FOREST TO FELL KELSO RIVALS

Kelso’s card has some real quality on show tomorrow – with Forest Bihan top of the tree.

Brian Ellison has one of his stable stars very early in the season for the NSPCC School Service Handicap Chase. but he would not need to improve on any of last term’s form to make a winning reappearance.

Make no mistake, he faces far from a cakewalk against the likes of Double W’s, Just Cameron and Simply Ned, but Forest Bihan has the potential to be better than a handicapper this season.

He won three of his six starts as a novice over fences, with his only defeats coming against Waiting Patiently, Altior and San Benedeto.

That last performance at Aintree will still grate with Ellison as he seemed to throw away a Grade One – although, in truth, he would have been a fortunate winner as Politologue stumbled after the last.

That appeared to have given Forest Bihan an open goal but San Benedeto, a stablemate of Politologue, rallied to win on the line.

Yes, it may have been a weak race for the grade but Forest Bihan also beat Cloudy Dream in a Grade Two at Doncaster so it is not as if he has one standout piece of form and Ellison will have high hopes for him in open company.

Kevin Ryan does not have too many jumpers in his care but Beyond The Clouds could be very good.

The four-year-old won two of his three bumpers and makes his debut over timber in the Celebration Novices’ Hurdle.

His sole defeat at Musselburgh in February came against an Ellison runner who has sincemade a mark over timber and Ryan let his charge strengthen up before bringing him back to win by 14 lengths at Worcester in September. Victory in a novice hurdle should be a formality.