Wins for two of region’s racehorse trainers, Sandy Thomson and Ewan Whillans, at Kelso’s Scottish Borders National Day

​Flower of Scotland, winner of the Bruce Farms-sponsored four-mile race in 2022, was one of 11 entries for this year’s edition but jockey Henry Brooke pulled the nine-year-old grey mare up before she could go the distance again, leaving Thomson waiting at least another year for a further shot at following up his five prior wins.

His other national victories were with Neptune Equester in 2014 and 2015 and Harry the Viking in 2016 and 2018.

Flower of Scotland was one of a handful of runners pulled up ahead of the 2.05pm race’s finishing line, including fellow Borders trainers Ewan Whillans and Stuart Coltherd’s Prince des Fichaux and Universal Folly respectively, ridden by Danny McMenamin and Sam Coltherd.

Victory in 2024’s national went to 12/1 chance Bretney, ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies and trained by Shropshire’s Henry Daly.

The nine-year-old bay gelding finished ten lengths clear of Your Own Story, trained by Lucinda Russell in Perth and Kinross and ridden by Derek Fox, to secure the national’s £26,405 top prize.

“He’s incredibly game,” said Twiston-Davies. “You get two versions of this horse – when he’s in that mood, he’s unstoppable and hard to pass, but then you get the version that saw him well beaten at Bangor last time.

“He’s a likeable horse and a good jumper. He clearly likes travelling as he’s also won the Highland National at Perth and the North Wales National at Bangor so we’ll need to keep him on the move.

“When he’s on a going day, he’s quite good as he can get into a good rhythm on the front end, then you can just jump from fence to fence and take on board as much oxygen as possible along the way.”

Though out of luck in the national, Thomson and Hawick’s Whillans notched up consolation wins earlier in the day, the former in the opening 11.55am Racing TV National Hunt Maiden Hurdle with Dedicated Hero and the latter in the next race, the 12.25pm Bring Out the Best by Belhaven Handicap Hurdle, with 2/1 favourite Cracking Rhapsody.

Ridden by Thomson’s son-in-law Ryan Mania, 7/4 second-favourite Dedicated Hero finished over seven lengths clear of the Coltherds’ Lost Frequencies over two miles to pick up a first prize of £8,169.

That was the five-year-old bay gelding’s third win of the year and ever, the other two also having been at Kelso with Mania riding, in February and May.

2/1 favourite Cracking Rhapsody, with Hawick jockey Craig Nichol in the saddle, ended up four lengths in front of Russell and Fox’s Old Gregorian, also over two miles, to land prize money of £9,242.

That was the five-year-old bay gelding’s third win of 2024 too and fifth all together, this year’s others having both been at Kelso as well, in February with Brooke as jockey and March with Nichol riding.

The biggest prize of the day, £39,022, went to Nells Son, trained in Cumbria by Nicky Richards and ridden by McMenamin, for his fourth victory at Kelso, and eighth all told, in the inaugural Richard Landale Memorial Handicap Chase.

The nine-year-old bay gelding’s previous wins at Kelso were in March this year and October 2021 with McMenamin riding and March 2022 with Sean O’Keeffe in the saddle.

Matata, trained by Gloucestershire’s Nigel Twiston-Davies and ridden by his son Sam, was second and Northumbrian trainer Ann Hamilton’s Tommy’s Oscar third, with Sean Quinlan as jockey, in that £75,000 race over two miles and a furlong at 2.40pm.

Sunday’s three other races were won by Sunset Hill, Young Jack and Whistle Stop TourCounty.

Northumbrian trainer Susan Corbett’s Sunset Hill finished first in the 12.55pm European Breeders’ Fund Mares’ National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle over almost two miles and five furlongs, with Nathan Moscrop as jockey, landing a top prize of £8,169.

Young Jack won the 1.30pm Belhaven Black Classic Handicap Hurdle over nearly two miles and seven furlongs for County Durham trainer Chris Grant, with McMenamin riding, securing prize money of £7,922.

Russell and Fox won the concluding 3.15pm Schloss Roxburghe Hotel and Spa Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase over two miles and seven furlongs with 15/8 favourite Whistle Stop Tour for a top prize of £10,562.

Sunday’s seven-race meeting was Kelso’s second-last of 2024, its final one being on Sunday, December 29.

Tickets cost £23 in advance or £28 on the day. For details, go to https://kelso-races.co.uk/fixtures/