Tips for the ITV races at Newbury on Saturday 24th February
Eight races will be shown live from across Kempton, Southwell and Newcastle
The Galloping Bear, Tyrrenhian Sea and Secret Squirrel feature in our selections
Expired
David Noonan riding Le Patron (yellow/purple) clear the last to win The Betfair Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown Park. (Getty)
ITV Tips on February 24th
ITV Racing Schedule
1:15pm Kempton - Handicap Hurdle Tips
1:50pm Kempton - Adonis Hurdle Tips
2:08pm Newcastle - Eider Handicap Chase Tips
2:27pm Kempton - Pendil Novices' Chase Tips
2:45pm Southwell - Hever Sprint Stakes Tips
3:00pm Kempton - Dovecote Novices' Hurdle Tips
3:20pm Southwell - Winter Derby Stakes Tips
3:37pm Kempton - Coral Trophy Handicap Chase Tips
ITV Racing fans have a feast of action to look forward to on Saturday. Kempton hosts a valuable card, including three Grade Twos and the Coral Trophy Handicap. The gruelling Eider Chase will be shown live from Newcastle, before we head to the all-weather track at Southwell for two races on Winter Derby day.
Saturday's action kicks off with an open-looking handicap hurdle. While I haven't got a particularly strong opinion, I do fancy a small bet on handicap debutante SEA INVASION (11/2).
Chris Gordon's six-year-old has improved with each of his novice hurdle starts, finishing a good fourth here at Kempton last time out. Rex Dingle's mount has been handed a kind enough opening mark and Sea Invasion looks more than ready for this step up in trip.
1:50pm Kempton - Adonis Hurdle Tips
There are rumours that part-owners, Brooks Koepka and Graeme McDowell will be in attendence at Kempton to see if Givemefive can maintain his unbeaten record over hurdles in this Grade Two. Harry Derham's rising star will be getting five pounds from KALIF DU BERLAIS (10/11), but there's no doubt in my mind that the favourite is the best horse in this contest and I'm expecting him to cope with that penalty.
A runaway winner on his sole French start back in October, Kalif Du Berlais couldn't have been more impressive when making a winning debut for Paul Nicholls here at Kempton in January. The odds-on favourite sprinted clear of some decent rivals to claim a seven-length victory and I could see this Triumph Hurdle entrant producing a similarly spectacular performance on Saturday.
2:08pm Newcastle - Eider Handicap Chase Tips
At odds of 9/1, I like the chances of THE GALLOPING BEAR (9/1), who was unlucky to bump into the incredibly well-handicapped Kitty's Light in this race 12 months ago.
Ben Clarke's 12-year-old hasn't shown much in his three starts since, finishing eighth of 14 on his most recent outing in a Veteran's Chase at Warwick. The Galloping Bear returns to Newcastle running off the same mark as last year, and talented five-pound claimer Joe Anderson has been booked to lessen the top-weight's burden. Clarke's 11-year-old has won three of his four starts on heavy ground, so Saturday's going won't inconvenience him in the slightest.
Ben Jones riding The Galloping Bear (blue) clear the last to win The racehorselotto.com Surrey National Handicap Chase at Lingfield. (Getty)
2:27pm Kempton - Pendil Novices' Chase Tips
We return to Kempton for another Grade Two where, like Kalif Du Berlais, LE PATRON (9/2) has a penalty to shoulder. Gary Moore's six-year-old drops back down in class on Saturday, having produced a bold front-running performance to land the Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown in December.
Le Patron couldn't get to the front in the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase last time out, where the flamboyant Nickel Back made all to claim a stunning victory. Harry Cobden could be keen to make the running on Tahmuras, but of the two, Le Patron is easily the more accomplished jumper and I'm hoping to see Gary Moore's star proved that that Grade One triumph at Sandown was no fluke.
2:45pm Southwell - Hever Sprint Stakes Tips
Clarendon House dominates the market, having bolted up here at Southwell in December. At a much longer price, I'll be having a small each-way bet on BEDFORD FLYER (28/1), who followed Clarendon House home that day, and boasts a much better record on the all-weather than he does on turf.
3:00pm Kempton - Dovecote Novices' Hurdle Tips
Nicky Henderson will be hoping to see either Lump Sum or Fiercely Proud come out on top in this Grade Two, after both finished just behind his Supreme Novices' Hurdle contender, Jeriko Du Reponet in the Rossington Main up at Doncaster last time out.
Another with form behind Jeriko Du Reponet is SECRET SQUIRREL (6/1), who lost his unbeaten record when second to that rival at Newbury two starts back. Hughie Morrison's five-year-old was last seen losing out narrowly to Fire Flyer in a ding-dong battle at Taunton. If Fire Flyer or Jeriko Du Reponet were in this contest, then they would likely be the short-priced favourite, so I can't pass up the chance to back Secret Squirrel - who won nicely here at Kempton on his hurdling debut - at 6/1.
3:20pm Southwell - Winter Derby Stakes Tips
Lord North will again use the Winter Derby as his prep for the Dubai Turf, which he won for the third time in a row 12 months ago. John and Thady Gosden's star comfortably beat TYRRHENIAN SEA (5/1) in this race before flying out to Meydan. However, moving the Winter Derby from the tight, polytrack surface at Lingfield to the more galloping, tapeta course here at Southwell might not exactly suit the market leader.
Tyrrhenian Sea, on the other hand, could be favoured by the switch. Roger Varian's strapping six-year-old was prolific on the tapeta surface at Newcastle earlier in his career and travels to Southwell on the back of an impressive triumph in the Listed Quebec Stakes back in December. If the two run up to their ratings, then there's only one possible winner, but if Lord North was to underperform, Tyrrhenian Sea could be the one to capitalise.
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