Nic Doggett provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Saturday.
Following in the footsteps of Beeswing
One of the most up-and-coming jumps venues in Britain, Kelso has seen an increased number of southern, Welsh and Irish trainers sending horses to the course this season and it welcomes visitors for the second leg of the three-day conclusion to the Ladbrokes Go North Finals on Saturday.
The three-day finale started at Musselburgh on Friday and finishes at Carlisle on Sunday, and Saturday’s card in the Borders includes the Ladbrokes 'Big-Value You Can Bet On' Mares' Hurdle (1.50), a three-mile listed contest registered as The Beeswing Mares’ Hurdle.
Beeswing was a mare who won twice at the same meeting at Kelso in 1840 so it’s fitting that there is a course winner heading the Timeform weight-adjusted-ratings for Saturday’s race.
The likeable front-runner Wyenot was a wide-margin winner on her sole previous visit to Kelso and had Irish raider Ottizzini and Gale Mahler behind when a commanding winner at Doncaster in December. Having produced another excellent effort in Grade 3 company back there since, she'll likely be hard to beat despite a penalty.
Lavida Adiva looks worth a try at this sort of trip so may be more of a danger than Sacre Coeur who is back over hurdles after unseating Harry Atkins over fences at Ludlow last month.
Interestingly – depending on whether you’re as sad as me, I suppose - Sacre Coeur’s trainer Dan Skelton saddled My Drogo to win a Grade 2 at Kelso in 2021.
And who was a distant relative of My Drogo?
Beeswing.
Pace crucial to Newbury opener
On Timeform racecards, the pace information available includes a pace forecast and the prediction for the opening race at Newbury on Saturday – the Get Best Odds Guaranteed At BetVictor Novices' Handicap Hurdle (2.05) - is ‘very strong’.
This year’s race sees a larger field of 11 due to go to post which contrasts with recent renewals in which smaller fields saw those ridden prominently fare as well as those held up off the pace.
Four of this year’s line-up recorded an In-Play Symbol (IPS) of 1 on at least two of their last five starts, while another four recorded an IPS of 2 over the same period.
This suggests that the race should be run at a strong tempo throughout and that should suit those ridden a little more patiently, which includes ‘Horse In Focus’ Norn Iron who is still unexposed for ‘Hot Trainer’ Harry Derham.
Norn Iron chased home next-time-out winner Bucephalus at this venue on his penultimate start and was better than the result when a heavily backed fourth at Doncaster last time out, travelling well before being done for speed late on.
On the face of it, this race could be run to suit perfectly and Norn Iron is fancied to give his trainer a remarkable seventh winner from his last 12 runners.
Battle of Bangor
The Battle of Bangor is a 1796 satirical print illustrating the quarrel between Samuel Grindley, Deputy Registrar of the diocese of Bangor, and the Bishop of Bangor.
The modern-day horse racing equivalent sees Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero attempting to oust Donald McCain from his long-held position as the leading trainer at Bangor-On-Dee racecourse.
Both yards have had six winners there this term, with McCain’s success coming at a slightly lower strike-rate of 10% There are three other trainers who have saddled three winners at the course – all at a better strike-rate – namely Jennie Candlish (50% strike-rate), Mel Rowley (33%) and Henry Daly (27%).
Saturday’s action – the penultimate race meeting of the season at the course - sees all six represented once more.
Candlish’s best hope looks to be the C&D-hat-trick-seeking Regal And Royal (2.15) though he faces stiff-looking competition including from Greenall & Guerriero’s recent chase winner Too Cool Forshrule, with both horses allotted the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag after their last run.
The Wrekin (Daly) tops Timeform weight-adjusted-ratings in the 3.27 on the back of a good runner-up effort at Wincanton last month, while McCain’s Atlantic Nod has one ahead of him on ratings in the 4.37 but gets the nod from the Timeform short comments team as he is expected to have a bit too much pace where it matters for main rival Carrig Kate (trained by Greenall & Guerriero).
Finally, Rowley looks to have the strongest hand in the finale (5.10) with recent Ludlow winner Charming Getaway preferred to stablemate Best Life.
Let’s just hope it all ends a bit more amicably than the original Battle of Bangor which ended up with four up in the dock on a charge of rioting.
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