I will do it did it well at Kelso

● Cotswolds raider lands feature race for Brace on debut

Connor Brace opened his Kelso account in style when he landed yesterday’s £20,000 feature race at the Borders track on I will do it.

Sent off at 11-4, the Sam Thomas-trained Cotswolds raider slammed Talk of gold by three and a half lengths in the Children’s Immunology Trust Limited Handicap Chase over 2m 6f.

It was the 18-year-old jockey’s only ride of the day and he said afterwards: “I know this horse well as I won on him over hurdles at three miles so I knew he’d stay. His jumping was pretty good for his first run over fences and although he was pressed between the last two he found again for me. It’s a long way to come but always worth it for a nice prize like this.”

Thomas, a former Cheltenham

Gold Cup-winning jockey, had earlier initiated the double chance with Mario De Pail, an impressive timber debut scorer under Charlie Deutsch in the George & Margaret Higgins Festive Celebration Novices’ Hurdle.

Lucy Alexander was all smiles after steering home Clan Legend for her father Nick in the Join Racing TV Now Handicap Chase.

Despite not getting very high at the last, the Kinneston raider saw off Golden card by three-quarters of a length to gain his third course win.

The winning jockey said: “He was entitled to win off his current mark. This is his ground and, although he hit the final fence, he’s a decent-sized unit and was never in danger of coming down.”

Ross Chapman completed a quickfire double when taking the first two races on Uptown Harry and Animore.

The former made all for Northumberland trainer Jane Walton in the Every Race Live On Racing TV Maiden Hurdle while Iain Jardine’s Animore got the better of Sophie Fatale in the SPG Fire & Security Ltd Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.

Lucinda Russell and Blair Campbell struck with topweight Bialco in the Racing TV Handicap Hurdle while Kelso’s final action of 2019 saw Alistair Whillans-trained Samstown give Connor Wood his first winner under Rules in the AJA Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase.

Meanwhile, at Lingfield today, it is worth going all in with Total Commitment in the Betway Handicap. The threeyear-old ran well enough in defeat on stable debut for Peter Hedger this month to suggest he can defy the mark he earned with back-to-back Kempton victories in October for Roger Charlton. They both came at this same six-furlong trip, as did Total Commitment’s likeable if vain attempt to win from the front at Wolverhampton a couple of weeks ago. He seems sure to improve for that first run in more than seven weeks.

Total Commitment, making his first trip to Lingfield, won at the third time of asking and his first run on Kempton’s Polytrack a year ago – before returning only in August with victory in a newmarket handicap. The lightly-raced gelding therefore has a fine strike rate, and can signal further potential with a fifth success in just nine starts.

It may be Saikung’s turn in the Bombardier British Hopped Amber Beer Handicap. She outran big odds with a new personal best at Kempton last time, failing to hold on by only a neck, conceding 8lb to a previous winner in a fillies’ handicap.

Saikung has fine prospects of a third career victory, and first on the all-weather, if she runs to that level again over the same trip.