Sectional Debrief: Kempton, May 7

A fairly low-key meeting at Kempton on Monday provided few sectional highlights, with the surface slightly slower than usual and a greater number of truly-run races than has been the case of late. The latter is illustrated by the headline figures below, with all bar the fifth and sixth races fairly close to the optimum finishing speeds for the distances in question.

Of the two steadily-run races, Disclaimer's is the more interesting, with the winner and third Zeus Magic (64 sectional rating) better than the bare result might suggest. But the overall time is still modest and the mark-up as a result of sectionals does not entirely bridge the gap.

The runners in the 2yo opener all finished faster than par, but that is not to say that the front-running winner Meritocracy was flattered to any great degree. He ran fastest from the 3f sectional to put four and a half lengths between him and his nearest pursuer in a decent overall time and can rate into the 90s despite having looked nothing out of the ordinary previously. 

The gambled-on Storm Moon put in a closing sectional of about 34.0s to take the following 3yo handicap, but this was not a strong contest and the winner's chief rival in the market Angus Og (84 sectional rating) took too long to get going.

Mango Diva earned a good form rating for a maiden winner in coming late to land the odds at a mile, but the sound pace set by Hidden Belief (67 sectional rating) lent itself to such tactics and there is little sectional upgrading as a result.

One of the more interesting performances came in the mile handicap won by Magma. The pace was a fair one, but not stronger than that, and Ree's Rascal (81 sectional rating) did marginally best from the sectional, still closing in fourth at the line. A consistent sort, he looks to be capable of winning or nearly winning when things go more his way.

Charlotte Rosina recorded the best time of the day in coming late to overhaul Dancheur (82 sectional rating). The latter - who recorded the slowest time of all in this race from halfway - went a bit too quickly early and might have been picked as one to follow were it not that her best efforts have come when dominating like this. 

To Follow: Ree's Rascal
To Oppose: None    

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