In the colours of Galashiels owner June Brown, whose husband Alistair trains the gelding, the chestnut appeared to have run his rivals ragged in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards ILPH Challenge Cup hunters' chase, but gave favourite-backers an anxious moment as he appeared to idle up the run-in, allowing Anshan Spirit to reduce his winning margin to just a length.

The eight-times point-to-point victor has now earned his place in the line-up for the champion hunter chase at Stratford next month.

"Hopefully, we'll also be heading for Cheltenham and Aintree next year," explained Alistair. "We don't want to send him handicapping as I don't think he'd do well in a big yard," he added.

In the hands of Lauder jockey Mark Ellwood, the eight-year-old was always in command.

"He had been in front a long way," continued Alistair, "but Mark said he picked up and was going away again."

There was a further local success in the Kelso Golf Club National Hunt novices' hurdle race, where Harry Flashman defied a lengthy absence to take the spoils for Hawick trainer Donald Whillans and jockey Wilson Renwick, defying the challenge of Political Pendant from Rayson Nixon's Selkirk yard.

Old Noddy made it two on the trot to head the £10,000 KOSB handicap chase, to the delight of his 77-year-old owner/trainer Jack Aynsley.

Following on from his Easter success over three miles at Carlisle, the gelding stayed on gamely under Brian Hughes to hold the challenge of Forevereyesofblue by three-quarters of a length.

The winner is one of four horses in the Morpeth permit-holder's stable.
"He stays and jumps well, but we thought this might have come a little too soon after Carlisle," explained Aynsley.

Alnwick jockey Rose Davidson gave Saif Sareea a fine front-running ride to head the afternoon's other £10,000 race, the SSAFA Forces Help handicap hurdle.

The winner is trained at Greystoke by Nicky Richards, who commented: "He never missed a beat over his hurdles today, and we might send him novice chasing shortly."

Trainer Howard Johnson and jockey Paddy Brennan completed a victorious double to head both divisions of the Gold and Silver Anniversary novices' hurdle with Sculastic and Gringo Sculastic scored by three lengths and winning owner Graham Wylie plans to continue his campaign while he has the better surface he prefers.

"He only just gets the trip over hurdles, and doesn't get home in the soft," he explained.

Gringo completed the double to win the concluding division by two lengths.

Just two went to post in the Ted Harness Big 60 novices' chase, where Lucky Nellerie, considered "a smashing horse" by trainer Ferdy Murphy, got the better of sole rival Roobihoo by a length and three-quarters.
Racing returns to Kelso for the two-day fixture on May 8/9 (evening).