Racecards
16:45 Kelso
Connolly's Red Mills Open Hunters' Chase (Class 4)
- 11 Runners
- Distance: 3m 1f
- Going: Soft
- Surface: Turf
- £5,000 added
- Form 116/3-C1
- Age 7
- Weight 12-3
- Official Rating 119
- Trainer R Waley-Cohen
- Jockey Mr Sam Waley-Cohen
soon with leaders, led 4 out, driven out
- Form 2P7-61F
- Age 12
- Weight 12-3
- Official Rating 111
- Trainer A Parker
- Jockey Mr D England
chased leaders, mistake and unseated rider 3rd
- Form 223112-
- Age 10
- Weight 12-3
- Official Rating 96
- Trainer Miss Vicky Simpson
- Jockey Miss Vicky Simpson
held up mid-division, headway 11th, chased winner flat, no impression
- Form 7325-30
- Age 12
- Weight 12-0
- Official Rating 62
- Trainer J S Haldane
- Jockey Mr T Davidson
in touch, weakened 11th
- Form F0P9P/3
- Age 10
- Weight 12-0
- Official Rating 119
- Trainer P Monteith
- Jockey Mr T Greenall
held up, effort 4 out, never dangerous
- Form 25P3-2P
- Age 10
- Weight 12-0
- Official Rating 105
- Trainer Mrs J M Walton
- Jockey Mr A J Findlay
held up, struggling halfway
- Form P1/PP-P7
- Age 11
- Weight 12-0
- Official Rating 70
- Trainer N P McCormack
- Jockey Richard Tierney
prominent, lost place halfway, pulled up before 13th
- Form 855056-
- Age 9
- Weight 12-0
- Official Rating 96
- Trainer Mrs A F Tullie
- Jockey Mr M Ellwood
chased leaders, led 6th, headed 4 out, hung right after last, no extra
- Form 3-34152
- Age 9
- Weight 11-10
- Trainer R Green
- Jockey Mr R W Green
held up, badly hampered and unseated rider 15th
Hapthor
224- Form 5-36275
- Age 8
- Weight 11-7
- Trainer F Jestin
- Jockey Mr M Garnett
always behind, fell 14th
- Form 654/7U-2
- Age 12
- Weight 12-0
- Official Rating 105
- Trainer J B Walton
- Jockey Mr O Williams
Nonrunner
In depth
Verdict
Bica has already made a good start to his British career, and can make the haul to Kelso pay off, with Jacksonville, Harlov, Jurancon II and Pillaging Pict all out to stop him. Bica was a useful hurdler and chaser in France a few years ago, and has been lightly raced since joining current connections. At the age of seven he has plenty of time to progress, and indeed has already shown what he is capable of when scoring with ease at Wetherby recently. He needs to visit the winner's enclosure again to qualify for the Foxhunter at Cheltenham, and on the evidence so far, that should be a formality against these exposed rivals. Jacksonville will need the run no doubt but is a course-and-distance winner and gets on well with Vicky Simpson, while Harlov is a bit long in the tooth but has a good pilot on board in David England for his hunter chase debut. Jurancon II is well held by the selection on Wetherby form, and Pillaging Pict needs to improve but will strip fitter for an outing between the flags just over three weeks ago. All in all, this is best left to the class horse in the line-up, Bica.