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Moorsbrook will relish step back up in trip
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'Horse In Focus' Moonshine can strike
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Apiarist looks better than ever
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This isn't a deep race by any means, but the Mel Rowley-trained Moorsbrook has more upside to most now making her handicap debut, especially now moving back up in trip.
She showed fairly useful form in bumpers, her standout effort coming when finishing third to a useful type at 250/1 a couple of years ago, and she's improved with each run over hurdles since returning from a lay-off in December.
Moorsbrook was beaten a fair way on her first two starts back, but showed much more down in trip at this course last month, doing all of her best work at the finish without being knocked about.
She is just the type to raise her game in handicaps from this low base with this return to further bound to suit, while an opening mark of 88 may prove lenient, particularly on her bumper exploits - Moorsbrook is top rated on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings and is also the only horse in the field who has the Timeform small p attached to her rating, denoting she's entitled to improve further.
Back Moorsbrook in the 15:00 Hereford
Moonshine showed plenty to work on when finishing third over this trip on her debut at Newbury last summer, in need of the experience and doing all of her best work at the finish.
She failed to land the odds up slightly in trip at Haydock three weeks later, but she caught the eye on her return from seven months off back over six furlongs at Lingfield recently.
Moonshine was unlucky not to win that day, a tardy start leaving her not ideally placed, while she was also forced wider than ideal on the home turn, keeping on well in the straight and just failing to get her head in front - she has the Horse In Focus Flag as a result.
That run should have put an edge on her and, with the more galloping nature of this track likely to suit better, she can deservedly open her account.
Back Moonshine in the 16:55 Kempton
This looks a cracking handicap, with plenty of all-weather form to go on, but Apiarist arrives right at the top of his game, and brings the most compelling claims once again.
He has a positive record on the all-weather, four of his five career wins coming on an artificial surface at a 50% strike rate and, having caught the eye on his return at Newcastle in January, he was well backed to resume winning ways over a mile at Lingfield recently.
That race went well for him, things opening up nicely for him in the straight and he was always holding on once hitting the front to hold at bay a consistent and smart all-weather performer.
The return to seven furlongs won't be an issue, especially at this track which will suit his run style better, and a subsequent 3lb rise in the weights looks perfectly fair considering his latest run was a career-best effort.
Back Apiarist in the 18:30 Kempton