Horse Racing Tips: Rory Delargy’s best bets at Newbury, Doncaster & Kelso on Saturday

PP's Rory Delargy gives us his best picks for an action-packed Saturday on ITV Racing.

By / Horse Racing Tips / 9 months ago

Rory Delargy’s Saturday Racing Tips

13:20 Newbury – Commodore
13:42 Kelso – Serious Operator
13:55 Newbury – Gemirande
14:17 Kelso – Cannock Park (each-way)
14:35 Doncaster – Tommy’s Oscar
14:50 Kelso – Black Hawk Eagle (NAP)
15:10 Doncaster – Lunar Discovery
15:25 Kelso – Aye Right
15:40 Doncaster – Erne River (each-way)

    *All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

      13:20 Newbury – Commodore

      The concern at Newbury is the state of the ground, with heavy ground already raced on likely to prove hard going. That’s a slight concern for Commodore, but he tends to show his best form fresh, and while only 5th on his return last season, that came off a stiff mark and was a solid effort in the contest of this race. He bolted up off a mark of 133 at Cheltenham in December 2021 and has finally dropped below that winning mark. Venetia Williams has been quite for a few weeks, but two of her last three runners have won, and the key to profiting from the stable has always been to back the chasers after a break.

      Fortescue is my idea of the one to take advantage if Commodore gets bogged down, and Henry Daly’s mudlark will be having his first try in veterans’ company, having relative youth on his side.

      13:42 Kelso – Serious Operator

      Lanzarote fifth Serious Operator shaped as if not finished on his progressive path and likely to be hard to beat dropped a little in class next time. Ridden by a low-percentage conditional, he conceded first run when the field bunched on the home turn but kept on steadily despite losing a shoe and was going on nicely at the finish to be beaten a little over eight lengths, with a gap back to the others.

      This is Serious Operator’s first run since catching my eye at Kempton and this does look a slightly easier task, so he’s taken to win again now reunited with regular rider Patrick Wadge, who has been on board for the horse’s last three wins.

      13:55 Newbury – Gemirande

      Gemirande was a game second in this race last year on quick ground, but he handles much softer conditions, and is another from the Williams stable likely to be plenty fit enough after a lengthy absence. He was very consistent last term, ending up with a battling second in the Silver Trophy at Cheltenham (demoted for causing interference on the run-in) and looked unlucky not to win more than he did.

      Gemirande has been given a couple of entries at Cheltenham, but his mark of 134 meaning he wouldn’t be sure to make the cut for either the Grand Annual or the Festival Plate, sitting 29th and 47th respectively in the ballot for those races. He could do with a penalty to get into the latter, which would surely be his first preference, and I think he’ll be fully tuned up with that in mind. It’s worth bearing in mind that he has never been out of the frame over fences in his career.

      Gustavian is another reliable sort in these conditions and has a record on ground described as heavy by Timeform of 212113U232. He’s now 4lb lower than his Aintree second earlier in the season and although well held since then, he’s not had the ground deep enough since. Any further rain will suit him.

      14:17 Kelso – Cannock Park (each-way)

      No strong view for me other than I wouldn’t want to back favourite Jango Baie given the form of the stable and the Formby Novices’ Hurdle winner was put in his place by Handstands in the Sidney Banks at Huntingdon last time. He concedes weight all round with his Grade 1 penalty and looks opposable.

      Cannock Park was behind Jango Baie at Aintree but has looked pretty raw to this point as is the type to keep progressing with experience. He has only a 3lb swing with the favourite for a near 15-length beating, but he had a couple of promising future winners behind him that day and offers some each-way value as a result.

      14:35 Doncaster – Tommy’s Oscar

      Not for the first time, Tommy’s Oscar appeared not to stay 2½m at Musselburgh last time, travelling as well as anything until unable to find extra from the last. I’ve little doubt that he is best at two miles and has won both of his chase starts around Doncaster, looking a top-notch chaser when defeating Boothill in the Grade 2 Lightning Novices’ Chase here last season. Dropped 2lb for his Musselburgh effort, he looks to have a favourite’s chance now back under optimum conditions. 

      14:50 Kelso – Black Hawk Eagle

      A useful sort over hurdles and on the flat for Noel Meade, Black Hawk Eagle shaped as if in need of the run on debut for new connections at Huntingdon in November, and has won both races since in the style of a rapidly improving hurdler.

      At Wincanton on Boxing Day he won a modest handicap hurdle from Georgi Girl with something to spare and that form has been franked by the runner-up, who has won her next two starts. He was even more impressive next time at Hereford when Richard Patrick didn’t need to do anything but change his hands for the son of Awtaad to win well. Raised 6lb to a new mark of 122, Black Hawk Eagle must take on tougher rivals at Kelso, but I was very impressed by that Hereford win and thought that the six-year-old won with much more in hand than the margin of victory.

      It’s not unusual for Kerry Lee to prep her better horses at her local track and big race winners Black Poppy and Nemean Lion both won at Hereford before going on to better things. She is also a trainer to note when travelling her horses, and of three horses she has run at Kelso, two have been successful, including Nemean Lion in the Grade 2 Premier Novices’ Hurdle at this corresponding fixture 12 months ago.

      15:10 Doncaster – Lunar Discovery

      I like Lunar Discovery. She’s a bit of a grinder and you’d want to see a bit of rain, but a big galloping track will suit. A repeat of her Haydock form would see her go close.

      15:25 Kelso – Aye Right

      Jonjo O’Neill has said he wasn’t happy with Monbeg Genius in mid-January. They’re getting to the stage where they need to run him so I’m wondering if this is a last chance saloon. If you don’t run him now you won’t get him right for the Grand National.

      He could bolt up but I would rather back Aye Right at the prices. He’s a veteran but he’s got very good form over the years. He’s only run one poor run in the last three years. He’s not a sexy horse but he’s solid.

      15:40 Doncaster – Erne River (each-way)

      Undersupervision has been well backed for the race he won in 2022 and finished second in last year, but there are more letters than numbers in his form summary, and he’s not one to rely on.

      Erne River knows his way around Doncaster, winning two of his four chase starts and rewarding each-way support in the other two. He lost little in defeat when fifth to Annual Invictus in the Great Yorkshire Chase here last time when the good ground would not have been ideal, and he was one of only two to make ground up from midfield to finish in the first five, with those racing prominently holding the advantage on the day. There’s no reason he won’t run his race again, and with the extra place on offer, he’s hard to ignore.

        Rory Delargy’s Saturday Racing Tips

        13:20 Newbury – Commodore
        13:42 Kelso – Serious Operator
        13:55 Newbury – Gemirande
        14:17 Kelso – Cannock Park (each-way)
        14:35 Doncaster – Tommy’s Oscar
        14:50 Kelso – Black Hawk Eagle (NAP)
        15:10 Doncaster – Lunar Discovery
        15:25 Kelso – Aye Right
        15:40 Doncaster – Erne River (each-way)

        *All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

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