Betfred Saturday Horse Racing Tips: Playtogetaway to shine in Doncaster

A competitive day’s racing to look forward to on Saturday with the ITV cameras across the country at Newbury, Doncaster and the feature action coming from the Borders track at Kelso as we bid to boost the betting bank ahead of the Festival in ten days’ time.

13:20 - Newbury - Cyclop @ 14/1

Nine veterans line up for the opener at Newbury and plenty of these old boys look very favourable handicapped on their old exploits, but you can’t exactly set your watch by them these days.

Copperhead has been running well and has a low weight here so looks to have leading claims, while Omar Maretti bounced back to form on heavy ground at Catterick last time but that race fell apart. Anymore rain would suit him and top weight Highland Hunter.

This is a small stakes race though and a little each way investment on last year’s winner CYCLOP is advised. He effectively won it off the same mark twelve months ago and despite failing to complete in the Welsh National and Veterans final, he ran Good Boy Bobby close twice at the beginning of the season and a return to that form at a track he likes could see him outrun his big price. David Dennis also trained the winner in 2022.

Venetia Williams had a timely winer on Thursday which makes the case for Commodore a little stronger.

13:42 - Kelso -  The Kalooki Kid @ 7/2

It is Kelso’s big day in the spotlight and a tightly knit handicap hurdle opens proceedings.

Brewin’upastorm and Pentland Hills bring some class to this field with the latter a former Triumph Hurdle winner, but the well documented problems at Nicky Henderson’s yard muddy the waters for his runners presently.

Itso Fury has always promised plenty and was a tidy winner at Wincanton in November. He effectively has to defy an 11lb higher mark here though.

Serious Operator ran well to be fifth in the Lanzarote and is respected having already beaten Pentland Hills this season too but the vote is given to THE KALOOKI KID.

He had a couple of subsequent winners behind when winning over this trip at Musselburgh and was travelled well when ultimately outpaced by some smart types at Doncaster last time. The second and third have finished first and second since, giving the form substance and the step back up in trip looks sure to suit.

13:55 - Newbury - Bill Baxter @ 8/1

A wide-open renewal of the Greatwood Gold Cup and a case can be made for each of the nine strong field.

Grandeur D’ame ran a gallant fourth in the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham when 3lb wrong while Highstakesplayer is unbeaten in three chase starts and could still be feasibly treated.

Gemirande is 2lb higher than when a head second in last years race but has only seen the racetrack once since while Jetoile won the Old Roan and is effectively 2lb lower with Dylan Johnston claiming 5lb, although hardly any fences were jumped in that October success.

A chance is taken on BILL BAXTER. He won on this same weekend last season at Kelso and followed up in the Topham. Perhaps this trip on a flat left handed track is what he wants as he hasn’t had ideal conditions yet this season and is just 2lb higher than his Aintree April success. At just eight years old, I won’t give up on him just yet.

Paul Nicholls has an excellent record in the race and Kandoo Kid is next best having travelled well but not stayed in the Great Yorkshire Chase last time out.

14:17 - Kelso - Personal Ambition @ 7/2

A tricky scenario in the Premier Hurdle.

After all the well documented problems regarding the Nicky Henderson stable, are you brave enough to take a short price about one from Seven Barrows in a decent field like this? There is no doubt Jango Baie is a smart horse and will in all likelihood be higher rated than all his rivals next season, but I think I’d rather play each way against him with the doubts.

Brucio comes over form Ireland on a hat-trick after winning at the Dublin Racing Festival and she gets 9lb off the favourite. She enters calculations, as does Alnilam on the back of a wide margin course success a fortnight ago.

The vote goes to PERSONAL AMBITION from the red hot Ben Pauling stable. Jockey Kielan Woods came back from a long absence with a victory on Thursday and will want to make up for lost time. PERSONAL AMBITION beat Jingko Blue, a stable and ownermate of the favourite, earlier in the season and that one went on to win a fair handicap off top weight at Sandown recently. He got caught in the mud himself at Sandown in December but was a ready winner at Doncaster back in January from a useful sort and he looks set to go close here.

14.35 Doncaster - Malystic @ 11/2

A tricky contest.

Homme Public is unexposed over fences and although fortunate to win at Cheltenham, he ran well in defeat trying to give 10l to a useful rival at Ascot before Christmas.

Nube Negra makes his handicap chase debut and will enjoy this drop in class having been banging heads with the best of British in the speed division.

Most have something to prove so a chance is taken on MALYSTIC who showed a bit more sparkle when their over track and trip five weeks back. He likes it at Doncaster and is back on a winnable mark.

14:50 - Kelso - Black Hawk Eagle @ 5/1

£120,000 is up for grabs in the Morebattle Hurdle with an extra £100,000 available if the winner can follow up at the Festival.

Benson tried to do that last year after winning this off a 5lb lower mark and he has a chance again after tenaciously making all on New Years Day at Musselburgh.

BLACK HAWK EAGLE did it very nicely when beating Betfred’s Playtogetaway at Hereford five weeks ago, and I am personally hopefully he puts up a very bold show here and believe he will. A 6lb rise may underestimate this ex-Irish six-year-old and the Kerry Lee team are in tremendous form, with four of their last five runners entering the winners’ enclosure.

Under Control could be well treated on her form last time out when splitting Ashroe Diamond and the subsequently disappointing Gala Marceau but brings the Henderson dilemma to the track.

Dan Skelton is mustard in these two mile handicap hurdles as he proved in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury when saddling three of the first six home, and his last time out winer Skycutter will catch many an eye while Rewired and Geromino are on hat-tricks but require more up in class.

15:10 - Doncaster - Gaye Legacy @ 9/2

This race last year produced subsequent grade 1 winner Apple’s Away.

Lunar Discovery was just a neck behind Dontyawantme when conceding 9lb at Carlisle and should be turning that form around.

Ottizzini burst a few bubbles when winning at Musselburgh last month and is respected but I was really taken with GAYE LEGACY and her battling win at Newbury. The runner-up has subsequently filled the same spot at grade 2 level (albeit a fair way behind) at Haydock while her form earlier in the season also has a solid look to it. Three miles on soft ground hold no fears for her and while she is a little more exposed than others, she has a solid profile and should be in the thick of it at the business end.

15:25 - Kelso - Monbeg Genius @ 7/4

The Premier Chase can make its way to Jackdaws Castle courtesy of MONBEG GENIUS.

We haven’t seen much of him this season for none racing reasons, but he should have a big say in some of the big spring contests, none more so than the Grand National itself. He was pulled up after being hampered at Ascot on his return but ran a mighty race to be third in the Hennessy, running on late after appearing to be outpaced slightly. The ground may have been quick enough for him there, so conditions will be more to his liking here and with the potential of still more to come, he can take care of these rivals.

Aye Right always finds one too good and has just turned eleven, while Thunder Rock should appreciate this smaller field but must prove his stamina.

15:45 - Doncaster - Undersupervision @ 5/1

The Grimthorpe Chase used to have high billing in its heyday and it still serves as a decent competitive handicap on Town Moor.

Incredibly, only one winner has carried more than eleven stone to victory in the last decade, so it could pay to focus on those lower down the weights.

Some Scope only has 10-4 on his back and could not have done it more easily over track and trip five weeks back and as a six-year-old in just his fourth chase and ninth race overall, could have lots of improvement in the locker. He will need plenty of it though to defy a 10lb higher mark.

UNDERSUPERVISION won the race in 2022 and was second in last years renewal. This will have been his target again but was disappointingly pulled up in the Becher Chase when last seen. He has bounced back form poor efforts before though and is only an eight-year-old. His Cheltenham third in November reads well despite that being his only completion in his last four starts.

Java Point bounced back to form when just denying the staying on Certainly Red at Sandown four weeks back, although the runner-up should reverse the form on 4lb better terms.

16:50 - Doncaster - Playtogetaway @ 5/1

Betfred’s very own PLAYTOGETAWAY runs in the last at Doncaster this afternoon.

He missed seven months of action due to a setback last summer but made a really pleasing comeback when travelling smoothly and just getting tired late at Hereford five weeks ago.

The winner was Black Hawk Eagle who runs in a grade 2 at Kelso earlier in the afternoon, so hopefully his form will get a timely franking.

We are very hopeful he can go very close this weekend, as long as not too much rain hits Town Moor as we still believe he has improvement in his mark.