Hot on the heels of last week’s brilliant action at the Cheltenham Festival, we have nine live races on ITV to savour on Saturday afternoon.
There are a host of intriguing handicaps for punters to analyse and our expert, Clive Gildon, has a trio of selections across the televised cards at Bangor, Kelso and Newbury.
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Saturday’s tips with talkSPORT BET
- 1.35 Bangor – Gentleman Bill – 6/1
- 2.25 Kelso – Nordic Tiger – 8/1
- 3.15 Newbury – Scarlet O’Tara – 11/2
1.35 Bangor – Gentleman Bill
Nusret is a fascinating stable debutant for Nicky Henderson in the 2m3½f handicap hurdle at Bangor, but there is a suspicion he may need the run after 233 days away.
Preference at bigger odds is for Gentleman Bill, the pick of Henry Brooke among two runners for the Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero team.
It’s unlikely we’ve seen anywhere near the best of Gentleman Bill, who has always been highly regarded and toyed with top novice hurdler Battle Born Lad in a heavy-ground Newcastle bumper last April.
Gentleman Bill has been improving through his novice campaign but his progress stalled in the Morebattle Hurdle last time. That was a forgivable effort as he’s been shaping as if longer trips are what he needs for a while.
This near extra half-mile will suit and a drop in class can see Gentleman Bill get his career back on track.
2.25 Kelso – Nordic Tiger
Harry Derham endured a trying middle portion of the season due to flooding issues with his gallops, but his horses have turned a corner in a big way lately and Nordic Tiger looks primed to go well in the 2m5f handicap hurdle at Kelso.
Nordic Tiger shaped well on his return in November in a stronger race at Doncaster and qualified for this series when seventh at Haydock in January on softer-than-ideal conditions, right in the midst of Derham’s difficult spell.
He seems a certainty to bounce back for some better ground off a reduced mark and we shouldn’t forget how progressive he was at the end of the previous campaign.
The selection landed three of his four races last spring, losing only to Colours On Canvas at Plumpton during that sequence. That horse was clearly well treated that day as he followed up off 10lb higher in October and this six-year-old has plenty in his favour at Kelso under 3lb claimer Alice Stevens.
3.15 Newbury – Scarlet O’Tara
The Grade 2 2m4½f mares’ novice handicap at Newbury is competitive but Scarlet O’Tara must have every chance if on a going day.
I’d imagine her connections have worked back from this target after she was pulled up on unsuitably soft ground in a Pertemps qualifier at Carlisle in December, and while it’s a small concern she bled from the nose that day, she’s been given plenty of time to get over that.
She was a hugely progressive performer throughout last summer and autumn on decent ground and even had the class to beat subsequent Listed winner Royale Margaux in a decent time at Ascot during that spell.
Having given Persian War winner Flying Fortune a race off level weights in a red-hot Worcester novice in August, she has the talent to go well.
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