Expert horse racing betting tips for w/c Saturday, February 28th 2026

The horse racing action continues to come at us thick and fast this weekend. It's Morebattle Hurdle Day at Kelso, the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster, and the Greatwood Hurdle at Newbury to consider.

Our expert team of racing tipsters are here to give their thoughts on the racing coming our way, along with some thoughts on Constitution Hill's switch to Flat racing, the Cheltenham Festival, and Lord Allen.

It's also that time of the year when we start looking towards the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. We're delighted to say the Races Now Preview Night in Wigan next month is now SOLD OUT, and we look forward to seeing many of our regular readers and viewers on the night! Don't worry if you missed out, though, as a full replay of the evening will be uploaded promptly after the event on the Races Now YouTube channel.

Back to the action though and our Punters Panel are once again here to give their tips on what is certain to be another enthralling weekend of racing. The tipsters have also shared their views on the latest current affairs in the world of racing.

Introducing the Odds Now Horse Racing Punters Panel

Before we get stuck in, here’s a little bit more on the four experts answering our key questions this week:

Adam Smith - A betting industry veteran, flat lover and one half of our Races Now double act.

Harry Fowler - Another of Odds Now’s regular racing contributors, currently working in the industry.

Luke Parkinson (@ParkyRacing) - Social and Content Manager for the Tote. Huge racing fan of both codes.

Daniel Weatherill – Frequent Northern racegoer and passionate gambler. Stood in as Races Now's cameraman during Glorious Goodwood. Panel regular.

Kelso’s big day on Saturday. What is your best bet?

AS: It's a shame Iroko is swerving the Premier Chase (1:40), which leaves Protektorat at long odds on. I like Florida Dreams back down to a preferable trip in the 3:30, and he's been really consistent for a while now. SD strongly fancies Gaelic Rover in the 2:15!

HF: Starmount looks a cracking bet in the 2:15. An easy winner last time, the second that day has since gone and won by 8 1/2 lengths. A small step up in trip will only help this lad and think he could take some knocking. Quite surprised to see 7/2 about for him at the time of writing.

LP: You’ll struggle to find a better bloke than Ewan Whillans. We went up to visit him for a Tote stable tour at the start of the season, and he was top class with us. I would be delighted to see Cracking Rhapsody win the Morebattle, but I can’t see it based on what he’s shown so far this season. Instead, put Captain Hugo on your radar. He’s got some excellent form over hurdles, beating Sinnatra at Newbury in November, before winning at Haydock. He took a tumble a few from home in the Scottish Supreme at the start of the month, but to my eye, he was going to win that race pretty comfortably. At the 12/1 on offer, he’s a great bet.

DW: In the Morebattle (2:55), I think the Skeltons might be plotting something with Quaviste. Needs three to come out at the time of writing so should get a run and is receiving plenty of weight from rivals.

A good card at Doncaster, including the Grimthorpe Chase. Any fancies?

AS: In the feature, King's Threshold won well last time, but that looks like an anomaly rather than the norm for him. It's wide open. Are Dartmoor Pirate and Kelce too high in the weights after recent wins? I think Some Scope can go well, tried the cross-country track last time, which he clearly didn't like, back to the normal fences here and a winner at Doncaster over three miles in December.

HF: In the big race, the Grimthrope, I like Kelce. A good winner last time at Musselburgh, he jumped to the left that day and a return to a left handed track will only help. The step up to 3mile2 is also a plus as he has endless amounts of stamina and should go well at an each way price.

LP: I was part of a group of lads who cleaned out some Northern Irish lad who was playing bookie in the pubs around Dublin on the Saturday that the DRF was called off. That was thanks to a bet on Kelce, who stormed home to win at Musselburgh that day. He’s back out in the Grimthorpe and looks a great each-way bet at 8/1.

DW: In the Grimthorpe, I think Some Scope is likely to relish these conditions and has a recent win around Donny, so looks a strong each way bet. I also think Homme Public has course and distance form and has a favourable weight swing which should give the horse a real chance in the 1:55!

Newbury hosts the Greatwood. Any bets for you there?

AS: That Greatwood looks impossible to me. So I'm off to Meydan for Super Saturday. Rayevka is a fascinating runner in the 2:50. A lightly raced, black type filly remaining in training for Aga Khan Studs? Interesting. Symbol Of Honour might be the favourite for the boys in blue, but disappointed on Dubai debut last time. So I'm keen to back Lethal Levi depending on prices (not yet available). Retains his ability even as a seven-year-old, and you can put a big line through his Meydan run in January, where he was hampered.

HF: In the 2:40 I like Rodney, it’s not priced up yet hoping for 5/2 or bigger. I thought he had a chance in the greatwood later in the card but going here instead which is an easier race. He is improving and landed a hattrick last time, did well to win that day when he pecked on landing 2 out. He got a 5lb rise for that but I think the win was more comfortable than that.

LP: With the way that Nick Schofield is going at the minute (40% strike rate in the past fortnight), I’ll be with his Queenie St Clair in the opener at Newbury. She carries a 7lb penalty after winning at Fontwell on Sunday, but that couldn’t have been any easier, with 17 lengths back to the second. With Freddie Keighley claiming 3lb this time, they could easily follow up.

DW: Although recent performances haven’t been promising, Heltenham (3:45) is receiving a stone from old rival Blow Your Wad here and has saved the best performances of his career for Newbury. He looks worth a each way bet. Meanwhile, Fine Casting (4:23) is another off a feather weight that I give a chance to if available at an each way price.

Constitution Hill retired from jumping, then. Wrong or right decision?

AS: His last four starts over hurdles have been disastrous, and he's since wazzed up on flat debut. Jumping is clearly the problem, so on that basis, it's the correct decision. Stick to the flat. No problem from me there. But I am adamant that owners and trainers should not be making decisions not to run on the basis that it MIGHT be a bad look for the sport if he falls or is injured. Are we going to retire all horses that fall three times? Why is Constitution Hill falling or being injured more important than any other horse?

HF: Correct decision, absolutely. I get the feeling that connections wanted to go to Cheltenham and following a schooling on Wednesday decided not to, which makes me think it can’t have been anywhere near perfect. He showed he can do it on the flat, so it’s not all doom and gloom because we have that to be excited about. A few runs on the flat before a well deserved retirement seems the order of the day.

LP: There’s a bulk order of cotton wool on the way to Seven Barrows, that’s all I’ll say.

DW: Given the magnitude of the name, I feel like this story has been blown out of proportion. Form figures of FF-5F showed a horse regressing over hurdles and his debut at Southwell was impressive, so I think it’s a sensible decision to stick with the horse's new strength. I don’t see the correlation between his flat run and presence in the Champion Hurdle at all – the problem was jumping not flat speed and breaking from stalls?

Just 10 days to go. What is your best bet for Cheltenham?

AS: I really like Talk The Talk in the Supreme. I thought he was bang impressive at the Dublin Racing Festival, running more like a flat horse to my eye. Showing speed to pass virtually the whole field from the bend to the line.

HF: Aside from the ones put up in the Cheltenham chat I do with Adam over on YouTube, I like Skylight Hustle in the Turners, given it seems like Mighty Park maybe leaning towards the Supreme route. The step up in trip I feel will bring more improvement and I wouldn’t have said that he was definitely beaten by Talk The Talk when he came down over Christmas.

LP: I was over in Ireland at the start of the week doing some work with Danny Mullins. We dropped in on his Dad, Tony, who has Letos going to the Festival this year. Tony is as shrewd as they come, and as many know from his Sky Sports Racing appearances with Matt Chapman, he knows a winner when he sees one. He basically said he’s had his bollocks on Bambino Fever for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, so follow him in.

DW: 6/4 was available for FTF in the Ryanair at the time of writing. Ante post rules apply but I feel this is the most likely destination and that is a real steal of a price. With this prediction, I have also backed Gaelic Warrior and The Jukebox Man for the gold cup as I believe both will shorten significantly in the next 10 days. In the handicaps, I think Letos (Pertemps) and Feet Of A Dancer (Coral) have both been fairly treated by Mr Capper and are good bets at 20s respectively.

READ MORE: Premier League betting tips for this weekend

Will Lord Allen ever be able to get anything done in British racing?

AS: It looks like the racecourses won't let him get anything done. The Lord Allen show in the last eight months has just shown to all how difficult it is to make any change at all. I can see him walking away before long. 'The sport is dying a slow death' might be extreme for some, but it's not far off, and the game isn't exactly growing, is it?

HF: At this stage, probably not. It’s an impossible job and I think he may be figuring that one out. Lots of rumours that he maybe leaving his role and would be another who has tried to force change with no real results.

LP: Actions speak louder than words, end of.

DW: No. Give the job to SD, I say!