Many Clouds set for Kelso as meeting rearranged

Kelso’s high-profile meeting which was lost to the weather on Saturday has been rearranged for Sunday.

The card will stage the same races and entries have reopened.

It was set to feature Grand National winner Many Clouds in the tote-sponsored Premier Chase, while the Premier Hurdle had attracted some really promising novices with the likes of La Prezien, Meet The Legend and Lake View Lad all engaged.

Clerk of the course Anthea Morshead was keen to thank all involved in the rearrangement.

“We’re absolutely thrilled, it’s a great initiative from the racecourse, the BHA, race planning, Racing UK and the tote,” she said.

“We’ve had support from trainers and the card is the same as it would have been on Saturday.

“Stuart Middleton (of the BHA) has spoken to Oliver Sherwood who supported the move, so have Unioniste’s connections and, in another boost, Nicky Henderson has said he would enter some novices in the Premier Hurdle that weren’t originally entered.

“The forecast, crucially, is more benign. We’re due a little bit of rain on Wednesday morning, but after that it is supposed to be dry and warm and by Sunday reach 11C.

“We were so upset to lose it, it is one of our biggest days, it was a bit like having a horse go lame the day before the Festival, but we’re so pleased again — it has cheered everyone up massively.”

Sherwood is delighted the meeting has been saved and confirmed Many Clouds as an intended runner.

“We were hoping it would happen. We’ve been working on it for a day,” he said. “The BHA have been first class and so have Kelso. It’s happy days, so we will be heading up there again on Sunday.

“He definitely runs unless something happens to the horse between now and then.”