Talking Horses: Saturday’s best bets for Newbury and Kelso

Despite its position in the calendar between Cheltenham and Aintree, and the expanding options for mares at the Festival, the EBF Mares’ Final is generally one of the most competitive handicap hurdles of the campaign outside the biggest meetings, and the latest renewal is no exception.

Only a handful of the 17 declared runners can be dismissed with any confidence, and Snow Leopardess, Tara View and Hitherjacques Lady all have plenty to recommend them. If there is a value bet to be had, though, it could be Hughie Morrison’s Sister Sibyl (3.00) at around 10-1.

Hughie Morrison does very well with his small string of jumpers – hurdlers, almost exclusively – having recorded a 19% strike rate from 59 runners over the past five seasons. Sister Sibyl showed plenty of fight to win by three-quarters of a length at Leicester last time, and starts out in handicaps on what could well be a very fair mark.

Newbury 1.50 Plenty of these would stand a good chance at their best but do not arrive in outstanding form. Coolking, on the other hand, has won his last three starts but is now 30lb higher in the weights than he was back in January when his streak began. Shotavodka is 11 now, but may be the best option having shown signs of a return to form when third last time out.

Kelso 2.05 Just four runners but the field is closely matched on their best form. Teo Vivo and Runswick Royal are the horses with recent wins to their name, however, and narrow preference is for the former, whose 3lb rise for a comfortable three-length success last time looks lenient.

Newbury 2.25 A big field of handicap chasers for punters to choose from, but only a handful who like to race up with the pace and that could be the place to be. Gala Ball makes the most appeal with the champion jockey Richard Johnson in the plate, and he could well be arriving here on the back of a victory had it not been for a bad mistake two out at Exeter last time. Off a 2lb lower mark, he will be difficult to peg back.

Kelso 2.40 Seeyouatmidnight was a 4-1 chance for the Betfair Chase won by Cue Card when last seen on a racecourse last November. He reverts to hurdles here, having finished third off the same mark in last season’s Scottish Grand National on his only start over fences in a handicap. He is still lightly-raced for a nine-year-old and should be good enough to give the weight away here.

Kelso 3.15 Silver Tassie was a ready winner at Ayr a fortnight ago on similar ground and is another 6lb higher here. He has yet to win off a mark in the 130s, but has a couple runs in the book to suggest it is not beyond him and there is less strength in depth here.

Newbury 3.35 Seven of the 11 runners arrive with winning form in at least one of their last two starts. Night Of Sin is progressing steadily and will go well for Nick Williams and Lizzie Kelly, but Don Bersy keeps improving too and could be the pick of the weights on his handicap debut.