2026 Kelso & Newbury Saturday Preview – DS
2026 Kelso & Newbury Saturday Preview
Last weekend went well. We landed a 12/1 winner with La Luna Artista and three places with Red Delta (14s NAP), Kocktail Bleu (16s NB) and Stellar Story (11s). Boombawn ran poorly but I’d imagine he’ll pop up at one of the upcoming major festivals. Dave Stevos’ is back in action again this weekend, his 2026 Kelso & Newbury Saturday preview is below.
1.40 Kelso – Premier Chase (Listed)
Nothing stood out as being particularly overpriced in the first two live races so we’ll start here. When I clicked onto this race I must admit I was rather surprised to see Protektorat in this four runner heat. The 2024 Ryanair winner is 20/1 to win that race again but I suppose time isn’t on his side at the age of eleven.
That being said, he proved he still retains a good level of ability at Windsor last time and while the step back up to just short of 3m is a slight worry, he should have enough class to take care of these opponents. However, he is just 1/7 to do so and those odds are of no use to us. No bet.
2026 Kelso & Newbury Saturday Tip: No Bet
1.55 Doncaster – Virgin Bet Handicap Chase (Class 2)
There’s a pretty decent pot of £20k or so up for grabs here but only six run. Mighty Bandit has been highly progressive since going chasing and the last time out C&D winner should be able to extend his winning run to three.
I was half-tempted by another C&D winner in Gabriel’s Getaway, who has slipped to an attractive mark, but he’d probably prefer genuinely good ground. With just six runners and only two places on offer, this is another race we’ll have to swerve. No bet.
2026 Kelso & Newbury Saturday Tip: No Bet
2.15 Kelso – Premier Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)
Finally, a betting race! The one that looks most overpriced to me in this Grade 2 novice is Gaelic Rover. A 5yo son of Walk In The Park, this lad is trained by Ruth Jefferson and was bought for £66k in May of last year. A faller in both point-to-points when in the process of running well, he has shown promise in all three of his starts under Rules.
Placed on debut in an Ayr novice in November, he then pitched up in a class 2 maiden at Newcastle later that month where he found Le Beau Madrik too good. Only a length separated them at the finish, with Skelton’s charge reeling in Gaelic Rover in the last 50 yards.
Gaelic Rover justified skinny odds back at Newcastle last time out, winning a weak maiden by 10l. He now steps back up in grade and given how little there was between him and Le Beau Madrik at Newcastle, I am surprised he is 12/1 with Le Beau Madrik chalked up at 7/2, especially as Jefferson’s charge is now 3lb better off. His dam won at 3m so he should appreciate this slight step up in trip and at the prices, he looks a cracking e/w bet.
2026 Kelso & Newbury Saturday Tip: Gaelic Rover e/w @ 12/1 NAP
2.30 Doncaster – Grimthorpe Handicap Chase (Class 2)
A hefty £36k will go to the winner of this handicap chase and if there was no rain forecast, I’d be backing Lord Accord here. However, with conditions likely to turn soft, I am instead going to take a chance on the David Pipe trained 8yo, King Turgeon.
This horse lost his way at the backend of last season, pulling up in the Edinburgh National and then the Ultima at Cheltenham. Prior to those tame efforts he was a good third off 139 in the Somerset National at Wincanton and before that, he won easily off 133 at Cheltenham (3m2f, gd-sft). After two modest efforts this term, he is now back down to his last winning mark.
This son of Turgeon has won five times over fences, on heavy and on good to soft ground. Four of his five wins have come going left-handed and he has won at Aintree, so he should be well suited by this track and when David Pipe sends his horses on the long trek north to Donny from his base in Somerset, they usually run competitive races (14 winners and 40 top 4 finishers from 108 runners). At odds of 12/1, King Turgeon is the each way selection.
2026 Kelso & Newbury Saturday Tip: King Turgeon e/w @ 12/1 (4 places)
2.55 Kelso – Morebattle Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
We have made hay in this race in the last two years thanks to Cracking Rhapsody. He was our 16/1 NAP when he won in 2024 and last year, he was our 12/1 NB. Unfortunately, the bookies have cottoned on to him this year and he’s just 6/1 to make it a third win on the trot.
He’s likely to run a massive race again and he’s just 4lb higher than last year but he’s too short in the betting for us. The one that does catch my eye at a much bigger price is a horse that just missed out on a place for us at Musselburgh on New Year’s Day, the Dianne Sayer trained Heart Above.
Yes, he is 1lb wrong here and he’s 5lb above his last winning mark but I think he can outrun his odds of 66/1at a track he likes. Two of his three wins have come here (over 2m5f/2m2f) but he has run well at this trip too.
Overall, his Kelso form figures on ground with good in the description read 22322121 and while the majority of those runs were in lesser races than this, if he’s ever going to hit the frame in a valuable handicap, it’ll be at this venue. Hopefully it happens on Saturday! At odds of 66/1, Heart Above is worth chancing e/w for small stakes.
2026 Kelso & Newbury Saturday Tip: Heart Above e/w @ 66/1 (5 places)
3.15 Newbury – Veterans’ Handicap Chase (Class 2)
The ground is currently good to soft, soft in places at Newbury but there is rain forecast overnight so it will likely be properly soft tomorrow. One horse at a decent price who won’t mind if conditions deteriorate is the Joe Tizzard trained 12yo, Copperhead.
He runs off 133 here, the same mark off which he won the 2024 final of this series last year at Market Rasen. This season, the son of Sulamani has had just two runs and while he was soundly beaten on his return to action at Cheltenham in December, he was still in contention when unshipping Freddie Gingell three out in the 2025 series final at Sandown last month.
He has won over C&D on soft ground before, which is an obvious plus and quite a few of his rivals here will not relish easing underfoot conditions. At odds of 16/1, Copperhead is the each way pick.
2026 Kelso & Newbury Saturday Tip: Copperhead e/w @ 16/1
3.45 Newbury – Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Premier)
Last, but not least, we have the Greatwood Gold Cup. Eleven will go to post and the one I like at decent odds is the Nigel and Willy Twiston Davies’ trained 7yo, Josh The Boss.
He gets in here off a mark of 132, the same mark off which he was beaten into second at Aintree and Newcastle by Prairie Wolf on his last two starts at 2m4f. In between those runs, he ran poorly at Doncaster but the 3m trip that day probably proved a step too far from a stamina perspective.
On his last start on soft ground at a more suitable trip of 2m3f, he won by 11l at Donny back in November. This lad is a prominent racer but he doesn’t have to lead so if Twinjets goes on, he’ll hopefully just sit in behind him. On the evidence of two of his last three runs, this horse has a win in him off this sort of mark at this sort of trip, hopefully today is the day. At odds of 12/1, it is worth chancing that it is.
