O'Regan and Lee in Festival mood

O'Regan rode his brace on King O'The Gypsies and Sa Suffit, while Graham Lee took the feature race, the totepool Premier Kelso Hurdle, on Bygones Of Brid, having earlier scored on Bedlam Boy.

On a profitable day for favourite- backers at the Borders track, King O'The Gypsies duly delivered the goods as the well-backed 13-8 jolly in the Terry Frame Joiners Novices' Hurdle.

Four horses held a chance on the run from the final flight, but Howard Johnson's charge pulled out that little bit more to win by a neck from Colour Clash.

Owner Graham Wylie said: "We were a bit apprehensive about the ground, but he jumped OK. He jumped the last two brilliantly and then his flat speed came into play. He probably wants looser ground than this, but he does not want it fast."

O'Regan completed a double on the James Ewart-trained Sa Suffit, who also made it three wins from four outings this term in the totesport.com Premier Chase. Always handy, the 4-7 favourite jumped well throughout and got his head in front on the long run-in. He then proved too strong for the gallant Will Be Done to succeed by six lengths.

Sa Suffit is owned by the five-strong Proud To Be Scottish Partnership, whose spokesman Manus Ferry said: "I think he will miss Cheltenham and go to Aintree for the John Smith's Handicap Chase on Grand National Day."

Raysrock is enjoying his return to the Peter Monteith stable and gamely struck again in the Isle Of Skye Blended Scotch Whisky Handicap Chase.

The eight-year-old, successful over hurdles at Ayr three weeks ago, took up the running at the penultimate fence and stayed on well up the hill to score by three and a half lengths from Paddys Unyoke.

Monteith said of the 3-1 favourite: "He won a couple for me before he left the yard and was away nine months before he came back. We are pleased to have him again and it was his jumping that kept him in it."

Bygones Of Brid was most impressive as he ran out a wide-margin winner of the Grade Two Premier Kelso Hurdle. Lee sent the Karen McLintock-trained seven-year-old (3-1) into the lead after jumping the fifth hurdle, at which stage he made the rest of the running. Powering away up the run-in, Bygones Of Brid easily defeated Soft Spoken Guy (40-1) by nine lengths, with the 5-2 favourite Predictive six lengths further adrift in third.

Lee initiated his double when Ferdy Murphy's Bedlam Boy (4-9 favourite) made it three wins from four starts this season in the Cyril Alexander Memorial HBLB Novices' Chase.

Murphy said: "He won't be going to Cheltenham, but the space between this race and Aintree is just right."

Haarth Sovereign and Talenti changed Lawney Hill's season in the blink of an eye yesterday by providing the trainer with her first winners since October and a career-landmark double at Huntingdon.

Frost nearly claimed the meeting and there would be fewer happier people than Hill that the track passed a third inspection at noon after her 33-1 brace.

The duo were Christian Williams' only rides of the day and Hill heaped praise on the jockey after her first trip to the winner's podium for five months. "That is my first winner here, my first ever double and I am on the hot list so I am over the moon. I am going to have a party tonight – so don't ring me tomorrow!" said Hill.