1:30 Kelso – Augharue
The 2 hurdle winners in this race warrant respect but neither is a certainty under a penalty and the 7lbs could give AUGHARUE a chance of causing an upset. The Coltherd’s have their team in excellent form, operating at a 25% strike rate in the past 14-days and they have had 4-winners from 23-runners so far this season at Kelso, with 11 of the 23 hitting the frame. Augharue ran well to finish 2nd on his hurdles debut over this course and distance 15-days ago, when, having travelled nicely he was probably sent for home too soon under Sam Coltherd and was caught in the straight. He kept on when left in 2nd place at the last and was perhaps a little unlucky to bump into the well backed Evan Williams favourite Bella Bluesky. This was still a solid start to his hurdling career, and he won’t need to find too much improvement to feature in this race.
2:30 Kelso – Hold the Note
There was a time when HOLD THE NOTE was considered a leading Novice chaser and in his time with Mick Channon he regularly flattered to deceive. Whilst he perhaps hasn’t delivered on the promise he once showed, he has taken a step in the right direction since moving to Ewan Whillans and it could certainly be argued that this is one of the weakest races he has ever contested as he drops to a career low mark of 125. He finished 3rd at Newcastle when last seen, beaten 12-lengths by Omar Maretti who franked the form by going in again off a 3lbg higher mark at Catterick on Monday. Hold the Note made most of the running that day and was only beaten once headed at the 2nd last and a drop of 5lbs looks quite generous with hindsight. That was his best run for some time and if able to build on that he should be competitive in a race that lacks any serious depth.
