Sectional Debrief: Kempton, Tuesday August 6

A three-week break since the last all-weather meeting at Kempton will have left fans of racing at the course suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Fear not, for not only was there racing there on Tuesday but there will be racing there on Wednesday, plus three more fixtures in August, before things get busy again in September. 

Tuesday's meeting was of the bread-and-butter variety, but with a tasty topping or two for sectional enthusiasts to enjoy. 

The headline finishing speed %s show that races were a bit more truly-run on the whole than usual, but that the first race, in which Barnmore came from four lengths back at the sectional, was run faster than ideal, and that races two and five were run at a pace slower than optimum.

That second race may be the most interesting of the lot from a sectional point of view, as it results in a mark-up which makes the overall times of the principals seem highly respectable. The biggest upgrades are for third and fourth, Mick Duggan and My Manekineko, who came from further back at the three-furlong marker than first and second. 

Mick Duggan, in particular, did well to come from more than six lengths back to be less than two lengths adrift at the line. A lightly-raced three-year-old from an unfashionable stable who came in for sustained support here, Mick Duggan earns a 79 sectional rating, which should be good enough to see him win in similar company when things pan out better. 

Pearl Spice's race was sufficiently messy that it is probably best not to take hard-and-fast conclusions from it, but sectionals suggest runner-up Ballinderry Boy is the equal of the front-running winner. 

I'm Fraam Govan's overall time is quite good for the grade, but it was achieved in near-optimum style so the upgrade is small. Badr Al Badoor and Truly Madly came home in similar fashion (and in the same sectional time) in their six-furlong successes. Both horses get marked up to sectional figures more in line with their apparent ability, and both are about 4 lbs better than the general level of the result of the race in which they ran. Amber Heights is in better form than her fourth to Truly Madly implies, also. 

Of even more note are the performances of the first two in the two-year-old maiden. A Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt beating a Godolphin-owned colt, the pair eight lengths clear, sounds exciting, and sectionals/overall times do not dampen enthusiasm. Intermedium ran closer to par but lacked Festival Theatre's experience. That said, the latter seemed to do especially well to run down his rival, having hit top stride only in the final two furlongs and had a few lengths to make up on one who was not stopping.

Festival Theatre could very easily be useful, especially when tried at a mile, and is added to the sectional "to follow" list.
 
"To follow": Mick Duggan, Festival Theatre