Kelso tomorrow

Shades of Midnight makes his second hurdling appearance in the opening novice hurdle at Kelso tomorrow (Sunday). We're applying a first time tongue-tie as he didn't appear to finish his race that strongly last time at Newcastle.
There a few well regarded prospects in this race. Go Conquer, a £140,000 purchase for The Don, and that was before he won his bumper. Easterby's Silvery Moon was a useful flat handicapper who made an eye-catching hurdling debut a couple of weeks ago and Rose runs the progressive novice Doktor Glaz, who'll improve for his 3rd place in a similar event recently. Slightly darker is Ewart's French import Assirem, who is a winning chaser although he'll need to settle better than when making his UK debut at Carlisle last month.

Good luck to Shady's enthusiastic group of owners, and hope you enjoy the day win, lose or draw.

Shady, far left, with some of his mates

Bollin Julie's second place at Carlisle last week

She's not straight-forward that's for sure.

There are days when she just won't budge on the gallops, and we feared the worst when she planted herself on the way to the start. Anyway, thanks to the course workers at the start she eventually made it and jumped off quite the thing.

Anyone who saw Julie win at Newcastle last season will recall the heart-stopping moment when - clear of her rivals - she jinked violently approaching the last before Callum straightened her out in the nick of time. It was Lewis Ferguson's thrid ride in public, so we felt that Julie should not hit the front until the run-in, and the young amateur carried out these instructions to a tee.
As it turned out, Bollin Julie was outpaced by the in-form Madam Lilibet after the last, and went under by a couple of lengths. Nevertheless, pleasing performances all round, and Julie has come out of the race in fine form.

Hope we can find a similar race (3 miles, soft ground) soon......

....where's Shady?......