By Darin Hutson

Copyright thesouthernreporter

Hamilton guided Huit Reflets to a first-placed finish for North Yorkshire trainer Mark Walford at 4-1 almost five lengths in front of Conor O’Farrell on Balally Park in the 6pm division-two Abbey Fine Wines Handicap Hurdle. That win over two miles and two furlongs, yielding a top prize of £3,697, was the eight-year-old bay gelding’s first for 15 months and only his second ever. It was also Hamilton’s second of the month, following one at Perth over two miles and four furlongs on Monday, September 8, on Fostered Phil for South Lanarkshire trainer William Young Jnr. Lilliesleaf trainer Jackie Stephen’s Clan Chieftain was third, almost two lengths further back, with Dylan Johnston as jockey. Cumbrian trainer Dianne Sayer was the meeting’s biggest winner, coming up trumps in its £25,000 feature race for the third time in five years with the Navigator, ridden by Charlie Maggs, at 4.25pm and in the division-one Abbey Fine Wines Handicap Hurdle just over an hour later with Heart Above, with Henry Brooke as jockey. The Navigator, winner of the same race in 2022 with Danny McMenamin riding, finished over four lengths in front of Divilabother, with Harry Reed as jockey, in the two-mile-five-furlong Paul Ferguson’s Jumpers to Follow Handicap Hurdle at 11-2, landing a payout of £13,008. That was the ten-year-old grey gelding’s third first-placed finish at Kelso, the other having been last October, also with McMenamin in the saddle. “A lot of the credit should go to my dad as he has been telling me to make the running with this horse,” said Sayer, 59. “He’s really clicked with Charlie and he’s holding his form really well.” The Sayer yard completed a double when Heart Above, bred by her daughter Emma, shouldered top-weight to victory in division one of the Abbey Fine Wines Handicap Hurdle. 9-4 favourite Heart Above, a seven-year-old bay gelding, passed the post four and a half lengths in front of Conor Rabbitt riding O’Faolain’s Glory in a two-mile-two-furlong race contested by a field of 11, landing a top prize of £3,697. The meeting’s first race, the 3.53pm Border Carers’ Centre Novices’ Hurdle over two miles and almost five furlongs, was won by 8-15 favourite Jackson Lamb, ridden by Alex Harvey for Irish trainer John McConnell, and victory in the last, the two-mile RacingTV.com/FreeTrial Open National Hunt Flat Race at 7pm, went to 13-8 favourite Dottie’s Promise, trained in Northumberland by Sue Corbett and with Nathan Moscrop riding, landing respective payouts of £4,357 and £2,723. Wins also went to Chapel Green, ridden by Alan Doyle for Lucinda Russell and Peter Scudamore’s Perth and Kinross yard, at 12-1 in the 5pm RBC Brewin Dolphin Handicap Chase over two miles and five furlongs and Malystic, trained by Peter Niven in North Yorkshire and with Brian Hughes in the saddle, at 7-1 in the 6.30pm Belhaven Brewery Handicap Chase over two miles and a furlong, earning £5,281 and £7,922. Hawick trainer Ewan Whillans’ Cracking Destiny, with Craig Nichol as jockey, had to make do with seventh place in the former and Camptown’s Gary Rutherford took sixth and seven places in the meeting’s finale, with Nichol on Blue Indigo and Bruce Lynn on Strathcatcha, just behind Stephen’s fifth-placed la Grande Keely, again with Johnston up top. Racing returns to Kelso on Sunday, October 5. Gates open at noon and the first of six races is off at 1:58pm. Tickets cost from £15 in advance. For details, go to https://kelso-races.co.uk/events/family-fun-raceday-2025