Donn McClean

IT is going to be testing at Kelso today. You’re going to have to stay for sure if you’re going to win the Liz Adam Memorial Chase.

Yala Enki will stay, we know that. Venetia Williams’ horse won this race last year and he won the Haydock Grand National Trial on his penultimate run, keeping on well as Wild West Wind faded dramatically after three and a half miles to finish 54 lengths clear of Blaklion.

It was Bristol De Mai all over again, at Haydock. Although maybe not quite.

Baywing will stay, we know that too. Nicky Richards’ horse stayed on best of all at the end of four miles last time to get the better of West Of The Edge in the Eider Chase at Newcastle.

That said, both horses head the market and the handicap, and you can pick holes in both cases. Baywing could only finish fourth in last year’s renewal behind Yala Enki, he had a hard race at Newcastle last time, and he is 9lbs higher now than he was then. He has to race off a career-high mark of 149 today.

He may be up for it, he has raced just eight times over fences in his life and he still has potential for progression as a staying chaser, but he is short today. He was available at 10/1 for the Eider Chase three weeks ago, but he is no better than 9/2 for today’s race off a 9lb higher mark. That is short enough.

YALA ENKI

Yala Enki has had plenty of racing, he does not have the same scope for progression even though he is only eight, and he was raised by 6lbs for his Haydock win. That takes him up to a mark of 152, which is a career-high mark.

That mark seemed to be a little beyond him when he could finish only sixth in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. In fairness, Cheltenham probably isn’t his track, even if he had his preferred soft ground at this year’s Festival. And he is one for one at Kelso.

That said, there is no real betting angle to him off a career-high mark and at no better than 9/2.

SELSOM WORTH A SHOT

There may be an angle to Seldom Inn though. He could be over-priced at 10/1. Sandy Thomson’s horse was beaten by Yala Enki in this race last year, but there are reasons for believing that there is a chance that he will turn the tables today.

For starters, he is 12lbs better off with Venetia Williams’ horse for a seven-length beating. The bare fact of that form gives him a big chance of reversing places, and he is twice his price.

Also, he travelled well through last year’s race, it looked like he would go on to win when he joined Yalak Enki at the second last fence. The winner was more resolute in the end, but it was still a fine run from Seldom Inn.

He didn’t run badly last time either, back at Kelso. He was ultimately beaten a long way by Big River and Shantou Flyer, but he was meeting both those horses on disadvantageous terms (he was 11lbs and 15lbs ‘wrong’ with them respectively), and they have both run well in defeat since.

That was just Seldom Inn’s fourth race this season, and just his 11th chase in total, so he still has some scope for further progression as a staying chaser, despite the fact that he is now 10. Blinkers have replaced cheekpieces for his last two runs, including a very good run over hurdles in January, and that seems to be helping a little with his high head carriage. He goes well on heavy ground, and Brian Hughes is a top rider who knows him well.

He loves it at Kelso, his record there reads 1211223 – he beat Tenor Nivernais and Le Mercurey in the Premier Chase there in March last year – and it is likely that his trainer has had this race in mind for him for a while. He could out-run his odds.

KRIS SPIN

Kris Spin could also out-run his odds in the Edinburgh Gin Handicap Hurdle. Again, stamina is going to be key in this test, run, as it is, over three and a quarter miles, and Kris Spin has bundles of stamina.

Second in the Pertemps Network Long Distance Handicap Hurdle at Haydock in May 2014, Kerry Lee’s horse has obviously had his issues since, he has had three significant breaks from racing, but it appears that he has rediscovered his form this season. He stayed on well to win a three-mile handicap hurdle at Ayr in November on heavy ground and, well beaten in the Heroes Handicap Hurdle at Sandown in February, he bounced back last time with an impressive victory in a three-and-a-quarter-mile handicap hurdle at Fontwell on the day after the Cheltenham Festival.

The handicapper raised him by 7lbs for that win, but a hike of that magnitude was merited, he stayed on well to win by 14 lengths, and it takes him up to a mark of 140, which is the mark off which he finished second in that Long Distance Hurdle at Haydock four years ago.

He appears to be at his best with a distance of ground and heavy conditions, all of which he will have today. Kerry Lee’s horses are in good form, she has had two winners and three seconds from her last seven runners, and Richard Patrick takes off a useful 5lbs.

RECOMMENDED

SELDOM INN, 1 point win, 10/1 (generally)

KRIS SPIN, 1 point win, 7/1 (generally)