While the clocks won’t change until midnight, there should be plenty of time to get home, after Kelso races, before the Strictly Come Dancing Halloween Special on Saturday night. To get in the mood I googled a few ghostly racing stories and came across these old song lyrics…

With apologies to Chris De Burgh and Spanish Train…

There’s a Scottish train which runs between Edinburgh Waverley and the Borders,
And as race-morning glows, the whistle blows – and the punters know… they’re under orders.
And then they utter to the Lord a prayer,
Read the form and check Betfair.

For the souls that took the worst advice
Fill that train a thousand-thrice.
Now, a railway man sat studying, a big Kelso win his goal.
A winner he sought, or else he thought: “The Devil can take my soul.”

Well the Devil was riding upon the train, thinking “Here’s an easy soul to gain.
It can’t be ignored if God’s abroad – this one’s mine.”
But then the Lord himself appeared, in a blinding flash of light.
He shouted at the Devil, “He won’t go down without a fight.”

“I’ll give you a tip – he’s over the wrong trip,” said the Devil with a smile.
“So throw away that ridiculous trilby, it’s really not your style.
We’ll have ourselves a bit of a game – pick any horse to hit the frame.
And if your horse beats mine, you can keep him – fine.
But if mine beats yours then… well,
He’s a-going down to Hell!”

The horses got a level start.
And, at first, they couldn’t be split apart.
But the Lord had created the better steed
And it wasn’t long before he took a short lead.

The railway man cheered from the station,
Of course he’d backed the heavenly creation.
But the Devil laughed “This race isn’t fair – you lot haven’t got a prayer.
There’s a chap in the stand who nurses a grudge and unfortunately, for you, he’s also the judge.”

A hundred souls was the opening bet,
It went up to a thousand and six.
Then the Lord offered the Devil 3/1.
He didn’t know about the Devil’s tricks.

And I said “Look out, Lord, he’s going to win.
The Sun is down and the night is riding in.
That train is dead on time, many souls are on the line.
Oh Lord. Don’t let him win.”

Sure enough, when they reached the post,
Despite being cheered by a heavenly host,
The Lord’s horse was placed only third
And it was the Devil’s horse that was preferred.

I said “Look out, Lord, you’ve let him win!”
You shouldn’t have thrown Jonathan’s tip in the bin.
Big River‘s in with a shout (2.25 Kelso on Saturday),
He’ll run well first time out. Oh Lord. You let him win.

Well that Scottish train still runs between Edinburgh Waverley and the Borders,
And as race-morning glows, the whistle blows – and the punters know… they’re under orders.
And far away at Great Leighs,
The Lord and the Devil now race donkeys.
The Devil still cheats and wins more souls.
– As for the Lord. Well, he’s just doing his best.