Thursday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

The Warren Greatrex trained EMITOM (best priced at 9/1) drops into a 0-125 handicap for the first time and he looks worth taking a chance on at the prices with conditions looking set to suit him. The eight-year-old was previously a high class hurdler who finished 4th in a soft ground Stayers’ Hurdle following a victory in the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle on heavy ground. He was unsuited by chasing but ran well at Lingfield in January on heavy ground when finishing only 2 ¾ lengths behind Top Ville Ben.

Warren Greatrex has a good record at Kelso with a record of 3-9 in the previous five seasons and Emitom looks worth backing following a respectable reappearance run at Lingfield last time.

This looks a competitive 0-130 handicap chase but preference goes to last year’s winner CEDAR HILL (best priced at 4/1) who runs in the race again this year off the same mark. The Sandy Thomson trained eight-year-old has a fantastic record at Kelso with form figures of 112131026 at the track including four wins over this course and distance.

Cedar Hill won this race off a mark of 122 last season on heavy ground and he should hold strong claims of a repeat victory off the same mark this year on heavy ground.

Old Painless is respected under a 7lb penalty but preference instead goes to the Warren Greatrex trained BILL BAXTER (best priced at 7/2) who bounced back to form last time following a wind operation. The six-year-old won easily at Lingfield last time on soft ground by a mark of 115 beating Mucho Mas by 2 ¾ lengths on soft ground.

The handicapper has raised Bill Baxter 5lbs for that run but has since raised him a further 2lbs because the form has been boosted by the runner-up winning easily by two lengths. He instead runs here off a mark of 120 meaning he is 2lbs “well in” at the weights and I expect him to prove hard to beat with James Bowen (1-1 on the horse) retaining the ride.