KELSO racecourse concluded a good season in fitting style with a victory for course chairman Johnny Jeffreys.

Freddie Brown carried the colours of his Northumberland owner/breeder to win a competitive bumper at the Borders track’s final fixture on May 19.

The six-year-old got the better of Pasture Bay, trained by George Charlton for Haddington owners Ray and Anita Green, who purchased the four-year-old half-sister to 2007 Grand National winner Silver Birch for 20,000 euros.

Lucinda Russell has a good record at the track and accounted for the novices’ hurdle race with Balnagore, beating Solis, trained for race sponsor Dennis Coppola by Peter Monteith.

River Alder, off the track for a year, made a pleasing return to finish runner-up in the novices’ chase for Heriot farmer and commentator Michael Dun, a familiar voice on the point-to-point circuit.

Clovenfords jockey Ryan Mania rode Carrietau to a pillar to post success in the two-mile handicap chase. Mania added a further success at Sedgefield the same evening when partnering Pugnacity to land the 2m 5f handicap hurdle race, ahead of Wotchalike, owned and trained at Langholm by Shelley Johnstone.

Solis, with the benefit of cheekpieces, landed a hurdle victory at the 20th attempt when heading the two-mile novices’ handicap hurdle race at Perth’s evening meeting on May 12 for Monteith and Mania.

Beidh Tine Anseo, raised 7lbs for his recent Kelso win, carried Edinburgh owner Ian Miller’s colours to victory in the conditional jockeys handicap hurdle race. The winner is trained by Lucinda Russell and was ridden by East Lothian jockey Campbell Gillies.

Lucinda Russell’s Milnathort yard continues in good form, and sent out Hurricane Jack – a half-brother to Silver by Nature – to take second in the three-mile novices’ handicap chase. The stable completed a victorious double when Seeyaj, in the hands of Campbell Gillies, beat stablemate and previous course victor Storm Prospect in the two-mile handicap chase.

Sue Bradburne – whose jockey son Mark is making good progress after a bad fall – saddled Proficiency to take second in the mares intermediate hurdle race.

On Perth’s second day, three-times winning British pointer Aikman led from the off to win the bumper for Langholm trainer James Ewart.

Michael Smith was both trainer and rider of novice hunter chase victor Scotch Warrior, while reigning Northern Area novice champion Mikey Ennis rode George White’s Barry the Cracker to finish third.

Michael Smith also saddled winning pointer Athoss to take third in the maiden chase, in the hands of Hawick jockey Jonathon Bewley.

At Aintree’s evening fixture on May 14, Manadam finished third in the conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle race for Lucinda Russell and Campbell Gillies.

Jim Goldie landed a good prize when Hillview Boy produced a career-best to head a 1m 4f listed handicap at Hamilton the same night.

There was another winner for the Goldie yard at Musselburgh on May 18, when Tillietudlum landed the apprentice handicap ahead of former Zetland stakes runner-up Plametarium from Peter Monteith’s stable.

At Haydock on May 20, Greg Fairley rode Spirit is Needed to head the 1m 4f race.

Linda Perratt was in good format Musselburgh on May 21, sending out 22-1 chance The Bear to land the selling stakes, and also responsible for the third-placed Mandarin Spirit. The stablemates were separated by the Noel Wilson-trained Stolt.

Hawick jockey Greg Fairley completed a victorious double at Goodwood on May 22, riding Avonmore Star to win the six-furlong maiden stakes, and Moynahan to land the one-mile stakes.

With King Roonah coming to grief at the last, Sotovik was left to claim the spoils in the novice handicap chase at Perth on May 23 for Hawick handler Alistair Whillans and his jockey son Ewan.

Runner-up on his handicap debut was Athoss, trained by Michael Smith and ridden by Jonathon Bewley.

Wind Shuffle landed the novices handicap hurdle race for Jim Goldie. Lucinda Russell saddled both winner and runner-up in the two-and-a-half mile handicap hurdle race when Summer Soul notched his second success as a hurdler. The winner was ridden by Campbell Gillies to beat stablemate Corkage, who stayed on gamely.

On the Flat at Carlisle the following afternoon, 2009 victor Hansomis just failed to retain her title when beaten by a neck in the six-furlong handicap.

The six-year-old is trained at Hawick by Bruce Mactaggart for Borders owner Jimmy Williams and Fife farrier Neil Kerr-Ramsay.

At Hexham’s evening meeting on May 25, Alastair Whillans saddled Sparkling Zola to win the three-mile handicap hurdle race. Having her sixth run over hurdles, the winner was ridden by the trainer’s son, Ewan.

The opening amateur riders’ novices handicap hurdle race went to the Rose Dobbin-trained Mountskip.