Our form expert returns with four selections for Saturday's ITV Racing from Doncaster, Kelso and Newbury.
The Verdict: Saturday February 28
1pt win The Last Cloud in the 14.15 Kelso at 11/2 (Coral, Ladbrokes)
1pt win Destroytheevidence in 14.30 Doncaster at 12/1 (General)
1pt win Serious Challenge in the 14.55 Kelso at 11/1 (bet365, William Hill)
1pt win Heltenham in the 15.45 Newbury at 11/1 (bet365, 10/1 General)
Serious chance in the Morebattle
The Cheltenham Festival may only be 11 days away but Kelso’s initiative to move the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle card from Thursday to Saturday, with improved prizemoney and a Cheltenham bonus, a few years ago, has paid off in spades.
Now it forms part of an excellent Saturday for the time of year and this year’s Morebattle has attracted a big field once again with Ewan Whillans’ Cracking Rhapsody going for a hat-trick in the race.
This is his toughest Kelso assignment yet off a mark of 136, but he’s well respected second time back from wind surgery at a course he loves, for all that the bookies haven’t missed his chance this year given he is disputing favouritism.
The one at bigger odds that could backed into a similar sort of price to Cracking Rhapsody might well be Fergal O’Brien’s SERIOUS CHALLENGE and he’s well worth getting onside at double-figure odds.
Like Cracking Rhapsody last season, he flopped in the Greatwood, but I think he likes a sharper test at two miles as befitting his Flat background and he got right back on track with a good performance at Haydock last time.
That followed a change of tactics as he was held-up in the rear, but he loved being ridden with more restraint and came through for a convincing win in a race that has worked out well subsequently, with both the third and fourth home winning since.
Saved for this after two months off, O’Brien has a staggering strike-rate at Kelso, winning 15 from 40 at 38%, and this looks the perfect next step for his six-year-old given the sharp nature of the hurdles track.
I think he’ll like the big field as well, as a strong pace can see him travel away nicely just like at Haydock last time.
The Verdict: Back SERIOUS CHALLENGE in the 14.55 Kelso
Every Cloud in the Premier
Earlier on at Kelso Patrick Neville’s THE LAST CLOUD has a good chance of landing Grade 2 glory in the bet365 Premier Novices’ Hurdle.
He beat Saturday’s rival Starmount in the Formby at Aintree on Boxing Day when he stayed on behind Idaho Sun and Mydaddypaddy in a race where the hurdles in the home straight were omitted, and he was backed off the boards in the River Don over three miles at Doncaster after that.
The six-year-old has the pedigree for three miles, but he’s got a bit of growing up to do yet and he travelled just on the wrong side of very strongly on Town Moor before remarkably rallying for third.
I like him dropping back to 2m2f at this track, especially with a likely strong pace in there to help him, and with Le Beau Madrik carrying a penalty and Starmount stepping up from two miles this looks a good spot for him.
He’ll likely be racing over much further in the future, but this could turn into a relative test of stamina at the trip despite the sharp track and that will suit him nicely.
The Verdict: Back THE LAST CLOUD in the 14.15 Kelso
Go with the Evidence at Doncaster
Over at Doncaster Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls can strike with DESTROYTHEEVIDENCE in the Virgin Bet Grimthorpe Handicap Chase over 3m2f.
Bailey has won this race twice in the last decade and since he has teamed up with Nicholls they are four from 11 at Doncaster, so his runners are always worth a second glance here.
This horse ran loads better than the bare result at Wincanton in heavy ground last time, as he travelled much sweeter in the first-time visor and actually traded at 1.65 in-running on Betfair when looking the likely winner three out.
He got tired in the conditions and clambered over the last when beaten, but there were loads of positives in the run.
Even with showers forecast conditions aren’t likely to be as testing at Doncaster and off a 1lb lower mark in the retained visor, a big run is expected under Tom Bellamy.
The Verdict: Back DESTROYTHEEVIDENCE in the 14.30 Doncaster
Heltenham fever hits Newbury
Finally, HELTENHAM is too big to resist at double-figure prices to come good again at his beloved Newbury in the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase.
Dan Skelton’s horse won this race two years ago in comfortable fashion off just a 4lb lower mark and he came back later in the same month to win off a rating 2lb higher than the one he races off on Saturday.
Indeed, he’s going for his fourth course and distance win on Saturday and he always comes good in the spring, while he at least completed his race when thrown in against Jonbon in Grade 1 company last time after falling twice before that.
Stablemate Flegmatik was hammered in the same Grade 1 a year before and was a neck away from winning back in handicap company on his next start, so it would be no surprise to see Heltenham bounce back at his favourite track.
The Verdict: Back HELTENHAM in the 15.45 Newbury
Preview posted at 16:00 GMT on 27/02/26
More from Sporting Life
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.