ITV Racing Tips: Best Bets For A Busy Saturday Of Action

This Saturday, the ITV Racing team will be based at Kempton, with live broadcasts of two races from Lingfield, and one each from Fairyhouse and Newcastle. Billy Grimshaw has already previewed the Eider at Newcastle and the Bobbyjo at Fairyhouse, but he’s not stopping there.

He also shares a couple of his Kempton selections in this ITV Racing Preview, making his case below…

15:00 Kempton - Dovecote Novices' Hurdle

In the two races prior to the Dovecote, I am going to be boring and side with the odds-on favourites. I'd put no one off a double on Jax Junior in the Pendle and Precious Man in the Adonis for interest, and if either drift I may get involved, but neither prices inspire me to unload any bullets on them as singles. There is certainly no odds-on favourite in this race, with it looking one of the more competitive renewals in recent memory and I am going to take a chance that there is an above average four year old in here, MUSTANG DU BREUIL

In the JP silks for Nicky Henderson, he was also entered up in the Adonis earlier on the card, but is set to run here instead which could be seen as a decision taken for one of two reasons. The first, the most likely in my view, his team are afraid of one in the Adonis and think this is the easier target. The second, more cynical reason would be to get him well handicapped in here before a run in the Fred Winter. Perhaps I am being naive, but I think this is a big enough prize in its own right and I'm taking both his entry here and the early money for him as an indication he will be running at full tilt and is well fancied by connections. If he wins here, surely he will be into single figures for the Triumph. And I think he will.

He won on yard debut with minimal fuss on heavy ground up at Doncaster in taking fashion just over a fortnight ago and with bundles of weight coming his way due to his age, it's going to take a very good one to see him off. A real hold up horse judging on the evidence of what we've seen, he won't want to get a pacy rival get too far clear around a sharp flat track like Kempton, but if James Bowen keeps him in touch I can see him scything through the field with the same style he showed at Donny.

The main danger looks to be Klub Du Reve for Harry Derham given his 10 length demolition when last seen over this course and distance. He could well be one of the pacesetters and could get his rivals in trouble early. Double Measure is the other market leader that I respect, although his wide margin Huntingdon win one suspects will not amount to much and he has more to prove.

15:35 Kempton - Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase

Some will look at the renewal of this race from last year, see Katate Dori is back again and simply back him blind. He was, to be fair to him, a devilishly impressive winner for Sam Thomas and were a repeat performance guaranteed there is no doubt he would be at the very worst in the top three. However, he does have an 11lbs higher mark to contend with this season and has developed into a horse not to be trusted in the jumping department. Last season he won this and went off single figures for the Ultima next time, but was beaten a long way out and jumped like a a grand piano.

Deep Cave was a horse I thought was destined for the top following his Ascot win over Johnnywho and others, but his run last time at Doncaster made him look in need of a much stiffer test than this and that Ascot win has not really worked out formwise. He has a chance, of course, but with no drop in his mark from that Doncaster run he's one I will ditch. Boombawn is a horse I will back again at some stage, but I think this trip stretches him even if he'll be happier on this sort of ground than he was last time.

Chance Another One is the horse I fear most for Irish raider Emmett Mullins, who actually sends two over for this big pot, as he is a course and distance winner who was clearly prepping for something when run over an obviously unsuitable trip last time. A mark of 130 looks eminently workable and I'd be surprised if he weren't bang there come the finish, but the one he'll have to pass is hopefully the Sam Twiston-Davies ridden KDEUX SAINT FRAY.

Still only six, it is unsurprising Anthony Honeyball has been keeping him to the intermediate trip throughout this season but it was slapped in everyone's face that this horse wants further when he flew home over 2m4f behind stablemate Jordans Cross at Cheltenham last time out, looking outpaced at one stage and destined for nowhere before a rattling late run saw him power past most rivals. Should he conserve his energy round here and be able to produce such a finish over this longer and seemingly more suitable trip, I can see him putting in a career best with Sam Twiston Davies sure to be strong and forward.