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Like a lot of recent weekends, the first selections won, and then the others didn't follow suit.
Just Over Land won at drifted odds of 8/1, ensuring profit was made very early into the Saturday afternoon.
To point out, it was quite incredible how much Just Over Land didn't settle. He pulled the arms of the jockey for 90% of the race and still managed to see the race when not being fluent at the last.
Gaboriot didn't jump anywhere near as well as he did over the national fences on his previous two occasions at Aintree. He looked laboured and not at it yesterday, maybe he's best fresh.
Invincible Nao looked like the winner turning for home in the straight at Sandown, but didn't look like he stayed the trip at a stiff track.
Neo King 9/2 (1pt) – Kelso 2.00
I mention most of the time that I tip up an Evan Williams horse that I'm not a huge fan of, as you never know when his horses are trying. However, the trip up to Kelso for the Borders National should automatically mean they are going for it with Neo King.
Ellis Collier is in the saddle, a jockey I don't think is particularly great, but he takes off 5lbs, which puts Neo King below ten stone riding weight.
This is a cracking handicap, like the national races normally are. Neo King, right at the bottom of the weights, caught my eye based on his run last time out, and the 3m 6f run at Exeter last year.
He finished behind Art Decco over 3m 6f in the Devon National, staying on at the finish on heavy ground. That is not a bad piece of form, but it's great to know that he should stay a few furlongs more.
His seasonal return wasn't great, but the run last time out over 3m 4f was much better, losing by a neck. The winner is progressive and can continue to win or run well over the marathon trips.
Evan Williams has seen three of his seven runners at Kelso either win or be placed inside the top three, so you'd like to think they're coming up with intentions of bringing the Borders National title back to South Wales.
GambleAware