The Weekend Wager: Raceolly's four best bets for Warwick and Kempton on Saturday

There's some competitive action taking place in front of the ITV cameras on Saturday afternoon at Kempton and Warwick, and Raceolly is back for this week's Weekend Wager, and he picks out his best four selections here...

13:32 Kempton - Coral 'Fail-To-Finish' Free Bets Handicap Chase

It’s not usually my style to play a two place race, but this is the first of two today where I can’t resist one at big odds. LOCKS CORNER is the first to draw me in after dropping to a mark 10lbs below his last winning mark of 140. He’s been competing off marks as high as 144 this season and has dropped 14lbs in five runs, although admittedly not showing a lot in them efforts. His only previous course run resulted in a three length win over one that’s now rated 6lbs higher. Most interesting here is the little 50 day break as his record after a little break is eye-catching with form figures reading 1251115, the latest 5th off a mark of 143 so 13lbs lighter here. Jonjo O’Neill is operating on a 23% win rate over the last two weeks after five winners from 22 runners with a further six places, Jonjo O’Neill Jr has been in the saddle for four of them winners.

14:40 Kempton - Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle

WILLIAM HENRY kept his 100% course record when winning this race in 2018 and hasn’t returned here again since. His last handicap win came at the Cheltenham Festival in 2019 when winning the Coral Cup off 151, and he has been competing in graded races since until last month. He managed two handicap runs last month off marks of 149 and 144, but now drops to 139 after those two efforts which came after a 237 day break. Those runs have seen him drop to a mark 6lbs below the mark he won this race off previously and both those runs he ran better than the finishing position would suggest and first time tongue tie here would indicate that something may have come to light after not getting home last time over three miles. A drop in trip will also help and Sam Thomas is fresh off the back off his Welsh Grand National winner.

14:25 Warwick - Ballymore Leamington Novices' Hurdle

This is play two in the two place events tomorrow and the buck stops with GENTLEMAN AT ARMS. He was a stayer on the flat for Harry Dunlop and came alive on a second start over hurdles when stepped up in trip and easily winning by 13 lengths in a race that looked competitive on paper. The favourite fell that day three out, but Gentleman At Arms was still going well at the time and won easily enough in the end beating one that’s ran solid races every start to date and who’s form from the race before at Market Rasen has been franked since. The further step up in trip will only help again and Stuart Edmunds is in decent form lately with a 25% strike rate after two winners from eight runners over the last two weeks and has had a nice winner at Kempton this season already after winning with one of his two runners here this season.

15:00 Warwick - Agetur UK Ltd Classic Handicap Chase

NO REMATCH went to Exeter for his seasonal debut after a huge 314 day break and went well for a long way from the front, getting most of the field in trouble before getting tired late on and pulling up. That was a nice pipe opener for this where he can continue his progression for a yard who know how to win these big races. His chasing debut at Chepstow was very taking, where he won easily from Colonel Keating, who won on his next and only start since also. He progressed nicely over hurdles but chasing was clearly always his game and mark of 125 very fair.