Borders racehorse trainers Paul Robson, Sandy Thomson and Stuart Coltherd among winners at Kelso on Sunday

Tom Scudamore guiding Just Don't Know to victory in Sunday's Chairman's Cup Handicap Chase at Kelso for Denholm handler Paul Robson (Pic: Kelso Races)

Borders racehorse trainer Paul Robson was among the winners at Kelso’s first meeting of 2023, held on Sunday.

Ten-year-old bay gelding Just Don’t Know, ridden by Tom Scudamore, won the 3pm Chairman’s Cup Handicap Chase’s £7,922 top prize for Robson’s stables near Denholm.

Sent off as 4/5 favourite, the bottom-weight beat Bavington Bob, trained in Northumberland by Ann Hamilton and with Brian Hughes as jockey, by a length and a half, with Big River, an eight-time winner at Kelso, a three-way joint record, the only other runner to finish.

Former jump jockey Robson said: “All this horse does is stay, and that ground suited him as well.

Ryan Mania riding Faithfulflyer, far right, to victory at Kelso on Sunday for Sandy Thomson, ahead of runner-up Barnabas Collins and third-placed Take Centre Stage (Photo: Kelso Races)

“I rode with Tom when we were amateurs together, so, with our regular jockeys Craig Nichol and Callum Bewley suspended and injured, I gave him a cheeky wee ring to ask him to come up, and I’m delighted he accepted.”

That was Just Don’t Know’s first win since one at Ayr last February and third ever, both his previous ones being with Nichol as jockey.

Robson was one of three Borders trainers celebrating wins on Sunday, along with Kelso’s Sandy Thomson and Selkirk’s Stuart Coltherd.

Thomson’s son-in-law Ryan Mania rode 7/4 favourite Faithful Flyer to victory over two miles in the 1pm VisitKelso.com Handicap Hurdle by two lengths, taking its £3,697 top prize.

To the Limit being ridden by Tom Willmott for Selkirk's Stuart Coltherd at Kelso on Sunday (Pic: Kelso Races)

That was the second win of the six-year-old bay gelding’s racing career following a first-placed finish, also with Mania riding, over just short of three miles at Musselburgh in November.

It was also Mania’s seventh win of 2023 – following three at Musselburgh on New Year’s Day, two the day after at Ayr and another at Musselburgh the day after that – Thomson’s fifth, all with Mania in the saddle.

“He won over three miles at Musselburgh but had no problem lying up with the pace today,” said the 33-year-old rider.

“He seems really versatile regarding the trip or the ground, as he showed today.”

Tom Willmott rode 3/1 chance To the Limit to victory in the last race of the day, the Kelso Annual Members Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase at 3.30pm, for Coltherd, that being the second year on the trot the Clarilawmuir Farm handler has won that race, picking up prize money of £3,697.

Perth and Kinross trainer Lucinda Russell notched up a winning double with Traprain Law in the 2pm William Hill Bookmakers Novices’ Hurdle and Thereisnodoubt in the Kelso Betting Ring Bookmakers Handicap Hurdle half an hour later. Traprain Law was ridden by Patrick Wadge and Thereisnodoubt by Derek Fox.

The first race of the day, the 12.30pm Kelso Junior National Hunt Hurdle, was won by Point Franklin for County Durham’s Rebecca Menzies, with Nathan Moscrop riding, and the 1.30pm RacingTV.com/freetrial Handicap Chase by Sean Quinlan on Fortified Bay for Staffordshire’s Jennie Candlish, with Coltherd’s Deep Charm, ridden by his son Sam, third.

Kelso’s next meeting is on Friday, February 17.

Its seven races that day start at 2pm and wrap up at 5pm. Advance tickets cost from £12 and admission on the day will be £20.