Kempton Saturday race reports, reaction and free video replays

King's Trail cut to 20/1 for Guineas

King's Trail maintained the unbeaten start to his career with a taking success in the Virgin Bet/British EBF Conditions Stakes at Kempton on Saturday.

The son of Sea The Stars won at the same track on December 1 in impressive fashion and he was just as stylish on his second run after a cosy victory under Billy Loughnane.

Sent off the 4/7 favourite, he loomed up on the outside down the centre of the track inside the final quarter mile and galloped on for a length win over Conclave, who tried hard in second but couldn't get within striking distance of the winner.

On a day that Albert Einstein fluffed his lines at the Curragh, it's all change in the Betfred 2000 Guineas market and King's Trail was trimmed into 20/1.

Timeform view from the track: David Cleary

There was a sense of deja vu about the one-mile conditions race for colts and geldings at Kempton this afternoon. Two years ago, the race had been won impressively by the subsequent Guineas winner Notable Speech, his performance marked by a fine turn of foot. Today, King's Trail, from the same stable as Notable Speech and sent off at the same starting price 7/4-on, looked a potential star with a fine turn of foot – enough in his performance to suggest he'll make an impact in pattern company, even if he isn't quite another classic winner in waiting.

King's Trail, having just his second run, almost four months after his taking debut win here, looked beforehand as if the race would bring him on. He's a strong colt, not the biggest in the field, and it's possible looking at his physique and style of racing that he won't be so thorough a stayer as might be expected of a son of Sea The Stars. He certainly found a good turn of foot to go to the front and was always doing enough to maintain his advantage.

King's Trail was chased home by the three longest-priced runners in the field, but the runner-up Conclave looks the part and had just one run under his belt, so marked improvement on his part isn't a surprise. The pair were nicely clear of the more exposed Lake Como. King's Trail's performance on initial assessment looks around 5lb shy of what Notable Speech, on his third run, achieved in the race. It's clearly a strong platform on which to build.

Johnston strikes with Align The Stars

Align The Stars (5/1) got back up to win the Virgin Bet Queen's Prize Handicap.

Charlie Johnston's five-year-old was headed by Sir Mark Prescott's gambled on Blindedbythelights (9/4 favourite) in the straight but the market leader hung away his chance under Dylan Hogan.

That allowed the son of Sea The Stars to retake the lead on the far rail and Callum Shepherd pushed him out for a one and three quarter length victory.

It was only his fourth go at the two-mile trip and it halted a losing run of 13 stretching back to the 2024 season when he won three in a row.

Gamrai on target in the Rosebery

John & Thady Gosden struck for only the third time this year as their Gamrai (15/2) eased clear in the Virgin Bet A Good Bet Rosebery Handicap.

The son of Lope De Vega was gelded in the winter and he improved markedly on the back of the procedure, producing a clear career-best in the hands of Rob Hornby.

The lightly-raced four-year-old was always prominent as he tracked the pace set by favourite Respond and he took over early in the straight before quickening a couple of lengths clear.

Very little made inroads from off the pace and he was three lengths clear of Whitcombe Rockstar at the line, with Respond clinging on for third.

Pina pounces in Snowdrop

James Fanshawe's Pina Sonata ran out a comfortable winner of the Listed Virgin Bet Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes under Daniel Muscutt.

The four-year-old daughter of Pinatubo had a good spring as a three-year-old when she won her sole previous start on the all-weather at Wolverhampton, but she disappointed upped in grade last autumn.

Back on the all-weather for this Listed contest, she was going well two furlongs out when hitting the front and she pulled clear of Never Let Go for a length and a half success.

Cathedral (11/8 favourite) edged market rival Survie (9/4) for third.

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