improvement today.

Hartforth contests the staying handicap hurdle later in the card and although the 2m 6f trip is a little short of his best, this will still be a fair test in the ground. He's off a career high handicap mark, and 11st 9lb (minus Callum's 3) may be a burden in the heavy ground. It would be ideal if the gelding could get an easy lead, but there are some hardened handicappers in opposition with Micky Hammond's Maxie T taking a drop in class, it'll be a tough task.

 
Hartforth at the head of the pack

Couple of placed efforts at Newcastle, yesterday

It was tough, testing conditions at Newcastle yesterday - very holding ground.

Baby Ticker was  beaten just over a length in second in her handicap hurdle, but in truth didn't look like winning. She jumped sketchily and was always racing hard to keep in touch with the leading duo. The ground was very squelchy, and not being a big horse, she probably found jumping out of such ground not to her liking. Still, she showed her well being, and we can look around for a similar contest on slightly better ground in a few weeks time.

Dali Mail finished 4th in his bumper that closed the card. The gelding ran well for a long way, before tiring in the final 2 furlongs. This looked a good standard of race beforehand, and we know Nicky Richards thinks his horse that finished 3rd is a fair sort.
Dali Mail was beaten a fair distance in the end, but we gained encouragement from this run and this is a talented horse.

Baby Ticker (Garry) tracking a couple of stable mates