Daily Placepots / Keith Melrose / 21 March 2011 /

The transition between the jumps and Flat seasons may be underway with Cheltenham behind us, but continuity reigns at Kelso today, with plenty of familiar faces in attendance. That considered, let's visit the Borders for a crack at the Placepot.

14:10 - As is so often the case in northern novice hurdles, there isn't the depth that the numbers suggest, with only a handful having a realistic form chance. Therefore there seems little merit in opposing Wyse Hill Teabags, who holds by far the best form in the race having finished third in a Grade 2 over course and distance last time. He's a banker, with only a mishap likely to see him out of the three.

14:40 - Contrary to the first, this is a fairly strong race for the grade in spite of the small field. Predictably with spring now upon us, Ferdy Murphy's yard is hitting full stride and Blackpool Billy has long shaped like one ahead of his mark, while the longer trip is likely to suit him all the better. The greater emphasis on stamina is also to reasoning behind including Border Reiver, who is very well handicapped on old form and is belatedly returning to a distance which may allow him to show it.

15:10 - It's hardly original to recommend Pokfulham, but the fact is he's looked a revised character since being fitted with a visor and his now commendable attitude should be enough to see him make the places in a race where few look particularly well treated. Competition for the lead hardly looks frantic, so there's every reason to think front runner King Mak will be too hard pressed in taking up his usual position and, with his mark as low as it's ever been, he looks a solid choice for backup.

15:40 - Current favourite Raysrock has been handed what looks a pretty draconian rise in the weights for winning a race which fell apart last time, so we're going to take him on with a pair who boast good records over this course and distance. Gringo is potentially thrown in on the form he showed when runner-up to Noble Alan on his reappearance and the feeling is that a spin over hurdles last month might have put him spot on for this. A slightly more risky play is the inclusion of Bob's Dream, whose form figures hardly inspire, but he briefly looked set to overcome the run of things over hurdles at Ayr last time and is now back to the mark which saw him win here last spring.

16:10 - A potentially treacherous race with so many middling types, but one who does appeal for our purposes is Catleen, Stuart Crawford's mare having held her form well in Ireland this season and been handed what looks a realistic mark on her return to these shores. Another with a relatively reliable recent profile is Auberge, who is easily excused her flop at Wetherby last month on account of the ground and an absence.

16:40 - Let's not beat around the bush here- we think Robbers Glen is the wrong price in this hunter. A three-time course-and-distance winner who has twice made the first six in Cheltenham's Champion Foxhunter, he's been sharpened up by a couple of successful raids in points so should be ready to do himself justice. By no means the easiest of rides, Robbers Glen's trainer/jockey sometimes struggles to get the best out of him, but even if that proves the case here it'd come as a huge surprise if he was to finish out of the three.

Selections:

14:10 - 2
14:40 - 1, 3
15:10 - 1, 7
15:40 - 1, 8
16:10 - 9, 11
16:40 - 5

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