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Two good runs from the selections yesterday in second and third
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Kempton's Wednesday card the focus and Alan likes a 2yo filly
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Tonight's two picks pay out 13/1 in a Sportsbook multiple if successful
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Haggas can trump Appleby for Kempton novice honours
Back Estidama @ 3.259/4 in the 19:00 Kempton
A pair of placed efforts yesterday with a second (again) and a third, so hopefully one or two played each-way, or maybe traded out as both Khabib and Kath's Toyboy went around 2.01/1 in-running.
With inspection season upon us, it's safer to stick with Kempton tonight under the lights and the rather expensive daughter of Kingman for Charlie Appleby heads the betting for this Fillies' Novice in Whispering Romance at 11/8, but it's not just the price tag of 1.45m for taking her on, as her debut victory over course and distance 37 days ago produced quite a poor timefigure, and was one of the slowest on the card that night.
Of course she may win and improve plenty, and the second fav Estidama didn't exactly burst the clock either at Southwell in October, but the way she overcame her evident inexperience was fairly taking.
A race finishing speed of nearly 109% highlighted how the contest turned into a sprint, and as a daughter of Farhh, her finishing sectionals of 11.37, 11.30 and 11.81 displayed a fair degree of speed for one from the stallion, whose stock tend to stay well. She also went left and looked around a fair bit.
Al Agaila is in opposition and has had three runs collecting a rating of 78, but that shouldn't be a figure that makes her a winner, but Estidama's wide move under a hand ride at Southwell was impressive and I'd rather back her at 9/4 to defy the penalty.
Gurkha looks a better filly on the All-Weather
Back Gurkha Girl 4.3100/30 in the 19:30 at Kempton
Roger Teal's finest moment came with Tip To Win's 2,000 Guineas success and his little half-sister Gurkha Girl is making up for lost time having had a few injury niggles during her career, but the 4yo looks capable of better and can be a force up in class this evening.
She's only rated 68, so clearly has to step up a bit, but she finished her race off well last time at Lingfield over 1m. She received the almost perfect Lingfield ride from David Probert with a handy position off the leader, and then reeled her in when angling off the turn to use the pick-up down the straight. It's how I like horses to be ridden there and Frankie Dettori used to be the master of that tactic - albeit many many years ago.
I can't knock the time of the race, as they went a very even and efficient gallop, and that was her second win on the AW from three starts at Lingfield and she simply could just be better on this type of surface.
The 4yo had previously been a bit unlucky at Wolverhampton with a rotten position out wide, but she is only up 4lb tonight and has shown she acts around Kempton with one start here in her younger days.
Probert is the leading rider this term at Kempton with 17 winners - three ahead of James Doyle.