/ Keith Melrose / 09 December 2010 / Leave a Comment

They reckon that turf racing will return at Cheltenham tomorrow, so this jumps reporter is taking a last, lingering look (for now, at least) at the all-weather action today at Kempton.

16.00 - Nothing fancy in the juvenile claimer, as favourite Johnny Hancocks has plenty of solid nursery form, has typically for a David Evans charge stood up well to hard campaigning and has bagged a favourable draw, the last point especially attractive given he likes to force the running, something which is so often an advantage round here.

16.30 - There's potentially a lack of pace in this handicap, so Negotiation, runner-up over course and distance last time, warrants inclusion with the prospect of an uncontested lead. From a more general standpoint, both Gordy Bee and Robby Bobby appeal. Gordy Bee has clearly had his problems, passing through three trainers in the course of just seven starts, but he's off an attractive mark by now and threatened a return may be imminent on his all-weather debut at Southwell last time. Robby Bobby's case is more straightforward; he might have gone the wrong way this year for Mark Johnston, but it's reflected in his mark and he offered a lot more than of late on his first start for his new yard last time, cut off when poised to lay down a strong challenge.

17.00 - This maiden is so weak that Stirling Bridge probably can't help but make the first two, even if Steve Drowne is once again sympathetic to his inexperience. William Jarvis' gelding has made encouraging headway under considerate handling on both starts to date at Newmarket, the second such outing coming when just over eleven lengths sixth to Desert Law eight weeks ago.

17.30 - As the market suggests, we can quickly whittle it down to four in this more competitive maiden. The form among the quartet is pretty similar, so we'll go with the two who look most open to improvement, namely Flying Power (better by the race in three previous outings) and Blue Maisey (sure to be suited by the longer trip); incidentally, the pair dead-heated for second here last time behind Prince of Burma.

18.00 - Satwa Gold has run well on all three starts over course and distance, but he's had a lot of racing this year and has started to lose some of his consistency as a result. Two who haven't had nearly so stern a campaign are Spring Jim and Morar, and with the pair well handicapped and unexposed respectively we can be more than hopeful of either or both making the three.

18.30 - Stratton Banker's case is easy to make, Stuart Williams' charge likely to be gunning for a five-timer but for meeting trouble in running on a couple of recent starts, and William Carson would do well to encounter such problems in a six-runner race. Hatta Stream also makes his way in, a winner on his only previous outing here and Lingfield, where he has run on both starts since, is probably less kind to front runners than this track.

Selections

16.00 - 1
16.30 - 4, 8, 9
17.00 - 3
17.30 - 4, 8
18.00 - 2, 4
18.30 - 3, 6

24 lines

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