Corach Rambler and the Princess Royal in attendance as Kelso celebrates historic landmark

Grand National hero Corach Rambler and the Princess Royal will be in attendance at Kelso on Monday as the track celebrates its bicentenary raceday.

The eight-race card takes place 200 years and one day after Kelso's first fixture on April 16, 1823, and Lucinda Russell has confirmed her nine-year-old, who beat Vanillier by two and a quarter lengths in the Aintree spectacle on Saturday, will parade at the course before the first race at 1.40pm.

The Princess Royal will unveil a stone plaque in the winner's enclosure before racing and present a trophy to the winning connections of the Berrymoss Bicentenary Handicap Hurdle (2.15) and the Kings Own Scottish Borderers Handicap Chase (2.45).

Kelso's managing director Jonathan Garratt said: “We are doubly honoured, on a very special day for Kelso, to be welcoming both HRH the Princess Royal and Corach Rambler. We are incredibly proud of our racing heritage and our place in the local community.

"Although there was plenty of horseracing in the Scottish Borders prior to 1823, the track on the Berrymoss at Kelso became the first purpose-built racecourse in Scotland, together with the first permanent grandstand.”

Les’s Legacy, who won a Go North Final event at the track last month, is one of 12 declared for the handicap hurdle.

Bavington Bob: winner of last year's feature handicap chase is backCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Bavington Bob, meanwhile, is set for another crack at the feature Ashleybank Investments Reg And Betty Tweedie Handicap Chase (3.20), having been an emphatic winner 12 months ago.

The race is named to commemorate the husband and wife who owned and trained Freddie, a two-time runner-up in the Grand National. Reg Tweedie became chairman of Kelso and oversaw significant developments at the course between 1974 and 1986.

Ian Hamilton, owner of Bavington Bob, said: “We’re hoping for another big run. He’s back on a handicap mark of 130, the same as when he won last year. We love having runners at Kelso and we’ve had a lot of great days there. It’s quite a lucky track and we’ve had more winners there than anywhere else in recent years."

The Weatherbys Hamilton Buccleuch Cup (4.30) has the longest continuous history of any race at the track, having been staged in the late 19th century when jump racing took over from Flat racing.

Former winners of the maiden hunters' chase include Merryman, who went on to win the first Grand National televised live by the BBC in 1960.

The original grandstand from the first meeting, still used today, was commissioned by the fifth Duke of Roxburghe and designed by renowned Yorkshire-based architect John Carr. The foundation stone was laid on July 12, 1822, and the surrounding land drained in order to accommodate the racing surface for the first purpose-built track in Scotland.

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