NEXT week’s Cheltenham Festival marks the highlight of the racing calendar for many and there promises to be plenty of Scottish interest in this major sporting event for pundits north of the Border to get excited about.

Hawick is renowned for its racing links, having produced many successful jockeys and the Borders town will be behind Cheltenham debutant, Shades of Midnight, when he takes his place in the prestigious Festival line-up.

The home-bred gelding carries the colours of the 11-strong Potassium Partnership – a long-running syndicate of local businessmen and racing enthusiasts. Borders solicitor, Rory Bannerman, initiated the partnership which is named after a vital factor in his daughter’s recovery from meningitis several years ago.

His brother, Nick, managing director of Johnstons of Elgin, in Hawick, speaks for all the syndicate members when he said: “It’s amazing to think we have the chance of a runner at the Festival and we go there just hoping for a good run.”

Previously locally-based at Donald Whillans’stable, Shades of Midnight recently changed yards and is now under the care of Greenlaw trainer, Sandy Thomson.

He holds an entry for the four-mile amateur riders’ novice chase on the Festival’s opening afternoon, on March 13, and also for the RSA three-mile novice chase the following day 'in case the ground is very heavy.'

Hawick-based jockey, Tom Hamilton, whose family farm at Birnieknowe, will fly from his current base with Irish trainer, Joseph O’Brien, to take the ride. “We’ve known Tom since primary school and he’s a great lad, who has a ridden a lot of winners recently,” said Nick.

Shortly after the horse joined his Lambden yard, Sandy Thomson delighted his new owners when he informed him he considered 'Shady' worthy of a tilt at Cheltenham. “Sandy believed Shady was good enough to be entered for Cheltenham for the RSA and the NH Chase, a week after we moved him there at the turn of the year,” explained Nick.

“We were delighted with his third in the Grade 2 Towton in early February,” continued Nick, “and the plan straight after the finish of that race was to go for the four-mile at Cheltenham with Tom on board. He’s thrived following the change of scenery to Lambden and has found his old sparkle, last shown in the 2015/16 season.”

Stable star, Seeyouatmidnight – by the same sire, Midnight Legend – is also Cheltenham-bound and Shady has impressed his trainer while working alongside on the gallops.

“The weather has caused some headaches but he hasn’t missed and work and Sandy took him to the all-weather at Newcastle for a two-mile gallop after racing at the weekend. He is delighted with his form at home.”

Nick conceded he was excited at the prospect of a Cheltenham runner, particularly with a horse which is home-bred. “The majority of the 11 Potassium Partners will be at Cheltenham to watch him run,” he concluded.

Iain Jardine, whose Carrutherstown stable was featured on ITV television, also has a Festival entry on March 13, with Golden Jeffrey in the supreme novice hurdle race.

The Hetland Hill handler was in the winner’s enclosure the afternoon following his TV appearance, when Something Brewing headed the 'jumpers' bumper at Newcastle on March 3. The dual Flat victor scored by 2½ lengths under Henry Brooke, providing him with the second leg of a treble at the track.

Iain Jardine’s yard was televised for the Border Life programme on ITV and showed the stable’s daily routine, with views of horses working on the all-weather gallops, in the indoor school, and on the horse-walker.

There was also an interview with the trainer as he groomed stable star, Nakeeta, with Iain admitting he had not dismissed another tilt at the Melbourne Cup.

St Boswells owners, Paul and Clare Rooney, also hold several Festival entries, including The Last Samurai in the Gold Cup, while Lovely Job and Barney Dawn could be opponents of Shadesofmidnight in the amateur riders’ novice chase.

Seeyouatmidnight, trained by Sandy Thomson for his wife, Quona, is in the Ultima three-mile handicap chase, along with the Rooney’s Go Conquer and Nick Alexander’s Lake View Lad. The latter is also in the 2½-mile handicap chase, in which Carluke-based trainer, Keith Dalgleish, has entered Delegate.

Sandy Thomson has also entered Harry the Viking for the exciting Glenfarclas cross-country chase.

Big River was a popular winner at Kelso, recently, for Deborah Thomson’s 'Two Black Labs' and the Lucinda Russell-trained gelding could take his chance in the RSA Insurance novice chase.

Lucinda also has Dr Hooves in the bumper, while stablemates, Bialco and Jump for Dough, are possible runners in the Pertemps final handicap hurdle race.

Nick Alexander has Clan Legend in the 2½-mile handicap chase the same afternoon, alongside the Rooney’s Master Dee and Go Conquer.

Northumberland-based Susan Corbett could saddle Ahead of the Curve in the Albert Bartlett novice hurdle, while Rose Dobbin has Slanelough entered in the conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle race, alongside Keith Dalgleish’s Mirsaale.

Point-to-point jockey, Will Ramsay, will take the ride on his own Shantou Magic in the popular foxhunters’ hunter chase. Hopefully, the tartan contingent will give Scottish punters something to shout about.