Tote Placepot Tips: Selections for Saturday at Kelso

For this week’s Tote Placepot, we are heading to Kelso to take aim at their first six races, with the Morebattle Hurdle the main atteaction. Billy Grimshaw provides his selections that will hopefully keep us in with a shout all the way through to the final leg. Tote are putting a £100,000 guaranteed prize pot behind the Kelso Placepot.

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13:42 Kelso - Leg 1

Leg 1 selections: Serious Operator (4), Ilanz (9)

In my ITV Racing tips piece I have made the case for SERIOUS OPERATOR, who I think is rock solid for place purposes here up at Kelso. It is a competitive race to kick things off, however, and so I want a second pick in the PlacePot and have decided to side with bottom weight ILANZ.

The first selection is taking a marked step down in class here and is a consistent type, while the latter is a young horse packed full of potential looking at his recent runs. It looks a race with a muddling pace make up, and so having horses who are tactically versatile as these two are could be crucial to getting the PlacePot past race one.

14:17 Kelso - Leg 2

Leg 2 selections: Personal Ambition (9)

Nicky Henderson's favourite Jango Baie is one to take on here both for win purposes and in the PlacePot. The stable form is a massive concern, and this horse has not exactly seemed straight forward when we have seen him thus far. The same cannot be said for my pick here, firstly the second favourite PERSONAL AMBITION. Ben Pauling is running hot at the moment which helps his cause, but even without the trainer form positive this horse has been a model of consistency; the stuff of dreams for PlacePot punters. He has finished 1-3-1 in his starts under rules thus far, which will be good enough here.

14:50 Kelso - Leg 3

Leg 3 Selections: Benson (1), Black Hawk Eagle (14)

Last year's Morebattle Hurdle winner BENSON is a PlacePot lock for me this weekend, with his cracking course record and the soft ground looking certain to bring about a good performance from the loveable rogue of a nine year old. He has more weight to carry this season but won last year's race in good style and looks in as good if not better form this campaign.

With this being the race of the day, I am loathe to go all in on just one despite my confidence in Benson and so BLACK HAWK EAGLE is also added to the team. Kerry Lee is a canny trainer and is not as Cheltenham centric as others, so we can be assured her charge has been aimed here for the valuable prize pot for some time now. He will appreciate any give in the surface and can be ridden anyway that jockey Richard Patrick should choose, so I expect him to be there or thereabouts.

15:25 Kelso - Leg 4

Leg 4 Selections: Monbeg Genius (6)

This is the first race (non-runners permitting) that we won't advance if picking a horse finishing third, as there are less than eight runners in this Premier Handicap. Despite the competitive nature of the contest, I am quite sweet on the chances of favourite MONBEG GENIUS and will be disappointed if he isn't in the first two home. He brings rock solid form with his third place in last year's Ultima as well as a good run in this season's Coral Gold Cup, so while this may not be the big dance for him he still has the class for Jonjo Jr and Sr to get the job done.

16:00 Kelso - Leg 5

Leg 5 Selections: Special Rate (2), Imperial Bede (4)

The palms will be getting sweaty if we are still going at this stage in the PlacePot, however this is a really tough race to have a strong fancy in. Anyone of the five horses could win and it would not be a huge shock, so I hope you dear reader will forgive me having a couple onside for us in this small field contest.

I was keen on Chasing Fire at the start of the season, but his jumping of late has been poor which rules him out. I'll take my chances with second favourite SPECIAL RATE for Philip Kirby, who is a bit of a winning machine (7 from 8 starts) and looked better than ever when sauntering to a win over this C&D last time out. This is his toughest test yet but he could well be up for it. The other horse we will have running for us is the fav IMPERIAL BEDE, who looked rejuvenated sent chasing for the first time a fortnight ago at Southwell and could well be chucked in here.

16:35 Kelso - Leg 6

Leg 6 Selections: Mojo Ego (1)

Here we go then, the lucky last. Hopefully we are still in with a chance here but unfortunately it is another small field race in which we could be on a win only ticket come race time with just one non-runner. Nevertheless, I do think MOJO EGO is rock solid here for up and coming trainer Harry Derham. He flopped at Taunton last time out but his trainer explained that he wasn't right post race, so forgiving that run and looking at his breeding he should relish this test on soft. The same cannot be said for the favourite, a switcher from the Gosden team on the flat to Nicky Henderson Governor Of India, who is racing with some battle-hardened foes on his debut over obstacles.