7.25pm Kempton Tips & Betting Preview 07/06/2017

A £5000 or so prize awaits the winner of this mile and three-furlong event for three-year-olds only which has been run the four times now with one winning favourite in 2014 with 11/8 shot High Master for the Richard Hannon stable and 9/2 chance Sixties Groove scoring for Jeremy Noseda in 2016. Ryan Moore has won two of the four runnings and will be looking to make it three on board Nathan Mayer this evening – read on for our in-depth horse by horse race preview.

IN SUMMARY: An interesting and tight looking contest that sees the higher rated form options taking on some decent looking maidens who may be well in at these weights. SUSSEX RANGER (each-way) would fit the second category and looks to be improving race on race for Gary Moore, and he could win this at a decent price under Hector Crouch who is very much a jockey who will get to the very top in the years ahead. Nathan Meyer is the obvious danger and may be the one for second though Winston C is also of some interest.

1 INVESTIGATION – Unraced as a two-year-old the son of Rip Van Winkle finished a distant (eleven length) third on his racecourse debut at Wolverhampton but improved for the experience when taking his maiden at Yarmouth in April by three and a half lengths from the odds on Testbourne in a three runner race run in a very slow time considering the lightening fast ground. Given a rating of 78 for his handicap debut he was a very poor twenty-two length ninth at York after running too freely from the off and off the same rating today he looks to have plenty to prove.

2 WINSTON C – Newmarket trainer Michael Bell is ticking over nicely with a 14% strike rate thanks to three winners from his last twenty-two runners and has a very interesting challenger here in the shape of Winston C, who will be having his first run of the season. As a juvenile he won first time out at Yarmouth over seven furlongs and followed that with a three and three quarter length last of three over the mile at Newmarket (when possibly feeling the firmer ground), before being put away for the winter. Possibly open to improvement with age but may need to show he has trained on before support can be recommended.

3 SOLAJAN – A very promising debut for Ed Dunlop when a head second to Dark Titan at Wolverhampton over a mile and half a furlong was soon followed by a maiden win over a mile and a quarter when keeping on well to score by half a length, both efforts with Adam Kirby in the saddle. Silvestre de Sousa took over for his handicap debut at  Chelmsford in a Class Two event over ten furlongs again where he finished a bitterly disappointing last of nine, beaten eighteen and a half lengths at the line. Hampered two out that day and stumbling after interference he was eased once his chance had gone but still needs to do better now, though he is dropped in class and reunited with Adam Kirby again tonight.

4 FALCON CLIFFS – Another lightly raced with plenty of obvious potential after winning first time out for Joseph Tuite and another who is looking to bounce back after flopping last time out when a well-beaten sixth of nine at Goodwood over a mile and a quarter. As a son of Canford Cliffs his stamina has to be in question but he is out of a Galileo mare which can only help, and is dropping considerably in class. The yard are going as well as ever with two winners from their last eleven runners and a level stakes profit of 3.75 points and if he does get home he could be the surprise package here with the excellent Oisin Murphy keeping the ride and renewing their partnership.

5 PLY – Still a maiden after three starts and does look a bit up against it here. Top trainer Roger Charlton must think the son of Dubawi is well handicapped to send him here as opposed to a run of the mill maiden, though he will need to do a lot more than his twenty-one length thirteenth at Newbury last time out over a mile and a quarter where he weakened quickly. With no evidence of sufficient ability or stamina he is hard to recommend today, top stable or not.

6 FOOTMAN – Another maiden looking to make waves, this time for ex-jockey turned trainer Richard Hughes and perhaps one to watch in the betting. He did run a solid race when runner up to Daschas here over seven furlongs in December when failing to get a clear run at a crucial stage after which he was gelded. He returned to action at Windsor in May over the mile when an eleven length ninth when running green and looking as if the run would do him the world of good, and if the money is down this evening then he could well be of serious each-way interest.

7 ARCTIC SEA – One of only the two runners here who won last time out as the son of Oasis Dream looks to land his hat trick after victories her over a mile and at Chepstow over the same trip in a similar class contest. Up another two pounds today, he is difficult for the handicapper to judge with his late finishing style, and jockey David Provbert sems to think he still has more to offer. After his last win the jockey said “Arctic Sea will probably end up getting a bit further than this trip and he seems a progressive type as he is relatively unexposed”, and with the same pilot on board tonight it will be interesting to see if his “prophecy” comes true and he does get this trip.

8 SECOND PAGE – The Hannon yard keep on firing in the winners with ten in the last two weeks from the 77 runners for a 13% strike rate and as the stable won this race in 2014 they should know what is needed. Kieran O’Neill rides the son of Harbour Watch who is owned by Middleham Park Racing VIII and who is yet another maiden entered in this handicap, in his case after four races. Yet to race beyond seven furlongs the trip has to be a huge question mark after a seven length fourth in a Brighton maiden last time out, and although he could surprise, none of his relatives have stayed this far and he will need to defy his breeding to get home.

9 ARAB MOON – Ought to be a major player here after a course and distance win in a Class Six handicap in April and a follow up victory the following month in similar grade at Lingfield. His last run was at Goodwood when he ran on after being caught out for speed over shorter and looking one paced close home. He ought to do better back up in trip but is also up in class and still has to do a little bit more if he wants to win here for William Knight.

10 NATHAN MAYER – Put up five pounds for a neck win at Nottingham when running late for a clever success last time out he has to be of interest with Ryan Moore in the saddle today looking for his third win in this contest. With Sir Michael Stoute in great form with seven winners from their last forty-nine runners for a 24% strike rate and a level stakes profit of 14.58 points while Ryan is hitting 35% and 9.87 points of profit, and when added together it seems crystal clear that the Nathaniel gelding has every chance for owner Sir Evelyn De Rothschild assuming he improves for the trip.

11 SUSSEX RANGER – Three races for a handicap mark and he saved the best for last with a solid enough third to Intermodel here over the mile, beaten just three quarters of a length at the line. He was certainly running on well at the line that day and well worth a try at this extended trip for trainer Gary Moore and up and coming jockey Hector Crouch, and off a mark of just 73 he may well challenge the major players here for his likeable Sussex stable, and certainly represents excellent each way value.

12 GRAVITY WAVE – Won the second of his three races as juvenile over the seven furlongs on the Salisbury turf but he hasn’t bothered the judge in three races including both races this season. A seventh at Nottingham was followed by a seventh at Sandown, both over a mile and a quarter, and although dropped three pounds for his last effort, he still has an awful lot to find on form this evening.

13 PRESENCE PROCESS – Not too many positives can be found for the son of Dansili after a poor four and a quarter length fourth in a class six mile handicap at Lingfield when last seen in January. That was his eighth race and one of his better efforts but this is a better race over three furlongs further and even off bottom weight he still has an awful lot to find.