Oli Bell's Saturday Yankee

Free racing tips: Oli Bell Saturday Yankee for April 7

16:19 · SAT April 07, 2018

Oli Bell is back with his four selections across ITV Racing's programme which make up his Saturday Yankee.

Oli Bell: Saturday Yankee

2.25 Kelso

3.00 Kelso

3.15 Kempton

3.35 Kelso

Saturday represents another first for ITV Racing as we head north for a second successive weekend and to Kelso in the beautiful Borders countryside.

I'm really looking forward to being part of the coverage at what is a new course for us, with what looks like an impressive card on offer.

The Randox Health Grand National is also just days away and we will be previewing the greatest steeplechase of them all on Saturday morning’s The Opening Show.

Here’s what I’m backing in this weekend's Yankee...

2.25pm – Kelso, totescoop6 Handicap Hurdle, 2m 51y

It may not be the most flamboyant of selections, but I’m going for the favourite Taxmeifyoucan for my first choice of the day. Keith Dalgleish’s four-year-old was an impressive course and distance novice winner in February, with that form franked by second-placed Sam Gunner’s subsequent seven length success at Sandown last month. Taxmeifyoucan is still relatively well treated with an official rating of 130 following that success and is top of the market for a reason. He should be incredibly difficult to beat.

3pm – Kelso, Liz Adam Memorial Handicap Chase, 3m 2f 39y

There has been money this week for Wild West Wind and it’s likely his price could shorten even further before the off on Saturday. His three runs since winning at Chepstow in December on his seasonal reappearance haven’t really gone to plan, but I believe he deserves another chance this weekend. The nine-year-old was very tired when he refused at Haydock in February before he unseated jockey Noel George in the Kim Muir Challenge Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase at last month’s Cheltenham Festival. Wild West Wind has Adrian Heskin back in the saddle tomorrow, with the partnership incidentally winning over a similar distance at Hereford a year ago, albeit in a Class 3 race. Providing that recent exertion at a sodden Haydock hasn’t taken too much out of him, I think Wild West Wind is the one to side with.

3.15pm – Kempton, Betfred “Home Of Goals Galore” Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes, 1m

Smart Call may be making her all-weather debut at Kempton, but her form in Group races last year is what makes her the one for me. Sir Michael Stoute’s charge was just a neck away from second in York’s Middleton Stakes last May, before finishing barely one and a half lengths behind the classy Qemah in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot. This six-year-old has genuine class and after continuing to battle some of Flat’s bigger names on a global stage throughout our winter it’s time for her to return home with a bang.

3.35pm – Kelso, Edinburgh Gin Handicap Hurdle, 3m 1f 170y

Western Rules has looked better and better with every run he’s had this season and was there or thereabouts in his three outings before just getting his head in front at Ayr last month. I believe there’s still more to come from the horse owned by Bob Bennett and Jimmy Dudgeon and I’m expecting another big race this weekend. He’s clearly got talent and now he knows what it takes to win, there’s no reason why he can’t repeat that feat at Kelso.

• Oli presents Saturday’s The Opening Show from 9.30am on ITV4
• Live coverage of four races from Kelso and a further three from Kempton gets underway at 1.30pm on ITV4.