ITV Racing Tips: Picks From Kempton & Warwick

Jack Frost has bitten Britain and Ireland hard this past week and may not be finished just yet. The Friday Night Live card at Wolverhampton, set to be shown on ITV4, was kiboshed after the track was deemed unraceable and both feature tracks tomorrow - Kempton and Warwick - face 8am inspections with freezing temperature scheduled overnight.

Ever the optimist, Billy Grimshaw has scoured the cards in the hope both meetings pass with flying colours and has a couple of recommended bets...

I waited until both Kempton and Warwick updated their X feeds and reported they had passed their Friday 2pm inspections before beginning this piece, but I am fully aware this could be my least read ITV Racing tips article of all time as both meetings could be gone come 8:01am Saturday morning. Nevertheless, those closer to the tracks than this northern lad seem cautiously optimistic both should hold off the conditions and provide ITV with some action to broadcast, barring the sole race they've picked up from Fairyhouse, so I'll dive straight in. Obviously, the tests lying in front of the fields tomorrow could look markedly different to usual with the looming threat of omitted obstacles due to unsafe parts of the track or even the low sun, but let's assume the best and kick on.

I was more enthused by Kempton's televised offering than Warwick's when studying the runners and riders, particularly when I read Warwick could become a glorified day of bumpers with plenty of obstacles already unraceable. My first play comes in the 14:05 Kempton, the second race set to be broadcast from the track. The favourite here is Welcome To Cartries, ridden by Harry Cobden who is a rider I absolutely love having onside. There must be limits to jockey biases, however, and this horse is one I cannot warm to. He did get back in the winners' enclosure last time out but was all out to do so at Sandown and he is such an inconsistent sort I could not touch him with a barge pole at sub 2/1 in a race like this.

Soul Icon comes next in the betting and I was actually with him in the Badger Beers last time out. I'd be much more keen on him were this race over two and a half than the three miles he faces here. His only chance of glory, to my eye anyway, is to bowl along in front but if he tries to do that here, he could well find the gas tank empty as his stamina is unproven. He did unseat on the level at Wincanton too, which is a sign he's getting tricky. Providing he does go off like a scalded cat, that'll suit my pick THE DOYEN CHIEF for Alan King, who is a bona fide hold up horse who loves slithering his way into contention from the back in races like this.

Kempton is a sharper track than Cheltenham and so his petered out effort, when looking the most likely winner joining in a few furlongs from home, at Prestbury Park last time out over 3m2f is no slight on him and I can see this race setting up beautifully for Tom Bellamy's mount. He lost all chance at the start on his penultimate run in the Coral Gold Cup and a line can be put through that effort, and three starts ago he seemingly disappointed when beaten by Deep Cave as 7/4 favourite at Bangor. Given his conqueror by just two lengths went on to win the Howden Silver Cup, however, that effort can be upgraded. I think he is the most likely winner in here and in fact make him my bet of the day.

The Silviniaco Conti comes next and I'd be disappointed if Kalif Du Berlais can't win this with his head in his chest, although 8/11 makes zero betting appeal for a talented but quirky individual. The final Kempton race, and the contest in which I will tip up my second and last bet of the day, is the Lanzarote Hurdle with what looks a packed field of talented handicappers. It's no surprise at all to see the Skeltons with another favourite in a valuable handicap like this and for all A Pai De Nom has a shot, I wouldn't have him market leader ahead of Lanesborough and FRENCH SHIP in particular.

There is just no way his bare form is worth as much as the aforementioned duo, with Lanesborough potentially still somehow chucked in after a 14lbs hike in the weights for a dominant Doncaster win last time out. He won that race with any amount in hand, hence his whack by the handicapper, and the second has come out and won easily since. He could very well be a graded performer for Ben Pauling, but I'm fairly sure French Ship is heading in that direction too and even off top weight in here I have no plans on ditching him.

Versatile tactically - which could be invaluable at Kempton given the success hold up hurdlers tend to have - and with the heart of a lion I cannot see this powerful traveller being done improving now off a mark of 146 and although that brings top weight of 12 stone, he has elite 3lbs claimer Callum Pritchard on his back to soften that blow. He replaces Harry Cobden, which is a downgrade in my view, but nearly anyone is a downgrade on Cobden in the opinion of this humble scribe.

There are bigger priced horses lingering at the bottom of the weights that'll no doubt have been primed for this, but I do envisage it becoming a bit of a two horse race between the second and third favourite and will be playing the reverse forecast. Join me if you like, but if you're hunting for a win only tip my answer is clear; French Ship.