_edited.png)
13:45 Kempton Park
Channel 4 has spoiled us all week with a great Cheltenham festival and even though the festival is now over for another year the racing doesn’t stop with nine great races today.
Our first preview of the day sees a small field of five line up for this two mile handicap chase. Art Mauresque looks to start off as the favourite even though he comes back from a long layoff; he was pulled up in a grade one race last time out but had shown a lot of potential before that; he has been put through his paces at home since then and the drop in grade today will make him hard to beat.
Imjoeking comes here seeking a hat-trick but has been rested for eight months and may just need this today whilst Ted Spread still doesn’t seem to want to win.
The biggest danger looks to be from Kitchapoly; he was in the mix five out of six of his races at the end of last year and may have just needed his latest run when he was pulled last month and can’t be ignored.
Art Mauresque (WIN)
14:05 Uttoxeter
This two mile novices’ handicap hurdle looks a wide open affair with a few of these with claims. Jaunty Inflight and Miracle Cure look the two earlier favourites with the former beating the latter last time out and even though the latter is slightly better treated he may not be able to reverse that form today.
Grand March is a previous course and distance winner but was beaten out of sorts by Jaunty Inflight at Bangor back in February and hasn’t been given any favours to reverse that after his win last time out.
Verano drops back to this level for the first time since early last year and has also been given a big chance by the handicapper; he could be the one to beat if returning back to that sort of form and should give Jaunty Flight a good race today.
Verano (E/W) if 4/1+
14:20 Kempton Park
A big field of twenty line up for our second visit to Kempton. Mydor has been in great form over in Ireland this year and was only just beaten by a head after being raised nine pounds last time out and even though the handicapper has since raised his a further nine pounds his jockeys claim takes off more than half of that and if he continues to progress the way he has he’ll be a hard one to beat today.
Neil Mulholland won this race last year and has big claims again today with Wadswick Court; he usually comes good this time of year and showed some of that form when last seen at Exeter back in December and will be one who will benefit if the rain comes in overnight.
La Vaticane makes her British debut after being brought over to the Pipe’s yard from France; she had a 50% strike rate in her home country and if she can bring that form over here she could give some of these a run for their money.
No No Mac and Ballybolley both come here off the back of a win and are also two with place claims.
Mydor (WIN)
Wadswick Court (E/W)
14:30 Lingfield Park
We take to the polytrack for the first time today for a 3 year old fast track qualifier. Four Seasons looks the early favourite after completing a hat-trick last time out and has also won over course and distance last year; he could be a hard one to beat if coping with the step up in grade but a couple of these usually compete at this level and he may get found out here.
Lexington Times and Angelic Lord are two that regularly compete at this level and the booking of Richard Hughes on the former is an interesting one as the yard also has Burnt Sugar in this race but Hughesy obviously has more trust in Lexington times than Burnt Sugar after his poor performances at Meydan.
Lexington Times (E/W)
14:40 Uttoxeter
This looks to be a very close handicap chase affair with a few of these being in good form this season. Bandit Country has already been backed in heavily since champion jockey A P McCoy has declared he will be riding him; he stayed on well to win last time out and will need to do that again today if going in again.
Ryan Hatch is having an amazing season and rides Algernon Pazham in this today who was just beaten when seeking a hat-trick last time out; he has been given a penalty again for this today but should still be in the mix and has possible E/W claims.
Audacious Plan was beaten along way on his chasing debut but his jumping that day was faultless and just came up against a better horse; he’d of learned a lot from that race and looks one for the future.
Atlantic Roller is another worth nothing he is another who jumps well but usually starts to ponder in the final stages and if he can sort that out today he will be a very big danger.
Audacious Plan (E/W)
15:05 Lingfield Park
We go back to the polytrack for our next preview Grendisar beat Grandeur over course and distance two weeks ago and even though the latter is slightly weighted better than that race I can’t see him reversing that form here today. Cloudscape finished third on that occasion and is probably the more likely to reverse that form today as he looked very green after a long layoff and should do better today.
Tryster comes here seeking a four timer but hasn’t been given any help by the handicapper as he’s been raised eight pounds for this today and may just struggle off of that mark.
Complicit seeks a hat-trick on this surface but is another who is penalised heavily for his last win when he had Tenor behind and the latter comes here on better terms today and with his recent runs over at Meydan can easily reverse that form here today.
Grendisar (E/W)
Tenor (E/W)
15:15 Uttoxeter
Beg to Differ comes here seeking a hat-trick after a very good start to his handicap debut and will probably be one of the favourites in this especially with the champion jockey on board but he takes a big step up in grade for this today and is also dealing with a huge penalty for his latest win.
Sir Ivan makes his handicap debut and looks fairly treated after winning last time out and even though he looks another that will be supported well in the market
The two that stand out to me are Bar De Ligne and Devil To Pay, the former looks to of been given a very big chance by the handicapper dropping him down to a very fair mark and even though he has been laid off for almost a year he can go well fresh and has good E/W claims. The latter is another who has dropped in the weights to a very low mark and wasn’t disgraced when being tried in a much tougher race than this last time out which was over three years ago but Alan King wouldn’t enter him in this unless he knew he was up to it.
Bar De Ligne (E/W)
Devil To Pay (E/W)
15:30 Kempton Park
Our penultimate race of the day is twenty furlong handicap chase. This looks another wide open affair with a few of these being in fine form recently. Canuspotit comes here seeking a Hat-trick but has been raised a huge thirteen pounds for this today; he managed to cope with a huge hike in the weights last time out and only seems to get better and better with every race and could go on again today.
Al Alfa can race off of the same mark as when finishing second back in February and should be in the mix again today.
Lamool was in fine form this time last year but looked to of been in the handicappers grip last time out but as done well in the past from a break and can strip fit here agin today and could e the one to beat.
Lamool (E/W)
15:50 Uttoxeter
Nineteen horse’s line up for this year’s Betfred Midlands Grand National Chase.
Catching On his currently the early favourite with the champion jockey on board who won this race back in 2010; he comes here seeking a hat-trick today and can run off the same mark again today for this and looks a very hard horse to beat today.
Shotgun Paddy hasn’t been as good as we were hoping this term but he can never be dismissed in these types of races and would be ignored by anyone at their peril.
Richard Johnson won this race last year and has strong claims again today on-bored Bertie Boru; he unseated the jockey last time out at Sandown but has recently been in very good form and if he sorts his jumping out here today he can go well.
Rigadin De Beauchene can’t get any lower in the weights but has been pulled up in six of his last previous seven races that said when he gets his mind set he is one that can make a race his own and even though his previous form isn’t great I still think he could be one for this today.
Foxbridge and Global Power are others to note after their recent wins.
Catching On (WIN)
Rigadin De Beauchene (E/W)
Bertie Boru (E/W)