KELSO

Left handed, generally flat, with the hurdles course separate to the chase one and around a furlong shorter in length. The position of the final obstacle on both tracks was placed closer to the winning post from October 2012, negating the previous 2f run to the line, ensuring there is less emphasis on stamina than previously. It's true to say that conditions can get gruelling in midwinter, but on anything other than soft/heavy ground it's a track which is essentially sharp in character. Casualty rates on the chase course have decreased in recent years, for no obvious reason other than the fences presumably aren't quite so stiff as used to be the case.