Kelso trainer Sandy Thomson and Hawick jockey Craig Nichol among winners at region’s last race meeting of season

​Thomson’s Lambden stables won the Ponsse UK Novices’ Handicap Chase at Kelso Racecourse with Baron Briggs, ridden by Danny McMenamin.

The 9/4 favourite finished that two-mile-seven-furlong race over four lengths in front of Derwent Dealer, trained by Danny Brooke in North Yorkshire and ridden by his brother Henry, to claim its £3,961 top prize.

The seven-year-old bay gelding, owned by East Lothian’s Ray Green, was one of two horses entered by Thomson for that 4.35pm race, the other being fourth-placed finisher Goodtimes Badtimes, ridden by his son-in-law Ryan Mania.

Baron Briggs’ win was his first ever, though he’s notched up five third places previously.

Nichol’s win was for Northumbrian trainer Pauline Robson on Geordies Dream at 4/1 in the first race of the day, the 2.15pm JA Wilson Contractors Novices’ Hurdle, landing prize money of £4,357.

Selkirk trainer Stuart Coltherd’s 50/1 outsider Famous Liss, with his son Sam riding, was among nine other entries for that two-mile race, finishing fourth.

Coltherd fared better in the next race of the day, the 2.50pm Schloss Roxburghe Hotel Handicap Chase, placing second with Grand Voyage, ridden by Sean Quinlan, six lengths behind Chapel Green, trained at Kinross by Lucinda Russell and with Derek Fox as jockey.

The 5/2 joint-favourite was one of two horses entered by Coltherd for that two-mile race, with the other, Hidden Commander, ridden by his son Sam, getting back fourth at 22/1.

Russell and Fox also won the 4pm Five Star Taxis Mares’ Handicap Hurdle with Somebody’s Fortune at 10/1, pulling off a 54/1 double, with Thomson and Mania’s 7/2 second-favourite Blue Baloo ending up sixth that time round.

Sunday’s feature race, the class-two Look Who’s 65 Elliot Henderson Handicap Hurdle at 3.25pm, was won by Well Educated, sent off at 10/3, for Cumbrian trainer George Bewley and his jockey son Jonathon, landing its top prize of £10,406.

“That’s his sixth win for us since we bought him out of a selling hurdle at Hexham two years ago,” said Bewley senior.

“He’s won us over £53,000, so that’s around £40,000 profit, which isn’t a bad return at all.”

Thomson was also among the seven trainers contesting that two-mile race but had to settle for fifth place with Carcaci Castle, ridden by Mania.

Ladies’ day’s other winners were evens-favourite Yippee Ki Yay, trained by Nicky Sheppard in Herefordshire and ridden by Milo Herbert, in the 5.10pm Borders Growers and Distillers Corinthian Spirit Grass-Roots Hunters’ Chase Series Final and 5/4 favourite Gale Mahler, for North Yorkshire trainer Adrian Keatley and jockey Brooke in the 5.45pm See You in September Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Runners-up in those two races were, respectively, John Dawson on Super Citizen for Lucinda Hughes and Conor O’Farrell on Beau Della for Iain Jardine, with Nichol finishing fifth in the latter on Lizzie Luna for Hawick trainer Ewan Whillans.