TRANENT jockey Andrew Mullen ended March in winning form, when riding Brandon Castle to a 10-1 win in the £100,000 Queens Cup, at Musselburgh, on Saturday, March 31.

“I’ve had a good winter,” said the winning jockey, “so fingers crossed for a good year.”

Following his victory in the valuable contest, he was quick to praise winning trainer, Archie Watson. “He has done a tremendous job with him – he’s improved so much. He loves being out in front, it’s the only way to ride him.

“I could feel them coming at me in the final furlong, but I think he was waiting for them and he just put his head down and got on with it.”

Irvine jockey Danny Tudhope is also in great form, and completed a treble at the East Lothian track. He rode Kyllang Rock to win the five-furlong stakes and then posted a 3-1 victory aboard Mayson Mac in the five-furlong novice stakes. He also headed the five-furlong handicap on Jacob’s Pillow.

At Haydock, the same afternoon, The Delray Munky was awarded the race after a steward’s enquiry found the first past the post had caused interference.

The Iain Jardine-trained 10-1 chance won the mares’ handicap hurdle race in the hands of Hawick jockey, Bruce Lynn. “It was the right decision,” said the Carrutherstown trainer. “We were half-a-length down when the other one came across and shut the door on her.”

Selkirk trainer, Stuart Coltherd, saddled Achill Road Boy to win the three-mile handicap chase at Carlisle the same afternoon.

The winner carries the colours of the Farming Armys, Newitt, Flannigan and Findlater, so there would be plenty of support from some of that team in the run up to their busy lambing and calving schedules.

Northumberland jockey, Harry Reed, had a winning start to April, riding Ramore Will to land the conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle race at Plumpton, while Langholm trainer, James Ewart, had a winner on the all-weather at Southwell, with Da Capo Dandy, and Irvine-based Danny Tudhope, rode Mujassam to win the six-furlong claiming stakes.

Ayrshire jockey, David Allan, rode the favourite, Archimedes, to win the five-furlong sprint on the all-weather at Southwell, on March 27. He headed a similar contest on the all-weather at Newcastle the following evening, riding Pea Shooter to a 20-1 success.

Carrutherstown’s Iain Jardine also had a winner at the Northumberland track, when Newmarket Warrior won the feature one-mile handicap in the hands of Langholm jockey, Jamie Gormley. And Danny Tudhope rode Gone with The Wind to victory in the concluding handicap at Wolverhampton.

Ahead of next weekend’s Grand National, six Scottish horses remain on course to take their place in the 2018 line-up.

St Boswells owners, Paul and Clare Rooney, have three potential runners in The Last Samurai, Go Conquer and Beeves. Cheltenham Festival winner, Rathvinden, carries the colours of Scotland’s potato king, Ronnie Bartlett, from Airdrie. Seeyouatmidnight represents Greenlaw trainer, Sandy Thomson, while Captain Redbeard carries the hopes of Selkirk-based handler, Stuart Coltherd.

The original line-up is now reduced to 73, and final declarations will be made on April 12 – two days before the Aintree marathon.