Sadly Newcastle’s Eider meeting has already fallen by the wayside but hopefully Kempton will go ahead. The big betting race at Kempton is the Racing Post Chase at 3.05. Last season’s winner Nacarat lines up again and with Tony McCoy on board will no doubt have his supporters. He is 11 lbs higher in the weights than last year but comes here on the back of a 4th to Kauto Star in the King George. He did have a very hard race that day and that might be a factor against him. Madison Du Berlais was second in the King George and is a course and distance winner. In a race that has favoured those at the higher end of the weights Nacarat and Madison Du Berlais both look worth serious consideration. Philip Hobbs has a good record in the race and he saddles Private Be who has been runner up in 4 of his last 5 starts. He actually beat Nacarat back in December 2008 off level weights and now gets a load of weight from that rival. He seems to act on any ground and is interesting. Atouchbetweenacara is the other one that I quite like. He has returned to Venetia Williams’ yard after a spell with Tim Vaughan. He beat Private Be by 24 lengths at Cheltenham at the end of last season and although worse off at the weights that performance puts him in with a chance. As always this is a tough looking handicap but with the first time blinkers on I will take Madison Du Berlais to give David Pipe another big race win.
Punjabi is yet to win since his success in the Champion Hurdle. He has his Festival prep run in the 1.00 where he will be long odds on.
The 1.30 is more of a betting proposition. Numide looks quite attractively weighted while the consistent Clova Island is another I like the look of.
The 2.00 is quite an open race. Vino Griego won in heavy ground at Wincanton and given the right conditions he would be dangerous. Frascati Park on the other hand would prefer a better surface. If the ground is soft or worse I will go with Vino Griego otherwise Frascati Park is the selection.
The Nightingale will be hot favourite in the 2.30 but after only 1 chase start behind him the price looks to skinny and I would be looking to take him on with either Red Admiral or Viking Rebel. The latter is slowly coming back to form after a long absence and he gets the nod.
Mille Chief should be too good for the opposition in the 3.40.
Today’s picture is courtesy of the artist Elizabeth Barrett.
ahorse 