RUNNING in the red of Motherwell made famous by Tom McKean, and coached by the Bellshill Bullet's former mentor, Tom Boyle, Grant Graham proved himself a chip off a raw old Lanarkshire block yesterday as he won the 800 metres - one of four Scots to claim titles on the second day of the UK Inter-counties Championships in Bedford.

Doug Walker took the 200m, Stephen Hayward the shot, and Martin Bell the 3000m walk. With four silvers and a bronze also being won by Scots, it was an inspiring start to their Commonwealth Games year preparations.

Their efforts won East of Scotland the Middlesex Trophy, just edging out West of Scotland by three points, with Surrey third.

Graham, representing West of Scotland, held off Olympian Kevin McKay, the former world junior silver medallist, to win the two-lap event in 1min 52.03secs, in blustery conditions.

The 25-year-old Graham ran a tactically perfect race, bursting clear with a searing change of pace from 160 metres out, but this was in stark contrast to the manner in which he bruised his way into the final.

The former Boclair Academy schoolboy from Bearsden showed some of former European and world indoor champion McKean's change of gear in his heat, but also some of his tactical naivety.

Boxed and second last with 180m left, he broke out, surged to the front, and outsprinted European indoor 3000m champion John Mayock up the home straight, eliminating him from the final. Mayock, pale and shocked, after having led for some 500 metres, said: ''I couldn't hold them off. I had to take it on - that's the problem with middle distance running in this country, nobody is prepared to take it on.''

Graham had raced only six times in almost two years since coming under Boyle's wing after leaving Clydesdale after the 1996 Olympic trials. Now he is concentrating his attentions on representing Scotland at 1500m - the distance McKay did in the Olympics - at the Commonwealth Games in September.

Winner of the AAA indoor metric mile title in 1995, Graham has raced only once as a senior for Britain, against France at the Kelvin Hall, in 1995, and his breakthrough here represents two years of hard work. ''It was difficult coming to terms with doing so few races after switching to Tommy,'' said Graham, who works in North Lanakshire's community athletics programme. ''He has changed my physique, my metabolism and my stride length, but it is all now beginning to pay off.''

Walker, though aided by a wind over the legal two-metres per second limit, clocked 20.47 to win the 200m in majestic fashion. This was faster than his world championship best in Athens last year, and was his first race at the distance since then.

The Edinburgh man was two metres clear of Great Britain 400m internationalist Adrian Patrick off the bend, relaxed and flowing, and Patrick finished well-beaten, timed at 20.90. This stakes the world relay bronze medallist's claim to the 200m berth for Britain at the European Cup in St Petersburg next month.

Annan's Bell won the 3000m walk for the fifth time in in eight years, with 11-59.46, inside his existing Scottish record, although he has a mark of 11-51 still to be ratified. Cardiff-based Bell, top of the UK rankings and unbeaten by a Briton this year, has his last attempt at the Commonwealth qualifying time this weekend, competing for Britain in Italy.

''I reckon I need to break 85 minutes to get in, yet England could be sending three athletes, and the Isle of Man two - none of whom have gone as fast as me,'' he said. Fifer Hayward was below his best in winning the shot for the second time in three years, but this early season form should encourage him to make the Games standard of 18.50m. He launched two of his warm-up putts beyond the 18-metre line.

Ayr's Jason Dupuy, appearing in Kent's colours, was runner-up in the mile; Anglo Jamie O'Rawe followed Bell home; Sinead Dudgeon was runner-up at 400m hurdles, behind veteran UK internationalist Gowry Retchakan; and Anglo Ruth Irving took second in the women's long jump with 6.21m, best by a Scot for 13 years, but 19cms short of the Games standard.

Graham's was the first 800m victory by a Scot since John Wenk won in 1961, while Walker's was only the second since the championships began in 1934 - Edinburgh Southern's Dave Clark won in 1990. Both Graham and Walker are likely to be given races abroad to help in their build-up.

Team manager John Anderson has already put together a number of opportunities on the continent where the climate will be more benign than Bedfordshire on a wild weekend.

Despite a depleted team, this was the best men's placing by either East or West since 1990, but the number of Scots achieving the guideline marks which should bring selection for Kuala Lumpur are still small. Winners and Scottish placings (E= East of Scotland, W= West):

Men. 200 metres: D Walker (E) 20.47 (+3.4 metres per second); D Turnbull (W) 21.89 (heat). 800m: G Graham (W) 1min 52.03secs; R Hooton 1-54.23 (heat).

Mile: M Openshaw (NE Counties) 4-08.33; J Dupuy (Kent) 4-09.96; 6, S Reid (E) 4-12.33. 5000m: D Dudley (Merseyside) 14-38.01. 400m hurdles: M Douglas (Bucks) 51.78; R McDonald 56.45 (heat). 3000m walk: M Bell (W) 11-59.46; 2, J O'Rawe (Essex) 12-47.72. High jump: C Bent (Yorks) 2.10m. Long jump: C Davidson (Kent) 7.89m. Shot: S Hayward (E) 17.39m. Hammer: D Smith (Humberside) 68.82m; 6, I Park (Kent) 61.12m.

Middlesex Trophy: 1, East of Scotland 29 points; 2, West of Scvotland 26.

Women. 100m: E Ruddick (Warwicks) 11.53 (+3.4); 3, M Rostek 11.71. 400m: L Hansen (Warwicks) 54.06. 400m hurdles: G Retchakan 57.98; 2, S Dudgeon (E) 59.34; A Currie (W) 63.00 (heat). 1500m: N Harvey (Surrey) 4-25.11; 5, V Bothams (Warwickshire) 4-29.33. 3000m walk: V Lupton (Yorks) 13-43.73. Pole vault: T Bloomfield (Surrey) 3.60m; 10 equal A Deuchars (E) 2.80m. Long jump: T Joseph (Hants) 6.37m; 2, R Irving (NE Counties) 6.21m (+2.5). Discus: S Drew (Surrey) 58.32m; 8, E Garden (E) 42.33m. Bedford Plate: 1, Hampshire 65; 8, East of Scotland 32; 11, West of Scotland 26.

ANGLO-Scot Rachel Hogg (Copeland Netherhall AC), the National Under-17 indoor triple jump record holder, missed the Scottish outdoor record but won the North of England title at Leeds with a personal best leap of 11.44m.