MOSS HARVEY (1.30) has a great chance of maintaining his 100 per cent record over fences in the valuable Ashleybank Investments Novices' Chase at Kelso today.
Malcolm Jefferson's powerhouse is no stranger to success at the Borders' track - he won two staying novices' hurdles at the course last season. Neither did his winning ways end there, notching additional victories along the way at Newcastle and Bangor to complete a highly profitable 2001/2002 campaign.
It was also a case of "normal service has been resumed" on Moss Harvey's recent reappearance at Fakenham, where he put his rivals to the sword on his first ever try over steeplechase fences.
Blessed with bottomless stamina, plus a near faultless jumping technique, the progressive seven-year-old could even be challenging for some of the top novices' chase honours come the 2003 Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals.
Peter Beaumont's horses nearly always improve in leaps and bounds for their first run so now could be the time to get the money down on Impertio (2.35) in the Ceilidh Boy Handicap Chase.
Impertio made a very promising comeback at Carlisle late last month, finishing a never nearer fourth to Sue Smith's bang in form Lisdante. Sure to strip fitter for that outing, Impertio's hold-up style of running is tailor-made for the three-mile-one-furlong race.
Don't leave out the dour stayer D J Flippance (3.40) from your calculations in the closing three-and-a-half-mile Langholm Handicap Chase. D J Flippance's owner Raymond Green is certainly on a roll having had a day to remember at Carlisle on Monday with a remarkable four-timer. "That was the first time I've had three winners, never mind four in 20 years as an owner," reported Green.
Mary Reveley has a good record with her Newbury raiders, a trend likely to be continued by Maceo (2.25) in the Lane Fox Handicap Hurdle.
Maceo came with withering late charge to cut down a useful field at Wetherby on his comeback. It was superbly timed run, instigated by his brilliant young rider, Paddy Aspell, about whom I'm convinced we'll be hearing a lot more.
In the opener at the Berkshire venue, recent Irish import Merchants Friend (12.45) might still be one step ahead of the Official Handicapper having won doing handsprings on his British debut at Plumpton. Charlie Mann's gelding simply laughed at the opposition that day.
Newmarket handler Michael Jarvis has been enjoying a real Indian summer and yet more success beckons at Lingfield on the polytrack where Pupillage (1.40) makes plenty of appeal in the two-year-old seven furlong Nursery Handicap
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