Daryl Carter's Tips: Stonific 11/4 can make light work of Ludlow rivals

• Stonific looks like a winner in waiting at Ludlow

• Back Handicap debutant to far exceed her opening rating

• Buick and Balding can enhance excellent strike rate

14:10 Ludlow - Back Stonific @ 11/43.75 1.5pt

Today's race is a fantastic opportunity for Stonific - 11/43.75 on the Betfair Sportsbook - to get back in the winner's enclosure, having firmly signalled at Southwell in a stronger race than this last time that his time was near.

The ten-year-old was backed at high prices on the opening betting show eight days ago, and while the favourite was disappointing, he put in an excellent showing to run home a clear second-best on the day.

He travelled strongly off a steady pace and quickened up to produce a performance in line with his best efforts in this sphere, and despite his age, he has only had 15 hurdle starts but has hit the frame in nine of those.

He was rated as high as 122 when joining this yard from David O'Meara, and now down to a workable mark of just 103, he looks ready to exploit that in this lowly Class 4 0-115.

He caught the eye at Market Rasen on his penultimate start when suffering a very wide trip throughout. Still, he managed to finish ahead of today's rival, Enthused, despite having gifted that one a run when switched inside.

The selection is handicapped to have a big say and may have won a Class 2 Market Rasen Handicap off a rating of 122 this time last year had he not badly blundered the final flight. That Market Rasen run came in the first-time tongue-tie cheek-piece combination. That combo returns today while the rain due around the country will hold no fears as he clocked his best time figure on heavy ground at Doncaster three years ago when scoring readily.

The market has this wrong in favouring Enthused, so ensure it's punished with a bet at 11/43.75 or bigger.

16:17 Kempton - Back Mezzo Soprano @ 13/82.63 1.5pt

This race can go to Simon And Ed Crisford's Mezzo Soprano - 13/82.63 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who can maintain her unbeaten record now moving into handicaps.

She was impressive in beating a subsequent winner under a penalty at Thirsk, and the clock backs up the theory that she is ahead of the handicapper off of this opening rating of just 75.

She clocked the fastest time on the card of the four six-furlong races by a good margin, and her comparative sectionals were impressive compared to the two-year-old seven-furlong winner, Zabriskie Point, who is rated 93 and has shown useful form.

The daughter of Exceed And Excel is a half-sister to Cool Lightening, who has done all of her racing on the AW, so the switch to this surface should prove no issue. Her strongest furlong at Thirsk was her final one, which negotiates any concern about the extra distance - again clocking the fastest final sectional of any race over six or seven furlongs on the card.

She has a bright future and will rate far higher than this opening rating of 75.

Back her at 11/102.11 or bigger.

19:30 Kempton - Back Barrier @ 11/26.50 1pt

Despite the numbers in this race, it's not that deep of a contest, and there must be more to come from Andrew Balding's Barrier - 11/26.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook.

Despite being rather hit-and-miss in four starts, the three-year-old has offered plenty of promise, but her latest Goodwood second to the useful Lucky Fifteen, who is prominent in the betting for the Class 2 Old Rowley Cup at Newmarket on Saturday, is a good piece of form. The third was a winner the next time and rated higher in the handicap, and the fourth won the next time out.

She had shaped with a good deal of promise from off a steady pace at Ascot last September on her second career outing behind the useful 90-rated Alseyoob, who has since boosted the form by running a two-length second to 1,000 Guineas winner Mawj in Dubai amongst other good runs.

The runner-up, Red Riding Hood, is a Group 3 winner, rated 104. At the same time, even the fifth and sixth are both winners - the latter rated nine pounds higher than this rating of 70 for Barrier. The selection was far better than the bare result on that occasion, having been slowly away and denied a clear run at a crucial moment (beaten five lengths) over a trip too short.

Those two runs give enough evidence to think she can make a winning return if she puts her best foot forward after a summer break in this Class 5 0-72 with connections calling on William Buick to take the ride. Andrew Balding has had a 21% strike rate at Kempton this year and a 33% strike rate (7-21) when booking William Buick (50% on the AW 1-2).

She is bred to be pretty useful - a close relation of Pied Piper - and this move back up in trip is undoubtedly a source of improvement (as it was for Pied Piper).

At the same time, her attitude was shown to good effect in a duel with Lucky Fifteen at Goodwood in first-time cheek-pieces. They remain, and a form line ties in fellow three-year-old Sea Me Dance to see her in a positive light in this scenario, while Bohemian Breeze has some useful form and could provide the chief threat ahead of Ithaca's Arrow.

Still, the rest are exposed, and I am happy with a bet at 4/15.00 or bigger with the high draw of little concern over this 1m4f trip.