A Warm Welcome to Kelso Racecourse WE’VE MISSED YOU …… There is a character, played by Peter Gallagher, in the 1995 film While You Were Sleeping, who misses all the action having fallen into a coma. He wakes up to discover that, while he’s been unconscious, Sandra Bullock has been waiting by his bedside, fallen in love with him, fallen back out of love with him and is now marrying his brother. It’s easy to understand why the character might have felt a bit miffed, in a similar way to a Kelso Annual Member who’s been obliged to miss almost an entire season of racegoing. While we know that many regular racegoers have been enjoying the action on television, it’s not quite the same as seeing all your friends at the races. At least, it certainly hasn’t been for us. We have missed you while you’ve been away and we are really delighted to be able to welcome Annual Members back to the races today. There’s plenty to catch up on. What follows is a brief summary of what happened ‘while you were sleeping’. Lockdown Projects In contrast to this year’s long, cold, wet Spring, the weather for the first few months of lockdown was glorious. For the first three weeks of enforced home-sitting we enjoyed warm sunny day after warm sunny day. Our gardens never received so much attention. But most of the racecourse staff never really wanted to stay at home and, although there wasn’t actually a fight to decide which member of the grounds-team could stay and cut the grass, everyone was just a little bit envious of Connor’s seat on the mower. Following the announcement that the first period of lockdown would be extended beyond mid-April, the entire grounds-team came back to work, initially just for a week, as the track was bone dry and desperately needed irrigation. It was immediately apparent that everyone was happier to be working in the open air, as opposed to sitting at home, so we quickly found more jobs to do. We were concerned about the impact that economic paralysis would have on local businesses too, so we decided to do everything we could to keep local tradesmen employed. Having been awarded a SOSE grant from the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund, we pressed ahead with improvement projects including changes to enable the jockeys and officials to return safely to racing. Those who haven’t visited the racecourse for a year will notice a fresh look. Almost the entire site has been painted from top to bottom, the darker shade of racing green being replaced with a paler green which those of you familiar with the Farrow & Ball paint chart will know as French grey. The Charity Tea Room and Viewing Boxes have been given fresh white cladding. There are new roofs, notably on the Hamilton Room, Doody Room and Cunningham Room, where we recently discovered that it was raining inside. We’ve laid smooth tarmac surfaces, to allow racegoers to spread out when larger crowds are permitted, and we’ve planted lots of trees and hedging too. It’s a small team here at the racecourse and since the turn of the year we’ve been operating without one of our key players. Head Groundsman Brian Meikle, who commands the 1 respect of so many trainers, jockeys and racegoers, has endured a torrid time having Aintree before taking a creditable second place in the Grade 1 Melling Chase at the spent many weeks in hospital with sepsis. I am pleased to report that his condition Grand National Meeting (where he was murdered on the run-in). is much improved, although his road to recovery will be similar to the service track Based at Capheaton, Northumberland, in the centre of the track – long and bumpy, but hopefully without the need for so the husband and wife Hamilton team many ambulances. have enjoyed a remarkable season It has been heartening to witness how everyone has pulled together. There is significant with 12 winners from 10 horses in pride in what we do, a shared sense of responsibility for the service that we provide training, some of which are only babies. and care for each other’s wellbeing. We’ve not stood still while you’ve been away and In addition to Nuts Well, Ann produced we hope that you agree that the racecourse is looking well. Tommy’s Oscar to win four races (including a March victory at Kelso) Old Friends before finishing third in the Scottish As the lockdown eased briefly during Summer (who remembers ‘Eat Out to Help Out’?) Champion Hurdle at Ayr. He is a slick we became confident that we’d be able to admit spectators in the Autumn and sent hurdler and remains a horse to be uniquely bar-coded membership cards to all Members so that we could comply with followed for the future. ‘track and trace’ rules. Little did we know that the plans drawn up in August wouldn’t Aye Right is a treasure. Owned by Kelso Director Geoff Adam, with wife Elspeth, and be used for another nine months. trained near Jedburgh by Harriet Graham, the tough gelding has never been out of By December it was clear that we were going to be subjected to further lockdown the first four in nine starts at Kelso and has won three. This year he lit up the National measures and we decided to send out 2021 Annual Membership badges to all 2020 Hunt season without actually getting his head in front. Nonetheless, he served it up Members with no additional charge. We have since been overwhelmed by the support to the very best chasers in the country finishing third to Cyrname in the Charlie Hall at Members who have sent cheques, or called us to make voluntary contributions in lieu Wetherby, second to Cloth Cap in the Ladbroke Chase at Newbury, second to Taking of membership. It is humbling to know how much you care. Risks in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster and third to Vintage Clouds in the Ultima Despite the lack of human company, it wasn’t long before we were welcoming back Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. some old equine pals. The NSPCC School Service Handicap Chase has become a key A Kelso Stayer feature of our early season thanks largely to the perennial presence of the two-time The sponsor of the NSPCC School Service Handicap Chase, Ray and Anita Green, are Grade 1 scorer Simply Ned. best known to racing enthusiasts through their highly recognisable green and yellow Owned by David and Nicky Robinson, racing colours – carried to victory by dozens of horses, most famously by the 1997 Simply Ned made his first racecourse Cheltenham Festival winner Sparky Gayle and the double Scottish Grand National appearance, in April 2011, in a Kelso winner Merigo. bumper where he was beaten a neck Anita had suffered a long illness and we were all desperately sad for Ray, their family into second place. Returning six months and friends, when she died in the Autumn. Ray and Anita were a close-knit team and later in a maiden hurdle, the popular Ray cut an emotional figure when attending Kelso to watch Dino Boy win the Persimmon chestnut scored the first of three Homes Borders National in December. Like so many of Ray and Anita’s winners, the victories at Kelso where he ran ten race was part of a long term plan for Dino Boy who had previously been trained by times in all, reaching the frame on eight Nigel Twiston-Davies for the Million In Mind Partnership. Confident that he would stay, occasions. The NSPCC School Service Handicap Chase became the traditional starting Ray put him in training with Iain Jardine and targeted a Kelso / Musselburgh marathon point for Ned’s season and he won or was placed in the race five times before going double - which only just failed when he was beaten by the subsequent Scottish Grand on to lock horns with the very best two-mile chasers including Altior, Defi Du Seuil, National winner, Mighty Thunder, in the race for the Edinburgh National. Footpad and Min (the last two named being his victims at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting). Following wins with Exit To Where, Flower of Scotland and Dino Boy, Ray A credit to his trainer Nicky Richards, Simply Ned was retired after this season’s running and Anita are currently at the head of of the race in which he took a keen hold before finishing fifth to Nuts Well and Aye the table for the Isle of Skye Scotch Right. In a career lasting ten years, book-ended by runs at Kelso, the thirteen year old Whisky Leading Owner Award, equal secured almost £365,000 in prize money and finished sound. Who could ask for more? with Mr and Mrs Townshend, owners The first and second from the race were hardly strangers to Kelso racegoers either. of the Sandy Thomson trained Cedar Nuts Well, owned by Ian Hamilton and trained by Ann Hamilton, has appeared at Kelso Hill who has won three times and been on seven occasions and been placed six times, winning the NSPCC School Service placed twice in five outings at Kelso Handicap Chase twice. This season he followed up with a notable Grade 2 victory at this season. 2 3 OWNERS One behind that quartet, with three winners apiece, are Lucinda Russell, Iain Jardine, James Ewart, Anne Hamilton and Sandy Forster – plus the only southerner to make Mr & Mrs Townshend 3 Quandt & Cochrane 2 the top eleven: Dan Skelton.