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I HAVE always had a love/hate betting relationship with Kelso racecourse. Both tracks are sharp and then you have the home stretch with its long run in, so a game of two halves, if you like.

Because the track suits a handy and well-balanced charge, those at the head of affairs tend to go off a yard too quick, rather like Chester on the level, which means many races, especially on testing ground, become thorough tests of stamina and with rain in the air that is likely to occur again this afternoon on the biggest day of the year at the Borders’ track.

The feature Morebattle Hurdle looks sure to be run at a rate of knots with plenty of the 17 runners likely to want to be close to, if not on the speed and that could well suit a mid-div or hold up entity over this extended two miles. 

I think that the old boy Wise Eagle has been aimed at this massive prize all season and should be at his peak following an eye-catching run at his beloved Musselburgh four weeks ago, while of the prominent runners, the lightly raced Captain Hugo surely has to come into the equation if he has got over his untimely fall last time out at also at the Edinburgh track.

But the each-way play from off the pace in my betting book will be CITY OF DIAMONDS (nap, 2.55) off his feather weight. The Don McCain charge got into all kinds of trouble on his last start so that performance can be safely consigned to the dustbin. His previous runs all point to a hurdler that needs an end to end gallop with the positives being that he is tactically versatile. William Maggs will take 5lbs off his back, taking over from Brian Hughes, which means he will race off only a single pound higher mark than for his last win, with surely more improvement in the bag to come.

The Premier Novices’ Hurdle could see the layers betting 7/2 the field with a very healthy entry of 11 and my preference is strongly in favour of THE BLUE ROOM (2.15) at a double-figure price.

If you take away his pulled-up effort in the Grade Two Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, he would probably be half the odds he is here. In time I think a trip in excess of two-and-a-half miles will suit this six-year-old, but this extended two-and-a-quarter miles off a fast pace should bring his stamina into play and the son of Order of St George looks outstanding each-way value against the likes of Montemares and Le Beau Madrik. The last named will have to give up 3lbs to the selection who we have not seen the best of to date and whose five lengths second to No Drama This End at Sandown Park looks very solid form.

As far as the rest of the card is concerned, I shall also be having an interest in FLORIDA DREAMS (3.30) off an attractive handicap mark of 123, while PROTEKTORAT (1.40) can beat his fellow veterans in the big chase of the day, the Listed Premier over three miles.

At Newbury the forecast steady light rain looks sure to keep the surface at the Berkshire track very much on the soft side of good. The feature Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase has not surprisingly been well supported for the good prize money on offer, but only the top four in the running are rated in the 140s, and of that quartet, I much prefer the claims of Isam who has gone under the radar for trainer Tom Symonds. I was hugely impressed by his runaway success at Kempton Park last time out and he is only 4lbs higher here and is the biggest danger to my tip of PLEASINGTON.

Charlie Deutsch takes over from stable jockey Sean Bowen who is up at Kelso and remains open to improvement after just four chase starts. Hopefully he will jump an awful lot better than he did when coming a cropper at Wetherby last time out and in the hope that his jockey can get him anchored in mid-div and get him into a better rhythm of late, he can step up. That achieved the weight he is set to receive from Vincenzo and Twinjets could prove the vital factor.

But my best handicap bet on the card is bottom weight GABBYS CROSS (3.15) in the Veterans Handicap Chase over an extended three-and-a-quarter miles. He had his handicap mark protected when facing a very difficult task behind Henri The Second in a grade three handicap hurdle at Sandown, but based on his previous second at the Esher track over fences his chance is there for all to see at a double-figure price granted a clear round of jumping.

Earlier on, back down to two miles for the first time since running down the field in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham, RUBBER BALL (2.10) could cause a minor shock. Since that run, Neil King’s charge has fallen 8lbs in the weights to a mark of 120 and as we saw with Lookaway last week, the stable come here in cracking form with a 50 per cent strike rate in the last fortnight.

The Doncaster feature is the Grimthorpe Handicap Chase with the lightly raced King’s Threshold set to carry top weight off a rating of 137, following an impressive run at Newbury.

The well-handicapped King Turgeon has been a shadow of his former self this season, but has dropped in the weights, while Kelce is very much on the upgrade for Neil Mulholland. Dartmoor Pirate and New Order finished first and second respectively in the Great Yorkshire Chase last month, with the runner-up being 5lbs better off for being beaten three and three-quarter lengths, so there should be very little between here.

Broomfields Cave ran on strongly off a solid pace to win at Wincanton last time out and remains open to improvement and I will be having a saver on him behind my tip JASMIN DE GRUGY (2.30). It seems that the selection has been aimed at this for a while and will have the advantage of coming here as a relatively fresh horse, on just his third start of the season. He will obviously need to jump better than he did on New Year’s Day, but he could well be nicely handicapped off a mark of 126 under hold-up king Richie McLernon.