7.55pm Kempton Tips & Betting Preview 07/06/2017

Despite over £7,000 on offer to the winner this race has failed to attract a single runner who scored last time out but luckily there is plenty of placed form to work with. This is the first time this mile and a half handicap has been run so there are no statistics to refer to but it looks competitive enough, and with nine entries overnight an each way bet is certainly a possibility. Read on for a full race preview.

IN SUMMARY: Opposition looked set to go very close today but was withdrawn today and the selection is CAPTAIN PEACOCK partnered with Jim Crowley who has won on him here before. He looked set for second place before Opposition came about but has a good opportunity to go and give William Knight a winner.

1 CAPTAIN PEACOCK – Put up from a rating of 75 to one of 86 after winning at Windsor and then here over a furlong shorter but a disappointing eighth of ten at Newmarket last month brought his little winning run to an end. Three wins from four runs on the all-weather suggest he will be a lot happier back here tonight, but it may be the added weight that stopped him and not the turf and his supporters will need to keep that in mind. West Sussex trainer William Knight has had zero winners from thirteen runners in the last two weeks which is not encouraging, though connections have snapped up Champion jockey Jim Crowley to ride after their win here in April, and he could yet go well despite top weight.

2 MURGAN – Stuart Kittow is now responsible for the son of Galileo out of a Darshaan mare after he left the care of Peter Chapple-Hyam following a last of ten at Newmarket in Class Two handicap in May last year. Gelded since he is certainly bred to be even better over this trip and did win his maiden at Nottingham a shade cleverly when rated 89, beating Signed Sealed with plenty up his sleeve so he clearly has some ability. The yard are another without a winner in the last two weeks, but he is a bit of a dark horse her under Oisin Murphy and could surprise if race fit.

3 FERGALL – The oldest horse in the field by some margin at the age of ten and the most experienced after twenty-three runs for four wins and six places. Last seen over hurdles the gelding hasn’t won in seven starts now since a nine length win in a Lingfield maiden, his only win on the flat to date, though he is clearly well handicapped on the flat as opposed to the 140 he has to shoulder when competing over hurdles. Trainer Seamus Mullins is a shrewd operator and it will be interesting to see if he attracts any early money in the betting markets.

NR OPPOSITION – In-form option after a good second last time out and with the added benefit of Ryan Moore in the saddle. After a return to action sixth at Newmarket he stepped up on that effort with a short head second to West Drive at Windsor last time out, leading inside the final furlongs before being mugged on the line by the Roger Varian trained winner. Running off the same handicap mark this evening he will be unlucky to run in to one so well handicapped again here, and has to have some serious chances of getting in to the front three despite the poor form (one win from thirty-two runners) of the Ed Dunlop stable.

5 FLEETING VISIT – Just the one maiden win from ten races now and that was second time out at Chepstow as a two-year-old and before his gelding operation. His return this season was promising enough when he finished a length and three quarters fifth to Signe over a mile and a quarter at Newbury after leading before being caught close home, but he failed to build on that at Ascot when held up (presumably to try and get the trip), finishing seven and three quarter lengths adrift of the winner and never really being given a chance to prove or disprove his stamina. Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton is in great form after five wins rom her last twenty-eight runners and an 18% strike rate but better still, a level stakes profit of a big 34.50 points. Could surprise but that seems unlikely.

6 ZAMBEASY – Five wins from twenty-five starts is a solid return for any handicapper though he does have three pounds more to shoulder than his best ever winning mark of 77 tonight. The Philip Hide stable have had the one winner from seven runners in the last two weeks which is just about acceptable but he will need to do better than an eight lengths plus eighth of twelve at Windsor last time out with no obvious excuses and is hard to make any kind of a case for here.

7 CLOWANCE ONE – One of the most interesting contenders here as he looks to make a long-awaited comeback after over eighteen months off the track. Luckily for connections, Roger Charlton is well known as one of the more patient trainers and if the now five-year-old can repeat his better form he would have a chance. A course and distance win in October 2015 is a tick on the right box while his latest fourth of twelve to Two Jabs here is not too bad with the winner rated 87 when last seen but it will be the training performance of the season to have him race fit to win after such a long lay-off and a watching brief is advised.

8 LANGLAUF – A course and distance win in February saw the daughter of the excellent Raven’s Pass put up four pounds after which she failed to bother the principles when beaten nine and a quarter lengths at Doncaster on the turf. She has won on very soft going at Le Croise-Laroche when trained in Frnce so she is adaptable but she may well be even happier on the slower all-weather track tonight and could go close at a decent price for trainer Rod Millman and jockey David Egan who is great value for his five-pound claim.

9 METHAG – Despite his two wins on the flat he has spent the majority of the winter trying his luck over hurdles without success but returned to this sphere with a two and a half length fifth at Lingfield and then an even better length and a quarter second to Multigifted at Newbury in a Class Five handicap over this trip. Up two pounds for that run he will need a career best to win his first race since moving to the UK seven races ago but sits on bottom weight for Alex Hales whose yard are without a winner in the last fourteen days.