2025 Cork & Kelso Sunday Preview & Tips – DS
2025 Cork & Kelso Sunday Preview
We fired a blank on Saturday. Honky Tonk Highway is likely being aimed at something later in the season. Libberty Hunter was outclassed and Mahons Glory ran an absolute blinder but just got done for a place. We have more top class action at Mallow on Sunday, Dave Stevos’ 2025 Cork & Kelso Sunday preview is below.
12.00 Cork – Bar 1 Handicap Hurdle (110 = 11st 12lb)
A wide open handicap with a big field of 24 runners. The one that makes a bit of appeal at a decent price is the Eoin Doyle trained Ardera Gun. By Yeats, this 5yo has already displayed a decent level of ability in bumpers, on debut when fourth at Tramore (yielding) and again second time out when third at Killarney.
Doyle gave his charge three runs in maiden hurdles last season, the best of which came at Gowran last November when he finished an 18.5l fourth of 17 (2m, yielding). After that run he was handed a mark of 96 and after just over a year off the track, he made a moderate handicap debut at Navan (2m, heavy) three weeks ago.
Always out the back, there is every chance he needed that run after his break and the 7lb claimer that rode that day is now replaced by Donagh Meyler, a rider who is 10/221 with 78 top 4 finishes when riding for Doyle. He has also finished in the first four in seven of his 21 previous rides for this owner.
The addition of cheekpieces to the usual tongue tie could be a plus and the step up to 2m4f should be a positive too given his pedigree (by Yeats and closely related to 2m4f/2m7f winners). It’s a speculative bet admittedly but at 40/1, Ardera Gun is the each way selection.
2025 Cork & Kelso Sunday Tip: Ardera Gun e/w @ 40/1 (6 places)
2.00 Kelso – Borders National Handicap Chase (Class 3)
It is fair to say that Sandy Thomson has been somewhat in the doldrums for the last few months. However, if there is any race that he is likely to bounce back in, this is it. He won it four times in a row between 2014 and 2018 and again in 2022 and this year, he has a fascinating contender in Grozni.
By Saddler Maker, this horse was bought for £24,000 by Jimmy Fyffe in May out of the James Owen stable. Originally trained by Charles Byrnes, he signed off for Owen with a very creditable run in the Scottish National at Ayr in April, beaten 13.5l for the win in fourth off a mark of 127.
Grozni has had two spins for Thomson, both of which have come at this venue. He was beaten around 15l over 3m2f in October and by a similar distance over just short of 3m in November. My theory is that Thomson wanted to give him experience of the track (and get him dropped a few pounds in the handicap) before having a crack at this prize and it was mission accomplished. Grozni is now 4lb lower than when running so well in the Scottish National, he handles soft ground and at odds of 16/1, hopefully he gives us a good run for our money.
2025 Cork & Kelso Sunday Tip: Grozni e/w @ 16/1 (4 places) NAP
2.37 Kelso – Richard Landale Handicap Chase (Class 2)
Tommy’s Oscar’s didn’t win a race last season but I think he became a victim of his own success. He started off his campaign off a mark of 157 after winning his final start of the previous campaign so I believe he was just badly handicapped rather than regressive.
He was beaten 8.75l when third in this race behind Nells Son off 156 last year, he is back to try and turn the tables off 13lb lower. The son of Oscar was conceding 12lbs to Nicky Richards’ charge that day, he carries 1lb less than that rival here.
His two runs this season have been pretty ordinary but he usually takes a couple of outings to reach peak fitness. He’s 9lb lower than when winning by 6.5l over this C&D in October 2023 and I think he’ll appreciate the return to a bit of softer ground. At odds of 12/1, hopefully Tommy’s Oscar can get back to winning ways.
2025 Cork & Kelso Sunday Tip: Tommy’s Oscar e/w @ 12/1 NB
2.50 Cork – Hilly Way Chase (Grade 2)
This race revolves around the sometimes wayward and often wonderful Majborough. This is a horse with a Rolls Royce engine that sometimes steers handles like a Lada. He somehow finished just 0.75l behind Jango Baie at Cheltenham in March after making a couple of horrid mistakes and then won easily enough at Punchestown despite jumping violently to his left at times.
If he jumps well here he’ll be hard to beat but that is far from guaranteed and he’ll also have bigger targets than this in mind later in the season so he may not be totally ready after 220 days off the track.
Energumene has won three of the last four renewals but whether he would have won last year if Banbridge had not unseated at the last is debateable. He’s rising 12yo now and his form tailed off last season so he doesn’t really appeal, especially at just 11/2.
Found A Fifty is the momentum horse. He ran out an easy winner in a Navan Grade 2 20 days ago, his second run of the season, and he holds a fitness edge over all three of his rivals. The one that makes most appeal at the odds is Banbridge but I’d say the ground at Cork will be plenty soft for him so this is a race I’ll just watch with a view to the future. No bet.
