​Wins at double at Kelso for Hawick jockey Craig Nichol for home-town trainers Donald and Ewan Whillans

The elder of the two trainers, Dodlands Steading’s Donald, supplied Nichol, also of Hawick, with his 50th winner at Kelso, 15/8 favourite Both Barrels, in the 2.30pm Support QME Care Handicap Hurdle.

That was the six-year-old chestnut gelding’s first win to date, landing a £4,753 prize for finishing the two-mile-six-furlong course over two lengths ahead of Bushypark, trained by Philip Kirby in North Yorkshire and ridden by Joe Williamson.

Fellow Hawick jockey Bruce Lynn was third on Fife trainer Nick Alexander’s Artic Mann and Patrick Wadge was fourth on Yetholm trainer Sandy Forster’s Gypsey’s Secret.

Nichol also notched up a win for Whillans’ nephew Ewan, based at Newmill-on-Slitrig, with Kingston Bridge in the 4pm Go North Cab on Target Final Handicap Hurdle, claiming its top prize of £15,609.

That was his third first-placed finish on the six-year-old bay gelding, following prior victories at Carlisle in March 2023 and Kelso in November 2022.

The 16/1 chance completed the near-two-mile-five-furlong course a length ahead of 3/1 favourite Eire Street, trained by Lilliesleaf’s Jackie Stephen and with Danny McMenamin as jockey.

Selkirk trainer Stuart Coltherd’s Dream Boy, with his son Sam riding, was fourth out of a field of 16.

“It’s always great to have winners at your local track and I’ve known the Whillans family for a long time,” said Nichol.

“Both Barrels jumped a lot better today and you’ve got to remember this was only his second time in a handicap.”

The younger Whillans was glad to see Kingston Bridge bounce back from an eighth-placed finish at Kelso last month, saying: “He wasn’t himself when disappointing last time, so we gave him a full MoT to get to the bottom of things and that was a lot more like it, as everyone saw out there.”

Lynn also notched up a winning double for Kinneston’s Alexander with Up Hella aa King in the 3.30pm Ashleybank Investments Reg and Betty Tweedie Handicap Chase at 13/2 and Atlantic Dancer an hour later in le Garcon d’Or Mares Handicap Hurdle, claiming top prizes of £7,922 and £4,753.

Ewan Whillans’ Prince des Fichaux finished fourth in the former, with McMenamin riding

Alexander was less fortunate in the meeting’s finale, the 5.35pm Racing TV Open National Hunt Flat Race, as his newcomer Kellerman, with McMenamin as jockey, sustained a fatal injury on its first circuit, resulting in it being declared void.

Monday’s other winners were Alnilam in the opening 2pm Belhaven Brewery Novices’ Hurdle, for Warwickshire trainer Olly Murphy and jockey Sean Bowen; Raceview Road in the 3pm Support the Injured Jockeys Fund Handicap Chase, for Cumbria’s George Bewley and his jockey son Jonathon, with the Coltherds’ Grand Voyage second by a length; and Soldier of Rock in the 5pm Weatherbys Hamilton Buccleuch Cup maiden hunters’ chase, for North Yorkshire’s Courtney Tinkler and rider Joe Wright.

Kelso’s next meeting is on Wednesday, May 8. For details, go to kelso-races.co.uk