Solway showdown at Perth as siblings do battle in opening novices' hurdle

Racegoers at Perth on Monday will be treated to the sight of sibling pair Solway Berry and Solway Lizzie taking each other on in the opening Old Mout Cider Novices' Hurdle (2.10).

The seven-year-old Overbury mare Solway Berry and six-year-old Tobougg mare Solway Lizzie are both daughters of Solway Rose.

The 'Solway' family have a real affinity with Perth, with Lisa Harrison having sent out Solway Dandy and Solway Prince, half-brothers to Monday's runners, to win at the course.

The quartet's dam also ran out a facile nine-length winner of a novice hurdle at Perth in June 1999 when in the care of Jonjo O'Neill, while her half-brother Solway Bee also won a maiden hurdle there in similar style in April 2008.

Of the pair running on Monday, Solway Berry has come closest to winning at Perth, having raced there on all five starts and having finished third in her bumper, while Solway Lizzie has also raced solely at Perth and was fifth on her bumper debut.

Since taking out her licence ahead of the 2001-02 jumps season, Harrison's team of horses have run 301 times at Perth - three times more than anywhere else - and returned to the winner's enclosure on 31 occasions.

Solway Berry and Solway Lizzie will face stiff competition with Gordon Elliott sending over the consistent Global Jackpot from Ireland, while the unraced Rock N Rolla and Thepensionfund also look likely to pose a major threat.

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