15:30 Kelso: NSPCC School Service Simply Ned Handicap Chase (2 miles 1 furlong)
A cracking little feature contest for the Sunday card at Kelso, where we see some nice chasers battling it out for the biggest prize of the day.
The two that head the market are way clear on the ratings, but there are one or two improving types who will receive plenty of weight off the two big boys in the field.
Malystic
Probably the stable star for Peter Niven, Malystic currently operates off the mark of 150 after being a real revelation over fences and he has shot up the ratings since tackling the bigger obstacles.
He won three times last season, and even took his owners to the Cheltenham Festival when contesting in the Grand Annual Cup, finishing 11th of 19 runners.
His first win was in the Class 2 William Hill Castleford Handicap Chase where he beat Cheddleton by just over 2 lengths, before going on to win another Class 2 contest at Doncaster next time out, with Saint Segal half a length in behind.
Arguably a career best then came at the Aintree Festival in April, where he landed the very competitive Scotty Brand Handicap Chase, which was a classy race and he looked like the hands down best horse on show, landing the race by a little under a length.
He is a real game horse, who can put in a mistake or two on the way around, but his engine always seems to get him home, as shown at Aintree when horses came to join him at the last, but he held on superbly to win.
He does have the career high mark of 150 to contend with here, but he could easily take another step up this season and defy that relatively lofty mark. It is exciting to see what he can do here on Sunday, with this being his starting point for the new season ahead.
Tommy's Oscar
Another stable star on show for the Ann Hamilton team, who don't have many horses but they always seem to do very well with what little ammo they have in the yard.
Tommy's Oscar was a Grade 2 Champion Hurdle trial winner two seasons back, and he ended up running in the feature two-mile hurdle contest at the Festival that very season, finishing eighth. Although he was well beaten, it was fantastic to see a small-string trainer and owner have a runner in arguably the biggest Hurdle race of the Festival.
He was sent over fences last season, winning a Novice contest at Carlisle before going on to come runner-up in the Arkle trial at Cheltenham, which was a Grade 2 event.
He then went back over Hurdles to contest in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth at Newcastle, where he was well beaten before going on to revert to fences. He then came 2nd in a three runner field at Newcastle, not jumping with much fluency before going on to put in a career-best performance over fences by winning the Grade 2 Lightning Novices' Chase at Doncaster with Boothill more than five lengths behind.
He ended the season with a slightly disappointing run in a three-runner Handicap Chase where he was only beaten a neck, giving plenty of weight to the winner, but he was well odds-on to win so probably should have obliged.
Now he heads into open company with his novice chasing season behind him, and it's hard to gauge what route he might go down, as he is both a talented hurdler and chaser. However I feel whatever the outcome is in this contest will determine what targets connections will have for the season ahead.
Cedar Hill
The one main factor that Sandy Thomson's runner has very much in his favour is race fitness, having already had a run to start the season, which was a 3-length victory at Kelso in a Class 3 contest.
Now Cedar Hill is some way off these in terms of ratings, but as we know these early-season races are never cut and dried, and he does get a fair chunk of weight from the two market leaders. He ended last season with a Class 3 win over two and a half miles, and looking back at his previous form, although he has won over two miles, that performance might have been a best-yet over fences.
So that begs the question of whether he will be good enough against two nice chasers over this extended two-mile trip. However, as previously mentioned, race fitness plays to his strengths as Malystic and Tommy's Oscar are both coming off breaks of 169 and 203 days, so if there is ever a time for Cedar Hill to land his best contest yet, this would very much be the time, and at a track at which he runs so well.
Gold Des Bois
In the same Raymond Anderson Green colours as Cedar Hill, the Iain Jardine-trained Gold Des Bois is a very experienced chaser with 18 runs to his name so far, which includes three wins, three seconds and three thirds.
Again, like Cedar Hill, Gold Des Bois is a little way off the two market principals in terms of ratings, but he does only run off 10st-2lb, with a rating of 126. Unlike Cedar Hill, however, he does have a 169-day break to overcome, although looking back at his previous form he runs well fresh and does very well in these early season chases.
Arguably his best form has come really early on in the season, and looking back at last September to November, he had three runs and won on two occasions, including this race in 2022 where he beat Malystic by just over a length at a well-fancied price.
He was rated 127 when landing this contest last year, and his rival Malystic was rated 144, so he is just a pound lower whereas his rival is now 6lbs worse off.
Malystic did then beat him on two other occasions as the season went on, but I feel this is the perfect time to catch Gold Des Bois as he does well fresh and loves the early season races. It will be worth keeping an eye on the market to check out for any late support.
Other Runners
Nick Alexander has had two very decent seasons, which includes landing the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle in February with Wakool. His runner here is Dubai Days who finished last season with some decent efforts, placing 4 times and winning a Class 3 Handicap Chase at Carlisle where he battled on well to hold on and claim the victory.
He is the sort to come on as the season progresses, as his previous form fresh doesn't really read too well, and he is another with an extended 170-day break to overcome here.
Ganapathi was once trained by Willie Mullins and won a few races over hurdles and fences, and was pitched in Grade 1 company over Hurdles a few years back.
With a new trainer again now, he did place in a Grade 2 chase at Cheltenham last November, albeit beaten relatively easily by eight lengths. He also has 200+ days of inaction to overcome, and although he isn't too far behind on official ratings, he does look to be slightly up against it in this company.
The other Mike Smith runner in the same colours as Ganapathi, Sil Ver Klass is having his first run for new connections here after coming over from Ireland.
He has been running in some decent big-field races, but does look to be on a little recovery mission after finishing down the fields or ending up with letters on his form book. The stable move would have to have an immediate effect if he were to land a blow in this race.
Final Verdict
On ratings alone you would assume it will be between Tommy's Oscar and Malystic, who are both 150+ rated horses who could improve even more as the season goes on, especially Tommy's Oscar, who is coming into open company from novices’ outings last season.
However, I feel they might need the run, which leaves Gold Des Bois as the one that piques my interests. He always runs very well fresh, he won this race last season and he is exactly the sort to catch early on in the new season.
He is just a pound lower than when he landed this contest a year ago, and although this is a deeper race than last season, he did beat Malystic pretty comfortably.
It will be worth keeping an eye on the market throughout Sunday to check out for any late support.
One to follow - Gold Des Bois
Preview provided by @ Jake Russell