Ross Millar's Monday tips: best bets at Kelso and Redcar

There was something for everyone this weekend, and with weather to match. 

The Coral Scottish Grand National meeting at Ayr provided unusually testing ground, while Spring ground, thankfully, prevailed at Newbury, which was host to some potentially revealing Classic trials. 

At Ayr, Kap Vert relished stepping beyond three miles for the first time as he galloped powerfully to the line to win the Coral Scottish National for trainers Philip Hobbs and Johnson White. This was just his fifth chase start and, as in his previous four outings, his jumping was brilliantly accurate.

The same cannot be said for those who followed him home, with Git Maker, Kim Roque and Isaac Des Obeaux all making significant errors. I’ll be surprised if the handicapper viewed this as strong renewal, and Kap Vert is therefore going to need to continue his progression next season, to the tune of around 14lb, in order to become a viable Randox Grand National contender. He is only six, though, and that rate of improvement is not implausible. 

At Newbury, the main focus was on the pair of Group Three contests - The Fred Darling and the Greenham - which are both early-season trials for the Betfred 1000 and 2000 Guineas respectively. 

Sukanya had won at this track on her debut last season and repeated the feat here in the Fred Darling, quickening up smartly down the outside to gain her second success. 

She’d been largely disappointing since that debut win, although her form when second in a Listed contest at Leopardstown hinted at this level of ability. She would need to be supplemented for the Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, but holds an entry in the Irish equivalent, abd her trainer, Jack Channon, suggested that Ireland would be his preference. 

Touleen was sent off the well-backed favourite, and ran well in defeat. If she could ride the race again, I wonder whether jockey Saffie Osborne would have committed for home a little sooner. Either way, this youngster confirmed her promise from last season. 

Albert Einstein had flopped badly on his seasonal return in the 1xBet.ie Supports Irish Racing Gladness Stakes three weeks ago, but was well supported ahead of the Greenham, and was sent off the 9-4 favourite.

However, he again failed to convince that he stays this trip adequately, and the fitting of a hood meant he travelled less exuberantly than last time. A bump a furlong from home was certainly no help, either, but he wasn’t closing on the two ahead of him at the line. 

In what was a messy race, it was certainly to the advantage of the winner, Alparslan, that he made the running, but it would be foolish to suggest that he was not a worthy winner, with his only defeat last year coming in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes, where he failed to handle the track. Like Sukyana, he looks more likely to contest the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Runner-up Zavateri looked to have matured well over the winter, and his performance here can be marked up, given the troubled passage he endured. I still find him hard to fancy for the Betfred 2000 Guineas, though, but he’ll be a force in Group races this season. 

Onto Monday's action, and I have found three selections across Kelso and Redcar, both live on Racing TV. Best of luck. 

Trained by Nicky Richards, he ran well on a return from 125 days off to finish second at Haydock over 2m5f before going one better when winning over 2m6f at Newcastle, despite posting a performance littered with jumping errors. 

If he can jump more fluently, as he did at Haydock, then a 6lb rise should not prove beyond him, particularly given the stiff finish at Kelso should suit him well. 

Nick Kent’s gelding ran poorly on his belated seasonal return at Doncaster in December when not helping his cause with some uncharacteristic poor jumping. 

He did, though, shape with far more promise last time out when finishing fourth, despite tiring quite significantly late on. That came after another 76-day break, so it’s entirely feasible he was still in need of match practice. 

With the benefit of that run behind him, and with Tom Broughton taking off a valuable 3lb, plus a slipping mark of 126, he’s capable of going close in a moderate looking contest. 

Ed Bethell has started the season in fine form, with a strike-rate 30 per cent in the past fortnight.

According To Mark made a promising debut in November on the all-weather at Newcastle, staying on well in the closing stages having shown immaturity when slowly away from the stalls. He eventually finished a never-nearer fourth. 

The runner-up from that race has won since, so the form looks reliable, and on the evidence of that run, and his pedigree, he should appreciate this extra distance. 

With his yard in such fine form, he’s fancied to go close here.