Borders trainer Thomson delighted with Midnight run

And he started 2021 with a very treasurable accomplishments – a win for one of his best known horses, Seeyouatmidnight, in the Veterans’ Handicap Final at Sandown on Sunday.

The 13-year-old, ridden by Galashiels jockey Ryan Mania, won by a length from Crosspark, having been in the lead for the final three fences.

His odds, however, were 10-1, having pulled up at Haydock last time.

Sandy Thomson, of the Lambden stables at Greenlaw, near Kelso, said: “I am just delighted for everybody – us, Ryan and the horse, obviously. He’s had his issues, and to go and do that – absolutely brilliant. Because of his issues, he’s not had that many runs – 21 in seven years, or something. Not a huge amount.”

Seeyouatmidnight won his debut race for Sandy at odds of 66-1, defeating A. P. McCoy, and achieved other success, but was retired in 2018 with suspensory ligament damage.

His owners at the time, David and Patricia Thompson, gifted him back to Sandy and his wife Quona.

The handler and his team are now reaping the rewards of nursing the horse back to peak health.

Ryan Mania was quoted by the racing press as saying that to go to Sandown and win as a 13-year-old was “unreal” and very emotional.

Sandy said he knew the gelding was in good shape when they headed for Surrey, otherwise they wouldn’t have travelled the 370 miles.

“I was very happy with how he was when we went down,” he said. “You never get confident, because too much can happen, but you can be happy you have the horse in a good place to go and run a race.”

Sandy added: “The horses are running well. We have nice horses, great staff, and it’s all going very well.”

Weather-wise, gatherings this week at Musselburgh and Newcastle looked doubtful as we went to press but Sandy said they’d make the most of a quieter time until after January’s halfway point.

“We can still exercise the horses – that’s the main thing,” he added (more Borders racing news on page 52).