Kelso Tips: Serious Operator returns to happy place

Jumps racing on Wednesday comes from Kelso, with seven races scheduled at the Borders venue.

They race from 15:53 through until 19:00 on the twilight offering from the Scottish Borders, with the Class 2 Paul Ferguson's Jumpers To Follow Handicap Hurdle (16:25) the feature event. Conditions are forecast to be 'good' and my three best bets on Wednesday's Kelso card are below.

16:25 Kelso – Serious Operator @ 15/2

A field of eight are set to contest the Kelso feature over just shy of two-miles-and-five-furlongs.

Here Comes Georgie won at Perth last month but Patrick Neville's charge relishes that course and has a less appealing track record here.

Divilabother won at Hexham three weeks ago for new connections but that was in a Class 5 event and more will be demanded now.

That opens up the case for top-weight SERIOUS OPERATOR, one of two runners for the Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore operation and, seemingly, the choice of Patrick Wadge over stablemate Starlyte.

Serious Operator is 2-2 previously at this Borders venue, with both wins over this trip.

The eight-year-old struggled in valuable events at Aintree's Grand National meeting either side of a year's layoff, but ran a better race at Perth in April when last spotted.

He's 1lb below his previous winning mark now and returning to his favoured venue after a break, he looks set to go well.

17:00 Kelso – Nickelforce @ 7/2

The Ben Case-trained NICKELFORCE is perhaps a victim of his own consistency at this point, being as he is without a win in seven outings since last October.

A couple of those runs were last December but, since his return in May, he's been a model of consistency, with form figures of 23243.

He was only just denied at Market Rasen over this trip in July and his most recent run at Cartmel (2m5f, good) perhaps saw him in front too soon, with the long run for home at the Cumbrian venue not proving optimal once he got there.

The fact he stays a bit further than this will aid him here and the reduced run in should also help. He's normally a sound jumper, which also bodes well for this first Kelso start, and his consistency could be rewarded now.

19:00 Kelso – Dotties Promise @ 5/2

The finale can go the way of DOTTIES PROMISE, who lived up to her name with a pleasing debut at Hexham (2m, good) in June for Susan Corbett and Nathan Moscrop.

The Telescope mare was given time in behind the leaders that day and ran on strongly to finish third, closing on the front pair late on.

That experience should have been beneficial and the form set by Perth third Gijima and Nobotheratall, who took bronze at Wexford in his only run, is hardly insurmountable.

The manner in which Dotties Promise responded when asked on her debut bodes well and, with normal improvement from first to second start, this looks like a bumper she can win.