Saturday ITV Racing Tips: Best bets for Kelso and Newbury
The ITV cameras are rolling at two British meetings this Saturday, and the Planet Sport tipsters have some red-hot selections for the seven races on offer on March 25.
Saturday's big race comes at Newbury in the form of the Grade 2 "National Hunt" Mares' Novices' Hurdle (1440), there's also seven other intriguing contests spread north and south of the border.
First up, we'll give you a quick list of the horses we believe have the best chances for the races that are being shown on the telly.
If you want some more detail on why our tipsters have selected these horses we'll thrash out a little bit more detail further down the page.
Good luck and please gamble responsibly.
(Please be aware tips might be updated if a horse becomes a non-runner)
Saturday's selections:
13:30 (Newbury) Inneston
13:50 (Kelso) Coral Blue
14:05 (Newbury) Heltenham
14:25 (Kelso) Jet Legs
14:40 (Newbury) Ruby Island
15:00 (Kelso) Jane Du Berlais
15:35 (Kelso) Forward Plan
13:30 (Newbury) Inneston
Runner-up in the EBF Final at Sandown a fortnight ago, Inneston can strike on the drop in grade in the Bet In-Play On Racing With BetVictor Novices' Handicap Hurdle at Newbury.
Both the ground and slight drop in trip expected to suit Gary Moore's five-year-old who hasn't finished outside the top three in four outings this season.
On the other hand, Artistic Choice should relish going up in distance, having finished second over the extended 2m here, while similar comments apply to the progressive Toothless.
The hat-trick seeking Atlanta Brave and Blow Your Wad cannot be ruled out either.
13:50 (Kelso) Coral Blue
Plenty of these arrive in top form, but preference is for Coral Blue, who scored over course and distance last November and has won his last two starts (both in February) with the minimum of fuss.
A career-high mark of 107 may not be enough to stop him and he can see off the likes of Les's Legacy and Prairie Wolf, who have both been running very well of late.
Others to note include Euchan Falls, Idilico and Salvino.
14:05 (Newbury) Heltenham
There are few better target trainers around than Dan Skelton and he looks to have set his sights on Newbury on Saturday where Heltenham is the pick of his team in the Run For Your Money At BetVictor Handicap Chase.
Since finishing well beaten on his debut for the yard in a novice hurdle at Lingfield in November 2021, he has been a model of consistency and fences appear to have brought out plenty of improvement.
Second on his first two attempts over the bigger obstacles, he made the journey up to Newcastle on Boxing Day to beat Just Don't Know, who has won twice since.
More recently at Ffos Las, with 7lb more on his back, he was even more impressive, winning by four lengths but it could have been double that with a little effort.
He is up another 7lb, so a stone higher than at Newcastle, but while this is by far the deepest race he has run in, he gets weight off all his rivals and most of them have seen better days.
14:25 (Kelso) Jet Legs
Now that the penny has dropped for Jet Legs following an authoritative success at Wetherby earlier in the month, there should be much more to come from the six-year-old, especially over an extra two furlongs.
Unlike his rivals, Spike Jones is proven over this distance and rates a leading contender, along with Inis Oirr, who drops in class having contested a Grade 2 at Haydock last time out.
14:40 (Newbury) Ruby Island
Ruby Island probably should be heading to the British EBF BetVictor 'National Hunt' Mares' Novices' Hurdle on the back of another win and it is no surprise to see Mark Walford apply some cheekpieces.
She had looked above average in winning at Ayr and Wetherby and it usually takes a very smart one to defy a double penalty.
That she only went down by a neck at Ayr last time out, having made a mistake three out and drifted after the last, against a mare who had also won two but was crucially ridden by a 5lb-claiming conditional jockey, speaks volumes.
15:00 (Kelso) Jane Du Berlais
Ryan Potter's Jane Du Berlais rates the strongest bet of the day in the BetVictor Herring Queen Series Final Mares' Novices' Handicap Hurdle.
This promising five-year-old will probably not be seen at her best until tackling fences, but she is already useful over timber.
A victory over the reopposing Bonttay on her first completed start demonstrated that point, after she unfortunately slipped up first time out this season.
Since then Bonttay has won and been second, while Jane Du Berlais has had just the one outing, against Ruby Island at Wetherby.
While Ruby Island proved a tough nut to crack, Jane Du Berlais was not disgraced and only lost second late on, beaten less than six lengths off level weights.
This £50,000 pot looks to have been the plan since and crucially Potter has gone to the trouble of booking JJ Slevin for the mount.
15:35 (Kelso) Forward Plan
Even though Forward Plan steps up in class for this outing, the fact he was able to score by eight lengths over an extended 3m at Southwell earlier this month gives him strong claims of completing a hat-trick and he can deliver another bold showing off 10lb higher.
Half Shot has been knocking on the door of late and is feared most, while Doyen Breed also warrants a market check.
