Friday tips: Best bets and odds on racing at Kelso

A busy weekend of action begins on Friday and our horse racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge has run the rule over the best bets on an interesting Kelso card using the best odds from betting sites.

This looks a competitive opener on a good Kelso card and the suggestion is THEY WANT ME, who represents the Donald McCain stable.

Both Kaka’s Cousin and Kocktail Bleu have claims and the latter, in particular, is well placed to win at these weights. However, he was taken out at Newbury last week because the ground (heavy) was unsuitable and the forecast conditions here won’t be far off that.

It’s a similar story with Kaka’s Cousin, whose better efforts have been on better ground than he’ll encounter here. Meanwhile, the selection won his point on testing ground and he also won over C&D last time, another plus.

He has a bit to find strictly on the form book but he is coming on with experience and looks a value alternative to the front two in the market on betting sites.

Friday Racing Tip 1: They Want Me (13.30, Kelso) – 1pt win @ 7/2 (Bet365)

This might work out as a more competitive race than perhaps it looks at first glance, with one or two on marks where they could make an impact again. However, JUDICIAL DEFERENCE arrives in top form and seeking a hat-trick after wins at Musselburgh (2m4f, good to soft) and more recently Haydock (2m5f, good to soft) and he is taken to win again.

He’s up 7lb for a 2½ length success at the Lancashire track and the horse he beat there, Under The Radar, gave the form a solid look when he made the frame for us, each-way, at Newbury last week.

With a little further to travel this time, there is scope to eke out a bit more from the selection, who won his point on soft and will hopefully be able to handle these testing conditions.

Friday Racing Tip 2: Judicial Deference (14.00, Kelso) – 1pt win @ 5/2 (Betfred)

A two-mile contest that has an open look to it but my suggestion here is one that improved last time, LANCE LES DES, who may enters handicaps from a workable mark of 105. He’s already had three races here and has shown that he can act on testing ground.

Trainer Nick Alexander has saddled plenty of winners here down the years and I think it’s a positive that he’s taking the handicap plunge with his seven-year-old at this stage. He can be backed each-way but he may be able to step up again and win this.

Friday Racing Tip 3: Lance Les Des (14.30, Kelso) – 1pt each-way @ 13/2 (Bet365)

These Kelso staying handicap chases might not draw huge fields but they can so often look trappy and this is no different. It’s a good 0-150 contest and you’d have to say that five of the six declared runners are exposed and there’s not a huge amount to choose between them if they’re able to run to their best.

The bottom weight, however, is the less experienced and unexposed KING OF ANSWERS. He represents Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore and has had just nine career starts, three over fences.

He’s already got C&D winning form, having raced prominently when winning a novices’ handicap chase a couple of months ago. He wasn’t quite as good at the more galloping Wetherby circuit last time but has dropped 1lb and there could still be scope for better from him over fences.

It won’t be easy against some more seasoned runners in this sphere, all bar one of whom has won at the track but I’m optimistic he can make the most of the weight he receives in this testing ground and win again.

Friday Racing Tip 4: King Of Answers (15.00, Kelso) – 1pt win @ 2/1 (BetMGM)

Only six turn up for the chase too but it’s not a great deal easier despite that. Last time winner Milcree has benefited from the typically patient handling of his trainer Nicky Richards, while Moon Phases, representing the Russell-Scudamore yard, is another arriving as a winner and both those are improving and feared.

Welsh raider Queensbury Boy and Young Jack, who sports first-time cheekpieces, are others with claims but the suggestion is the rank outsider I AM MAX, each-way. Sandy Thomson’s string is in good nick and this eight-year-old is back on his last winning mark here.

That, plus a return to shorter make this mudlark a more attractive proposition and I think he may be capable of causing an upset, though we can back him each-way to two places.

Friday Racing Tip 5: I Am Max (15.35, Kelso) - 1pt each-way @ 7/1 (Virgin Bet)

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