Kempton Saturday

13:30 Coral Racing Club Handicap Chase 3m

The going looks the key to narrowing the field in this 3m handicap chase, with testing ground a negative for Enrilo and Kitty’s Light.

Annsam has won on heavy, but does most of his racing on better ground, and is hard to weigh up as a result, albeit he’s likely to be tactically advantaged with the strong chance he’ll be able to set his own pace in front.

That could swing it for him, but preference is for Tile Tapper, who proved his stamina for this trip when second to Remastered over course and distance over Christmas.

Tile Tapper looked likely to drop away after a blunder three from home here last time, but he rallied well to finish second, and holds both Smarty Wild and Kitty’s Light on that form.

That was his first run in some time, and there is a good chance he will improve for it, so has obvious claims from just 1lb

14:05 Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase (Grade 2) 2m 4f 110y

There should be plenty of pace despite the small field here, and that may make things tough for form pick Pic D’Orhy, who will attempt to make all. He looked an improved model when winning the Peterborough Chase last month, but his main rival couldn’t go the pace there, and there’s a chance he’s a little flattered by his track position.

On softer ground and with competition for early dominance, he makes less appeal, and I’m willing to take one more chance on Saint Calvados who has ideal conditions having shaped really well in two runnings of the King George despite not getting home either time.

The worry is that Saint Calvados proved impossible to anchor on his first start for owner/rider David Maxwell, and he also spoiled his chance when pulling hard at Aintree in April.

I’m hoping that his return will have taken some of the fizz out of him, and he followed his below-par effort at Aintree with a facile victory at Sandown on the final day of the season.

He will be helped by the likely strong pace as well as the fitting of a hood, and he retains the ability to win at this level if he and his rider are in harmony.

14:40 Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle 2m 5f

Two for me against the field in the Lanzarote, both of whom ran at Aintree behind Romeo Brown last time. Fourth that day was Alan King’s Harbour Lake, who is a slow-maturing seven-year-old and who ran arguably his best race to be beaten just over five lengths by a rival who had the run of the race from the front.

A winner in heavy ground at Market Rasen last term, Harbour Lake is unexposed beyond two and a half miles and gives the impression there is more to come as his stamina is drawn out. A consistent sort who jumps soundly, I would be disappointed if he didn’t make the frame with the track and trip looking sure to suit him.

It’s slightly harder to make a case for Whizz Kid, who was four lengths and two places behind Harbour Lake at Aintree, but there are reasons for expecting improvement, most notably the stable’s recent return to form. Richard Newland had well-documented issues in his yard during the summer, and it has taken some time for the horses to get back to form.

Three winners from 77 runners over hurdles between July and November was a poor return by Newlands’ standards, but recent signs have been much more positive.

Twenty runners since Christmas have yielded four winners, most recently when Mr Muldoon, carrying the same silks as Whizz Kid, won easily despite an SP of 40/1 at Chepstow.

That gelding had been below form on several occasions before coming back to form after a seven-week break, and Whizz Kid is returning from a similar absence here.

It’s just a year since he made his hurdles debut in the Grade 1 Tolworth, and he is well handicapped on the basis of his fourth at Aintree in April, when he might well have won but for a series of slow jumps.

His jumping is still not perfect, but he was largely fluent at Aintree last time, and could cause another shock if he’s improved since, as others in the yard certainly have.

13:50 eventmasters.co.uk Hampton Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) 3m

Complete Unknown has been put in short enough given he has a bit to find on the figures, but I was impressed with how he got the job done at Ffos Las on his chase debut, and he’s the type to thrive in his new career having landed the EBF Final over hurdles last season.

He got outpaced briefly at Ffos Las, but rallied strongly for pressure, and will benefit from both the deep ground and the step back up to three miles.

14:25 Ballymore Leamington Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m 5f

No strong opinion from me on the Leamington, but my feeling is that Moon Hunter may be overpriced, and Henry Daly’s unbeaten son of Pether’s Moon is bred to cope with the testing ground being out of a Sir Harry Lewis mare.

He looks a resolute galloper and he and the runner-up had their rivals well stretched out behind them when dominating a big-field novice at Doncaster last time.

Moon Hunter took a while to realise what was required when first coming off the bridle on Town Moor, but he knuckled down well when getting the message, and ran out a ready winner from what is a useful sort in Richard Bandey’s Theatre Man.

15:00 Wigley Group Classic Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 3m 5f 54y

It’s possible to make a case for the majority here, and while it’s tempting to stick with Grumpy Charley after his Mandarin win at Newbury, I feel that Guetapan Collonges is a cracking bet having shown improved form to win with a bit up his sleeve here in November.

A dual winner over fences as a novice last term, he’s now got a record in handicaps of five wins from nine runs and looked an improved performer when rallying to beat Reilly after a last-fence mistake on his return.

Jumping has been Guetapan Collonges’s Achilles heel, and he fell in a match at Sedgefield last season, which is a worry, but his jumping here last time was largely excellent, and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself.

If he can continue in the same vein then he will take plenty of beating and despite his success rate, he still appears to be very well handicapped.

15:35 Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle 3m 1f

Glimpse Of Gala is a thorough stayer who comes here on the back of a career-best effort at Kempton over Christmas, and the combination of going and track should bring about further progress.

A winner over two miles and five furlongs here on her handicap bow last season, she regularly does her best work late, and she stayed on powerfully to score at Kempton despite being off the bridle before those she beat.

She gets on very well with Bradley Roberts and should give another good account of herself with her stable continuing in form.

Recommended

Harbour Lake 2:40 Kempton – 1pt e/w @ 12/1 (general – SkyBet 7 places)

Whizz Kid 2:40 Kempton – 0.5pt e/w @ 28/1 (general – SkyBet 7 places)

Guetapan Collonges 3:00 Warwick – 2pts e/w @ 15/2 (Bet365, Ladbrokes, Coral – 4 places)