Dedicated Hero out to complete Kelso full house for Thomson

Dedicated Hero is out to give Sandy Thomson the one major race he is missing from Kelso’s biggest day when he runs in the bet365 Premier Novices’ Hurdle.

Back in 2023, Thomson and Grand National winner Ryan Mania won both the Premier Chase and Morebattle Hurdle on the corresponding card, with Empire Steel and Benson respectively.

The day is framed around the three big races, with good prize-money on offer, although with those rich rewards come the big southern battalions seeking gold.

Dedicated Hero is already a Grade Two winner at Haydock and as a result he must give 5lb away to all bar Roadlesstravelled, who won a similar race at the Merseyside track.

“We’re all good to go. It’s a hard ask giving away 5lb to almost everything else, but this is the right race,” said Thomson.

“At £40,000, he’s the most expensive horse we’ve ever bought, but that sort of tells us what we are taking on.

“We’ve won at Kelso three times already and that has to be in our favour. There’s a lot of southern horses that come up for this meeting and sometimes they don’t perform.

“He’s in very good form, he’ll enjoy the extra distance and we’re in good shape.

“This meeting is obviously growing every year, all the races look very competitive this year and if the money is there, that’s the way it is.”

Alan King’s Castle Carrock is one of three unbeaten runners in the race, along with Ben Pauling’s Vanderpoel and Henry Daly’s Laganhill.

Castle Carrock won a bumper impressively for Nicky Richards and made £100,000 at the sales in November before impressing on his debut for new connections at Sandown.

King had intended to keep him low key, but a lack of suitable opportunities has seen him take the plunge.

“I hadn’t intended to go this high, but there’s been very few two-mile novice races around – most of them have been over two and a half,” said the Wiltshire handler.

“I’ve been very happy with him since Sandown and I think he won despite the ground that day – I don’t think he needs the heavy.

“We can always come back in grade after Saturday if we need to, but he’s pleased me since we bought him and it will be interesting to see how he gets on because it is a good race, which it deserves to be as Kelso have done a terrific job and they’ve been well rewarded.”

The form of Vanderpoel’s hurdling debut at Huntingdon could hardly have worked out any better. The second has subsequently won once, while the third and fifth have both won twice since.

“I certainly didn’t realise the Huntingdon race was going to be so competitive at the time,” said Pauling.

“We’ve always thought a lot of our lad and he went and won nicely and the form looks incredibly strong now, then he went and did what he had to do at Ludlow (won at 1-8), no more.

“We go to Kelso on Saturday looking forward to what he can do and see if he can progress to the next level.

“It’s a very competitive contest for the grade but I’ll be going there genuinely looking forward to seeing how he gets on – and I expect a big run.”

Even Willie Mullins is represented with Chart Topper, a winner in his wife Jackie’s colours under son Patrick at Wetherby but sold since.

“I’m looking forward to getting up there, hats off to Kelso, it’s fantastic prize-money they’ve put up,” said Patrick Mullins. “Emmet (Mullins, trainer) said it’s a bit like Thyestes day in Gowran.

“Chart Topper is a horse we thought a lot of as a young horse but then he got a setback and we were disappointed with him in his bumpers, but his two hurdle runs have been impressive and this will tell us where he slots in.

“He’s been bought by some new owners to the yard, who also have Jarrive De Mee, who won at Catterick for us. They had a lot of success in greyhounds with Paul Hennessy. They are based in England and hopefully this fellow can continue their good run.”