Race Time: 2.15pm Meeting: Kempton
Distance: 7f
Full Race Name: Betfred “Home of Goals Galore” Handicap (Class 2)
Our tip for the 2.15pm Kempton live on Channel 4 Racing is:
Back to the all-weather track again this weekend, and a seven-furlong handicap, which many see as a specialist distance. Too far for most of the sprinters, too fast for most of the milers, we may be best concentrating all our efforts on distance winners as a very sensible starting point. Sadly, the nine runners lining up cannot even be cut down as planned with every one carrying the obligatory “D” beside their name, but at least we know we are looking at a competitive heat! Three of the runners are set to make their seasonal debut here, so common sense suggests that those with recent form and a possible fitness advantage are a good place to start.
Richard Hannon appears to have his string in fine fettle already this season, and in Ninjago he may well have one of the major players for this valuable prize, with Richard Hughes already booked to ride for his brother-in-law. A course and distance winner last time out, he wore blinkers that day yet and will hopefully be doing so again after that run, and depending on price he does at least look to have a place options today. Jockey Jimmy Quinn is in the middle of a purple patch and if he rides multiple winner Triple Chocolate here for trainer Roger Ingram, then he could be an interesting runner. Four wins in his last five outings have seen him rise up the handicap by a massive eighteen pounds which will take some shrugging off, but the step up in trip may see a little more improvement squeezed out of the gelded son of Danehill Dancer, though once the betting public see his form figures, I doubt he starts at the value price he ought to be?
Course and distance winner Pool House could be an outsider with a squeak as he represents the Andrew Balding yard who have been in amongst the winners in recent days. Gradually slipping back down the weights to what may well be a winning mark, his Kempton record of three runs two wins and a runners-up spot speak for itself, and with any luck he will start the double-figure price which could yet make him the value call. Switching to those making their seasonal debut, we cannot help but notice the jockey booking of Ryan Moore by Newmarket trainer Jeremy Noseda for top weight Outback Traveller who hacked up when last seen in Ascot handicap, a run the handicapper clearly took a dislike to as he was put up a massive twelve pounds for the one win! We don’t see the form as warranting that much punishment, but on the other hand, that was the end of his three-year-old career, and there is every reason to think he came prove further with another winter on his back. One last horse for this tricky to call contest with the David Elsworth trained Speculative Bid one to include. Jamie Spencer rides the four year old who really caught the eye when hacking up over course and distance on his reappearance and despite being put up eight pounds for that run, he may well cover that with his fitness edge today as that was his first run for about ten months!