SCOTTISH Borders National candidate, Devil's Run, is anything but a stalking horse in the four-mile Kelso marathon.

Actions speak louder than words in the cut-and-thrust of National Hunt racing and when it comes to form in the book, Devil's Run has twice this year demonstrated he has the guts to gallop his rivals into the ground over extreme distances.

Owned and trained by Aycliffe-based permit-holder John Wade, Devil's Run (3.55) emerged from a spell in the doldrums by notching a brace of impressive chase successes at Wetherby and Sedgefield in January.

"Jim (Crowley) said he got better as the race went along," said Wade following the latter victory, which was all the more meritorious as Devil's Run humped 12st 2lbs over three-miles-and-three furlongs in soft ground identical to the surface he will encounter today

High on the list of dangers to the selection is near-neighbour Ossmoses, who has won two from three for Redworth Village handler Don Forster.

Ossmoses, another confirmed mudlark, warmed up for the Scottish £45,000 showpiece with a gritty half-length win at Uttoxeter, a narrow triumph which could so easily have left rider Richie McGrath with egg on his face after he dropped his whip prior to the final fence.

Howard Johnson's big-spending principal patrons, Graham and Andrea Wylie, shelled out another small fortune for the 2004 Ebor hero, Mephisto (4.30), who on all known evidence should take the £35,000 totesport Premier Hurdle.

Mephisto hardly broke into a sweat when collecting hard-held at Haydock a fortnight ago and, as a result, holds entries at both the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals.

He's basically a "speed horse", so as things stand Mephisto will probably head for Liverpool, rather than Prestbury Park, where the uphill climb to the line found him out on his jumps' debut.

Johnson also has decent prospects of completing an across-the-card double with Doncaster-bound Ballybrough Rasher (3.35).

Although the ten-year-old has been beset by injury problems throughout his career, his 40-1 win in last year's Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase, when beating Nicky Henderson's Marlborough, is living proof of just how effective Ballybrough Rasher can be when in the mood.

In the earlier feature event on the card, the £25,000 Grimthorpe Chase, former Hennessy Gold Cup and Scottish Grand National scorer, Gingembre (2.25), is fancied to defy top-weight.

Considering the eleven-year-old had been sidelined for a whopping 97 weeks, he made a terrific comeback when fifth behind Farmer Jack in Newbury's Aon Chase. Gingembre was level pegging with leading Gold Cup hopes such as Strong Flow and Celestial Gold at the third last fence, before lack of peak fitness not surprisingly took its toll on that occasion.

Amateur jockey Guy Brewer's 7lb allowance might be sufficient to tip the scales in favour of Atticus Finch (4.45) for the three-mile Racing UK Handicap Chase at Huntingdon.

Having previously trained the horse herself, owner Maxine Stirk then sent Atticus Finch to Middleham handler, Geoff Harker, who struck at the first time of asking when the gelding won a long-distance handicap hurdle at the course back in September.

After qualifying Atticus Finch for Hunter Chases, Maxine is now back at the helm and in the certain knowledge that the eight-year-old acts well at the course, has opted to send him on a return visit to the home counties track.

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