Mother’s Day wins for Borders racehorse trainers Donald Whillans and Sandy Forster

Any Job Will Do, 12/1 winner of the maiden race at Saturday's Duke of Buccleuch point-to-point at Kelso for Lilliesleaf trainer Jackie Stephen and jockey Joe Wright (Photo: Alan Raeburn)

Jockey Danny McMenamin guided the nine-year-old bay gelding to his third victory there, and sixth altogether, for Cumbrian trainer Nicky Richards in the two-mile-one-furlong King’s Own Scottish Borderers Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at 2.10pm to claim its £6,601 top prize.

Thomson’s son-in-law Ryan Mania was in Go Boy’s saddle but wasn’t able to notch up a second first-placed finish for the eight-year-old bay gelding since arriving in the Borders from County Tipperary last year, the 6/4 second favourite’s prior win having been at Carlisle in December.

Yetholm trainer Sandy Forster’s Zihuatanejo was also among the four horses competing, finishing last at 66/1 with Conor O’Farrell as jockey.

Shoeshine Boy, winner of the 3.20pm race at Kelso on Sunday for Hawick trainer Donald Whillans and jockey Craig Nichol (Pic: Kelso Races)

Richards, 68, was glad to see Nells Son finish so far ahead of the rest of the field, saying afterwards: “He doesn’t have to be ridden like that but he enjoyed himself out there today.

“He won the grade-two hurdle here last spring and I thought he was the class horse in the race.”

Forster was also among Sunday’s winners, taking first place in the following Rubstic Handicap Chase at 2.45pm, also over two miles and a furlong, with Duty Calls, ridden by Lewis Stones, at 5/1.

That race is named after 1979’s Grand National winner and his trainer, Denholm’s John Leadbetter, was there to hand over its £4,753 top prize.

Duty Calls, winnner of the 2.45pm race at Kelso on Sunday for Yetholm trainer Sandy Forster and jockey Lewis Stones (Pic: Kelso Races)

That was the 11-year-old bay gelding’s first win for just short of a year and only his third ever, his prior successes having been at Kelso last March and Carlisle in February 2022.

Runner-up, almost two lengths behind, was Claret Dabbler, trained by Harriet Graham and Gary Rutherford at Camptown and ridden by O’Farrell.

Forster was one of two Borders trainers with cause for celebration on Sunday, the other being Hawick’s Donald Whillans after seeing Shoeshine Boy, ridden by Craig Nichol, finish first in the 3.20pm Bruce Farms Handicap Hurdle at 11/2 to take its £6,601 top prize.

That win over three miles and a furlong was the eight-year-old bay gelding’s second in as many meetings, having come up trumps at Ayr just under a month prior, and fourth all told, the others having been at Carlisle last April and Ayr the April before, all also with Nichol riding.

Sunday’s other winners were West Yorkshire trainer Sam England and her jockey husband Jonathan with Ruler of the River in the opening 1.35pm Mother’s Day Juvenile Maiden Hurdle, Kinross’s Lucinda Russell and rider Derek Fox with Myretown in the 3.55pm Racing TV 100% Profits Returned to Racing Maiden Hurdle and Fife’s Nick Alexander with Eloi du Puy, ridden by Hawick’s Bruce Lynn, in the concluding 4.30pm Join Racing TV Now Handicap Hurdle.

Sunday’s meeting at the Berrymoss course was one of two hosted by Kelso at the weekend, following on from the annual Duke of Buccleuch point-to-point the day before at Friars’ Haugh.

Winners there included Lilliesleaf’s Jackie Stephen with Any Job Will Do in the 1pm Saffery Maiden Race at 12/1, with Joe Wright riding the seven-year-old chestnut gelding.

Kelso Racecourse’s next meeting is on Saturday, April 6. Tickets cost £22 in advance or £26 on the day. For details, go to https://kelso-races.co.uk/events/party-in-the-paddock/