SCOTTISH owners Paul and Clare Rooney have enjoyed a victorious run recently and the St Boswells-based couple celebrated an across-the-card double on March 21, after Red Spinner took the opener at Bangor-on-Dee, and The Last Samuri scored at Kelso.

Irish bumper victor, Red Spinner, won the novice hurdle race, having made every yard of the running. "He's a genuine little horse, who jumps and stays," said winning trainer, Donald McCain. "It depends on the handicapper, but he'll probably go for a fixed brush hurdle race at Haydock."

The Last Samuri landed Kelso's £25,000 handicap chase, run in memory of racecourse director's wife, Liz Adam. The seven-year-old produced a career-best performance in the hands of Hawick jockey, Wilson Renwick, striding up the run-in to leave the Sandy Thomson-trained Harry The Viking filling the runners-up slot for the third time on the trot.

The Rooneys saw their colours carried to victory three days earlier when Three Faces West won the 2½-mile novice hurdle race at Haydock, on March 18.

Another Hawick jockey in winning form at Kelso, on March 21, was Jonathon Bewley, who gave Hunters Belt a well-judged ride to clinch the handicap hurdle race. He produced a perfectly timed finish aboard the 20-1 chance, trained at Southdean by his father, George, to get the better of Pixie Cut from Alistair Whillans' Hawick stable, by half-a-length.

In first-time blinkers, Hunters Belt powered home in a competitive race, which saw two hurdles in the home straight omitted due to low sun.

Jedburgh jockey, Grant Cockburn, was the third Borders jockey to make the winners' enclosure when he landed the concluding bumper aboard Big River.

Lucinda Russell's horses are in good form, and the 6-1 chance got up by a head to beat promising debutant Gullys Edge, owned by Alix Stevenson, from Langholm, and her daughter, Karen Gaffney.

While all eyes focused on the opening day of Cheltenham, Scottish connections were in winning form elsewhere. Wilson Renwick continued his victory trail when he rode Crinkle Crags to land the 2½-mile handicap hurdle race at Sedgefield on March 10.

Selkirk trainer, Stuart Coltherd, saddled 4-1 chance Hotgrove Boy to win the two-mile handicap chase.

On the all-weather at Southwell, Carluke handler, Keith Dalgleish, saw Tommy Docc - gelded since his debut run in August - head the opening five-furlong event.

And Stuart Coltherd was back in the winner's enclosure two days later when the 13-year-old Oxalido ran out the game winner of the 2½-mile handicap at Hexham, on March 12.

Having ridden a point-to-point winner the previous day at Friars Haugh, Catherine Walton concluded a winning weekend when riding 10-1 chance Central Flame to head the novice handicap hurdle race at Carlisle, on March 15. "He has had the most awful stomach ulcers," explained winning owner, Frank Walton. "He´s undergone treatment and you can see in his eyes that he´s a lot happier. He´s a bit special and he´ll be a chaser in time."

Wilson Renwick was back in the winner's enclosure on March 18, after riding Nexius to win the 2½-mile handicap hurdle at Haydock.

"Although it wasn´t a bad run, last time we thought he was a little bit flat, so we checked him out and the gastroscope found he had a touch of stomach ulcers," explained winning trainer, Keith Dalgleish. "I will speak to the owner and see what we are going to do, but we will give him another run," he added.

Hawick jockey, Kieron Edgar, won the opening two-mile handicap hurdle race on Purple 'n Gold.

There was a further victory for Wilson Renwick at Sedgefield on March 20, when he rode Venue to land the two-mile novice hurdle race for Donald McCain.