RACE RETURNS

with Davy since I was 15 or 16,soit’snicethathe’swona National for me.

“Davy has been a good friend more than anything. He’s ridden for me throughout my career, but sometimes we talk about anything else but horses. We lie on the couch and drink tea!

“Davy’s a brilliant man and such a good horseman.”

Hopes of a second successive National win for Scotland after Lucinda Russell’s One for Arthur’s success last year came to nothing. Seeyouatmidnight, trained by Sandy Thomson at Lambden Farm in Greenlaw, tired after a good run and was 11th out of 12 finishers, while Captain Redbeard unseated jockey Sam Coltherd. Scotswell makes the short journey from Jedburgh as he bids to win the feature race at Kelso today for the second year running, writes Gordon Brown.

Harriet Graham’s home-bred veteran, partnered by Tommy Dowson, faces eight rivals in the Hunter Real Estate Investment Managers Handicap Chase over 3m 2f.

“He’s back chasing after a couple of races over hurdles and he was pulled up in the heavy ground last time,” said Mrs Graham of her popular 12-year-old. “He loves Kelso and has been runner-up twice in the Scottish Borders National. His style of running is to be up there forcing the pace and getting into a nice rhythm. We’re hopeful of another decent performance.”

Rivals to Scotswell include Looksnowtlikebrian ridden by Richard Johnson, about to be crowned champion jockey for the third successive season, and southern raider Streets Of Promise, trained in Herefordshire by Michael Scudamore and ridden by his brother Tom.

Selkirk trainer Stuart Coltherd was represented by Captain Redbeard in Saturday’s Grand National and his wife Lesley saddles For Yes and Whisperdale in the Brewin Dolphin Buccleugh Cup, which is a prestigious Maiden Hunters’ Chase.