ITV Racing Tips: Fascinating Irish raider chases huge pot

I'll try not to mention that it's only about ten days until Cheltenham ... d'oh, I guess I just did. Ah well. ITV's live racing is a grand distraction on Saturday, March 1 - a new month to boot - with TEN live contests beamed into our homes, and on our devices.

We're at Kelso, Doncaster and Newbury for some excellent NH fare including Graded and Listed action. The channel's output starts with the 13:10 at Kelso and a cracking afternoon seems assured. If you're playing, enjoy.

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Full ITV Schedule

13:10 Kelso - bet365 Handicap Chase 2m 1f

13:20 Newbury - BetVictor Veterans Handicap Chase 3m 2f

13:45 Kelso - bet365 Premier Chase - Listed, 2m 7 1/2f

14:05 Doncaster - Livescore Mares' Hurdle - Listed, 3m

14:20 Kelso - bet365 Handicap Hurdle 2m 5f

14:40 Doncaster - VirginBet Handicap Chase 2m

14:55 Kelso - bet365 Premier Novices' Hurdle - Grade 2, 2m 2f

15:15 Doncaster - VirginBet Grimthorpe Handicap Chase 3m 2f

15:30 Kelso - bet365 Morebattle Handicap Hurdle 2m

15:45 Newbury - BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase 2m 4f

Rationale;

13:10 Kelso - Real Stone @ 15/8

The market suggests it's a shoot-out between Alan King and Dan Skelton, and if that proves to be the case I'm firmly in the camp of the latter.

Real Stone is an experienced ten-year-old chaser with five career wins from 19 starts. Lightly-raced then, given several chunky absences (usually wind-op related), a month ago he put up an excellent front-running performance at Wetherby to score readily by 5l.

Dan's brother Harry is in the plate and the combination have a 6lb penalty to contend with; plus the welter burden of 12st. I think they're well up to the task.

13:20 Newbury - Credo @ 3/1

Staying chasers line-up for this veterans' affair.

I'm siding with Credo here, a ten-year-old Fame And Glory mare based with Anthony Honeyball in Dorset. He won last time at Exeter (20 days ago) off 123 and shoulders a 7lb penalty today - but that last success was achieved with a discernible degree of comfort.

The trainer saddles three and all are seemingly fancied, but Credo is in form and once again gets the brilliant Harry Cobden up top. Not a race for any heroic stakes but should be a grand spectacle nevertheless.

13:45 Kelso - Grey Dawning @ 4/7

Team Skelton's Scottish raid continues with a talented chaser that's on something of a recovery mission.

Grey Dawning has a Gold Cup entry (16/1), and looks to dispel memories of being pulled-up in the King George on Boxing Day. Perhaps he didn't much care for going right-handed, and if so he should appreciate this track that mimics the likes of Haydock, Warwick, Cheltenham and Aintree, where he's run so well in the past.

He's got a fair bit in hand on official figures for this Listed heat but he'll need to leave that Christmas hiccup behind.

14:05 Doncaster - World Of Fortunes @ 6/4

Here's another that has, on paper, a few pounds up her sleeve. Let's hope that's how it all plays out!

World Of Fortunes is rated 134, but to be fair hasn't run to that kind of mark the last twice, in very warm Leopardstown contests. The waters are much calmer for this seven-year-old Irish-trained mare and northern icon Brian Hughes, a former champion jockey no less, has been given the riding assignment.

On her Limerick showing (Listed) from October last she'd have an outstanding chance and a repeat of that kind of level is what I'm hoping for in South Yorkshire on Saturday.

14:20 Kelso - Bold Light @ 7/1

Perth & Kinross trainer Lucinda Russell fields a couple, and it's one of those that I'm most interested in.

Bold Light is an eight-year-old gelding with a couple of wins from half-a-dozen career starts. Three miles perhaps stretched him at the beginning of February at Musselburgh, and I'd rather consider his previous effort (same track, much closer to today's shorter trip), when winning with authority off 116.

123 is today's mark, but claimer Jack Power reduces that by a valuable 7lb. The horse has won here before too, and has so few miles on the clock courtesy of a mere 1076-day break from 2021 - 2024.

The last twice has seen significant improvement, performance-wise, and in an ultra-competitive heat I might try a little each-way tickle.

14.40 Doncaster - Petit Tonnerre @ 9/4

The famous JP McManus silks are to the fore here with a seven-year-old French-bred gelding trained by Jonjo and AJ O'Neill, and ridden of course by Jonjo Junior.

Petit Tonnerre took a similar contest to this last time out 35 days ago, over course-and-distance. On good ground too, forecast to be the prevailing conditions underfoot on Saturday.

The assessor has had their say (up 5lb) but it was such a forward leap back to the kind of form shown in October at Aintree that notions of a follow-up are surely far from fanciful.

Four wins from 22 career starts for this one, and we'll certainly see several racing in these legendary colours at Prestbury Park soon enough.

Jonbon, anyone?

14:55 Kelso - Vanderpoel @ 10/3

A good-looking race for a lovely pot (£42k), enlivened by the presence of a Willie Mullins inmate.

I'm siding though with the distinctly upwardly-mobile Ben Pauling to keep Willie and the others at bay with Vanderpoel, unbeaten over timber in two juvenile events.

The six-year-old gelded son of Eclipse and Irish Derby runner-up Sholokhov is a very promising type; admittedly making a huge leap to take in this kind of contest.

He doesn't have any fancy entries at this stage but connections must think very highly of him to embrace such a challenge and we'll know a lot more about his longer-term prospects after Saturday. Fantastic race, with any number of dangerous opponents from tip-top yards.

15:15 Doncaster - Hymac @ 6/1

More experienced staying chasers do battle for the Grimthorpe, and another attractive prize (£36k).

The selection is trained by Harry Fry in Dorset, and the nine-year-old gelding's form has hit new heights the last twice; the fact it's been at at Grade 1 venues Cheltenham and Newbury is all the more laudable.

Another left-handed test awaits at a fellow top-grade address, but Hymac can operate off the same mark (130) as when placed in those two previous affairs I mentioned, one of which was a Grade 3.

It's easy to envisage a very bold effort in this famous old Class 2 handicap, and with a handy racing weight of 10st 12lb, too. Regular pilot Bryan Carver in on top.

15:30 Kelso - Vischio @ 4/1

Another Mullins raider but this time it's trainer Emmet - ridden by jockey Danny.

Vischio is in three Cheltenham handicaps and bids to snaffle the Morebattle and its huge £61k pot en route. The eight-year-old Holy Roman Emperor mare struck form with a vengeance last time at Leopardstown, taking a Listed heat easily by 5l.

That massive improvement has seen her mark shoot up from 119 to today's 133, but she might just be a late (ish) bloomer. That stunning effort was her first spin since joining Emmett and perhaps it's the County Carlow air, but it represented a real change of gear.

I'm intrigued as to how this will pan out as I can see her either dotting up on the bridle or falling out of the telly.  Don't you just love racing? I hope she sluices up and goes to the Festival chasing bonuses and immortality.

15:45 Newbury - Vincenzo each-way @ 7/1

The yard of trainer Sam Thomas is on fire right now - four winners from his last eight runners - and I'm hoping for more on Saturday.

Vincenzo took a good novice contest at Sandown last time off 129, and must defy a 5lb hike today. The seven-year-old gelding has won three of his dozen career starts and races in the familiar and very successful silks of Walters Plant Hire.

Claimer Dylan Johnston reduces the burden by a handy 3lb and this improving type deserves this crack at a big one, carrying a user-friendly 10st 10lb (minus Dylan's claim). On a day of many such mouth-watering clashes this is right up there.

We're paying FIVE places each-way, 1/5 the odds - and that sounds suspiciously like a plan.

ITV Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.