Sand Stormers: Zain Princess one to note in handicaps

Sand Stormers / Paul Smith / 15 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Teen Ager bids for glory at the evening meeting at Kempton on Wednesday.

"Either way, he [Sole Danser] is still on a very workable mark and should be a money-spinner for connections in the coming months as he has loads of untapped potential....."

Paul Smith has a couple more horses to follow in the latest edition of Sand Stormers.

So, Lastkingofscotland couldn't overcome his wide draw at Kempton on Wednesday but he showed what he could do at the replacement fixture at the same track on Saturday, making all and winning with something up his sleeve.

He did enjoy the run of the race there though and, for all he should still be competitive off his revised mark, he will do well to find things panning out quite so well in the future. His work is done for the purposes of this column.

That isn't the case with George Guru, who was another horse-to-follow to go in at Kempton on Saturday. He was well backed once again and ran out an easy winner in the end. A small rise in the weights isn't going to handicap him out of things and his profile is one of steady progression.

Although there was an abundance of All Weather action last week, there are only two new additions to the list, namely Sole Danser and Zain Princess.

Milton Bradley has long been revered for his skills with sprinters and in Sole Danser he has an unexposed, well-bred sprinter who seems to be learning as he goes along.

He relished the drop to 6f at Kempton on Wednesday, settling well and putting the race to bed in the final furlong. That was impressive enough, but I thought his defeat on Saturday was equally promising.

He pulled hard in a race run at a steady gallop, but he still loomed up with what looked a menacing challenge, only for his effort to peter out close home.

A more truly run race will see him to better effect and he looks to have sufficient speed to cope with a drop to 5f if connections see fit. Either way, he is still on a very workable mark and should be a money-spinner for connections in the coming months as he has loads of untapped potential.

Gerard Butler has gone off the radar in recent seasons but his few runners on the All Weather this winter have been going very well.

Zain Princess needed a drop into a seller to get off the mark but the way she travelled through the race suggested she could hold her own in a better grade. She was still green when first asked to make her challenge, but she was going away at the line and will know more with a first 'proper' race under her belt.

An opening handicap mark of 61 doesn't look excessive and there ought to be plenty of suitable opportunities for her in the coming weeks, especially as she threatens to stay further.

Looking ahead to this week, Mr Willis is entered in a warm event at Lingfield on Saturday (16.00). He did very well to finish as close as he did over C&D last time and is up to winning a similar race, but a cursory glance at the four-day entries does highlight a potential pace problem - most of the entries are happiest when held up.

There aren't that many suitable races for him though and hopefully he won't be set too much to do this time.

Teen Ager suffered a troubled passage in running at Kempton last time and he can make amends in the 18.40 at the same track on Wednesday.

This is a slightly stronger race than last time and he could have been better drawn, but he has proven himself in better races than this in the past and his hold-up style of racing does help counter the draw slightly.

He looks worth a bet to reverse recent placings with Emerald Royal, albeit with the caveat that you might want to put in a lay at around 2.10 on Betfair - he hasn't always seen his races out as well as he has promised to.

Sand Stormers NAP
Teen Ager (18.40 Kempton, Wednesday)

LIST OF HORSES TO FOLLOW
Adorable Choice (underrated filly who did well to last as long as she did at Newbury (21/10))
Bond Fastrac (still well handicapped on old form and good second at Nottingham (11/10))
Chambles (going the right way and latest third (12/1) better than it looks)
Flag Of Glory (shaped nicely on first run for Peter Hiatt (27/10); can do better)
Forever's Girl (best of those held up (10/11), return to 6f, Polytrack a plus)
George Guru (lightly raced and still on the up; poor draw (2/11))
Glastonberry (stuck to the inside (7/1) and still open to improvement)
Global Village (did well to make up as much ground as he did (2/1))
Greek Islands (looked worth upping in trip (12/10))
Incomparable (looks ready to strike when dropped back to 5f)
Intransigent (related to smart AW performer and promise on debut (10/10))
Kames Park (no chance the way he was ridden in slowly run race (12/10))
Mr Willis (best of those held up at Lingfield (4/2))
Priestley's Reward (ran best race so far when second on All Weather debut (22/10))
Showboating (good effort in slowly run race (14/1))
Sole Danser (progressive sprinter, more to come (11/2))
Teen Ager (repeatedly hampered at Kempton (1/2))
Wrapped Up (no chance from a wide draw last time (18/11); still unexposed)
Zain Princess (unexposed and looks type to make mark in handicaps (11/2))