LUCINDA Russell heads to Aintree in great form, after completing a double at Kelso on March 25.

One For Arthur carries her hopes of the first Scottish Grand National success since Rubstic in 1979, and one of his owners, Deborah Thomson, provided her with the first leg of her two wins at the Borders track.

The East Lothian owner runs Big River in the name of her ‘Two Black Labs’ and he posted an impressive win in the £22,000 handicap hurdle race.

The progressive seven-year-old was given a good ride by Hawick jockey Blair Campbell.

“We had a light weight and tried to make the most of it,” said the winning jockey, who was posting the biggest success of his race-riding career to date.

French hurdle winner Forest Des Aigles completed the Russell double when justifying favouritism to land the handicap chase for East Lothian owners Ray and Anita Anderson Green.

Racecourse director Geoff Adam, was in the winner’s enclosure when Rhymers Stone proved a popular winner of the handicap hurdle race.

Trained at Camptown by Harriet Graham, and ridden by Jedburgh jockey Callum Bewley, the winner received a rousing reception after his gutsy eight-length success.

Langholm trainer James Ewart accounted for a drama-packed novice handicap chase, when Ascot De Bruyere was the only one of five starters to finish.

Former Jedburgh jockey Gary Rutherford opened his account as a trainer when saddling Miss Biscotti to land the concluding hunter chase.

Runswick Royal posted his third win from four runs with a seven-length victory in the opening handicap hurdle race.

Trained in Northumberland by Ann Hamilton for her husband Ian, the gelding appeared to appreciate the drop back in trip.

The same afternoon, at Bangor, Hawick jockey Craig Nichol rode Conquer Gold to a 3-1 win in the mares handicap chase for St Boswells owners Paul and Clare Rooney.

On the all-weather at Wolverhampton, Iain Jardine won the two-mile handicap with Mr Globetrotter.

Hawick jockey Tom Hamilton made his first ride in France a winning one, after riding Extreme Sud to win the amateur riders chase in Auteuil on March 26.

Iain Jardine was back in the winner’s enclosure at Market Rasen on March 27, saddling My Little Cracker to win the mares handicap hurdle race for Paul and Clare Rooney.

Blair Campbell rode the Lucinda Russell-trained Sammy B to win the stayers hurdle race.

On a good afternoon for Scottish connections, Langholm trainer James Ewart enjoyed a double at Musselburgh on March 24.

He sent Civil Unrest to land a 7-1 win in the two-mile handicap hurdle race, before watching stablemate The Wise One head the three-mile handicap hurdle at 10-1 in the hands of Fife jockey Lucy Alexander.

Lucy Alexander was making a victorious return from injury to take the spoils.

Iain Jardine saddled Pot Committed to a 9-1 success in the novice hurdle race for St Boswells owners Paul and Clare Rooney.

There was a family and son success in the two-and-a-half mile novice chase when Ash Park, trained at Selkirk by Stuart Coltherd, and ridden by son Sam, posted a 5-1 win.