ITV Racing Tips: TEN-race Saturday fiesta on the channel

Big day in front of the ITV cameras on Saturday - TEN contests beamed LIVE by the channel, with five from Newbury, four coming from Kelso and a quick trip to Bangor for the 15:20.

Fingers crossed that the recent upturn in the weather continues and whatever happens, have fun.

Horse Racing odds

Full ITV Schedule;

13:00 Kelso - Beeswing Mares' Hurdle (Class 1) (Listed)

13:15 Newbury - John Haine Memorial Novices' Hurdle (Class 3)

13:30 Kelso - Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)

13:50 Newbury - Novices' Handicap Hurdle (Class 3)

14:10 Kelso - Mares' Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final (Class 2)

14:25 Newbury - Handicap Chase (Class 2)

14:40 Kelso - Novices' Handicap Chase (Class 2)

15:00 Newbury - British EBF 'NH' Mares' Novices' Hurdle (Class 1) (Grade 2)

15:20 Bangor - Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)

15:35 Newbury - Hundred Grand Bumper (Class 2)

Rationale;

13:00 Kelso - Hollygrove Cha Cha @ 2/1

'Gorgeous' Gavin Sheehan partners this six-year-old mare for trainer Jamie Snowden.

Hollygrove Cha Cha has an exceptional seven-from-11 record, and is the top-rated entrant in this Listed field. She's well-treated by the race conditions with only World Of Fortunes meant on paper to be capable of threatening, but sport's hardly an exact science.

Undoubtedly a terrific chance, won impressively at Warwick last time out in early February, and Gavin hoovers up these big Saturday prizes for fun.

13:15 Newbury - Kocktail Bleu @ 6/5

Freddie Gordon rides for his Dad, aboard the six-year-old gelding Kocktail Bleu.

Our selection has been raised 3lb for a terrific effort at Kempton when last seen four weeks ago, finishing a 3l second in a £45k G2. It was another handsome career-best and sees him well-in under today's race conditions for this novices' test.

Good yards oppose (notably Tizzard, Skelton) but this is a progressive horse with the potential to be a good deal better than shown so far. Freddie gets along very well with him and connections must be looking to forward to this with relish.

13:30 Kelso - Speiriuil @ 6/1

First question is - how does one pronounce this one? Answers on a betting slip please ...

Speiriuil is a six-year-old mare in the care of Northumberland handler Adam Nicol, and Ryan Mania has the riding assignment. She's won here before, in December, under today's jockey, and went in again next time when last seen.

That was 48 days ago at Musselburgh, a comfortable success off 108, and she's in career-high territory now off a mark of 114. Very much a progressive, upward-leaning profile though, and Adam's done a grand job with her since acquiring the mare from Nigel Hawke in October last.

Has earned a shot at this very nice £20k prize, and 11st 4lb is not a bad racing weight in the context of this.

13:50 Newbury - Thewoodcorner @ 5/1

There aren't too many Nicky Henderson handicap hurdlers to the pound, and even fewer that you'll find carrying 10st 4lb in a decent Saturday contest.

Stable jockey Nico de Boinville can just about do this weight, but he's required for Nicky's big-race Kelso raider Khrisma in a £50k cracker so the lucky recipient of the ride is Sam Twiston-Davies.

Thewoodcorner is a four-year-old gelding by the 2014 Betfred Dante Stakes winner The Grey Gatsby. Acquired from France by Nicky in December he's had three runs - highly-tried on debut at Sandown, won a juvenile hurdle at Chepstow, then last time at Huntingdon three weeks ago was beaten 9l, running on.

He gets an extra 3f this afternoon for the first time, and it could be vital. Nicky is lethal at this, his home track, and that historical fact plus his featherweight entitles the horse to the utmost respect.

14:10 Kelso - Khrisma @ 11/8

Nico de Boinville, Nicky Henderson and JP McManus combine, looking to pocket the handsome first prize of around £51k.

Talented mares gather for this, but our selection Khrisma is rated 128 - and her nearest rival in pure talent terms is rated nine spots below, at 119. They are weighted accordingly of course in this handicap, but if our mare is up to carrying the 12st burden she's got a big class advantage on everything else.

Khrisma easily won a novice hurdle last time 32 days ago at Market Rasen and the French-bred six-year-old makes her handicap debut this afternoon. The sixth in that Rasen contest has since won a little heat at Southwell and the second was a decent Alan King inmate now rated 124.

A max field of 16 are slated to start, but I'll be surprised if we're not on the right one (famous last words) ...

14:25 Newbury - Prairie Wolf @ 5/1

Joel Parkinson & Sue Smith train in High Eldwick in the Yorkshire countryside, and make the 200+ mile journey south hoping their in-form nine-year-old gelding Prairie Wolf can lift this £20k pot.

The selection is a very noteworthy nine-from-34 all told and ran as well as ever last time at Newcastle four weeks ago, taking a Class 3 at around this trip by 2l. He's been pretty highly tried in the last six months and also won a Class 2 at Aintree in December.

That was off 132 and he's up to a mark of 137 now, but he's earned it. That last win was extremely encouraging, and back in Class 2 company this afternoon he can continue in his present rich vein.

Jockey Jack Tudor has won on him before and can do so again.

14:40 Kelso - Bridge Court @ 13/2

Jockey Sean Quinlan is one of the hottest properties in racing right now with a strike-rate of around 27% over the last fortnight. He teams up with trainer Sandy Thomson for a first spin on the seven-year-old gelding Bridge Court.

The selection has one win to date - happily that was last time out at Musselburgh, where with a firm career-best the horse announced himself ready for bigger challenges 34 days ago, over a couple of furlongs further than this.

He's up 8lb for that last deeply impressive performance, and raised in class too, but he's earned it; and reaching out to one of the north's top figures in the weighing room confirms to me that connections are extremely hopeful of a huge display. What a smashing race.

15:00 Newbury - Getawhisky @ 10/3

Never a chore to side with Team Skelton, especially in a decent Saturday handicap. I'm with their six-year-old mare Getawhisky, two wins from seven runs so far, and who warmed up for this by running 9l behind Khrisma at Market Rasen 32 days ago, and that winner is strongly fancied for a big prize at Kelso this afternoon.

That Rasen affair was at around the minimum whereas this test is 2m 4.5f, and given the horse was running on after being outpaced this could be right up her street.

What price a stalking, waiting Harry Skelton ride, before pouncing to great effect in the latter stages? Every chance.

15:20 Bangor - Static @ 3/1

Trainer Donald McCain is invariably one the leading lights at this picturesque track, where I've spent many an enjoyable afternoon on those verdant grassy banks.

Donald's five-year-old French-bred gelding Static is very experienced with 18 starts under his belt; a typical early-starter from across the Channel.

He's won three, including last time at Haydock 16 days ago in a Class 4 off 116. He's ramped up to a Class 2 now off 121 so on the face of it has it all to do, but he's in-form, has a lovely racing weight of 10st 11lb, and gets 3lb claimer Charlie Maggs, a regular occurrence and a welcome one as he's excellent value.

That last win was over 2m 3f after being stepped up from the minimum, and this similar, slightly longer tip is expected once again to suit down to the ground.

15:35 Newbury - Madam Speaker @ 6/1

A cracking £65k bumper with which to end the ITV coverage, and a wide-open look to proceedings all right.

Stunningly, we have here another N Henderson inmate with ten-stone-not-a-lot. His four-year-old filly Madam Speaker lines up carrying only 10st 3lb given her age and sex, and guess who the Seven Barrows genius has booked to ride? None other that Sean Bowen. I'm in ...

The selection has had just the one run, at Wincanton 24 days ago, finishing a 4.75l second of 14. Nothing has run since to confirm or otherwise the substance of the form but she's by English and Irish Derby winner Harzand and it's worth repeating just how much Nicky enjoys having a winner here.

Love the Sean booking and it should be very interesting.

ITV Racing tips with Betfred Insights.