Alex Hammond tips: Racing blog ahead of Kempton Park

The relentless rain looks set to decimate Saturday’s turf schedule once again, so it’s probably safest to focus on the all-weather action at Kempton in this week’s blog, which I’ll do in a moment.

Everyone has their own view about how the seasons should work and there have been the usual rumblings about the start of the flat season being a damp squib (quite literally). I grew up with the March to November schedule, but it was before all-weather racing had really taken off and it seemed to work well back then.

With the changing climate the Lincoln start seems less satisfactory, particularly with the increasingly wet conditions. The championship season proper doesn’t start until Guineas weekend, and runs through until Champions Day in mid-October, so maybe it’s time for a rethink.

I’m not sure that time frame is the answer as it would be a short season, but it would be more pleasing for the turf action to start with a bang and then continue with some consistency. At present it starts at Doncaster, and then the turf fixtures are pretty sporadic until after the Grand National. Our sport could do with being less confusing in order to attract a new audience, and when racing professionals are slightly baffled with the stop start nature of the new flat season, then it could be time for a rethink.

So, to Kempton’s Premier Raceday which offers a classy seven-race card. The first to focus on is the Virgin Bet Daily Price Boosts Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes. The Listed contest is run over a mile and there are 10 declarations. Many Tears looks an exciting addition to James Ferguson’s string having been bought for 300,000 guineas at the December sales from Ger Lyons’ yard. She’s already a dual winner on the all-weather at Dundalk, including in Listed grade, so we know she’s up to this challenge.

I imagine the aim will be to win a Group race this season before she’s retired to the breeding paddocks. She has a sexy profile but may need to start with a bang for her new connections to beat this competitive field.

We know Choisya handles this track and trip having won a handicap over it on her last start in November. She’s improved gradually and has her first go in the company for co-trainers Simon and Ed Crisford.

Joseph O’Brien sends ADELAISE over for the contest in a bid for what’s known as black type. That’s when a horse wins or is placed in a Group or Listed race, and to get it enhances paddock/breeding value, so is important for fillies and mares. What’s interesting about this five-year-old is that she was a winner at Kempton for previous trainer Martin Meade two seasons ago. The mile trip suits her well and her trainer will be keen to get her to win this season as she hasn’t won since joining him in September 2022. She does seem to appreciate an artificial surface and wasn’t disgraced at Royal Ascot last summer, so I think it’s worth taking a chance on her, she’s 7/2 favourite with Sky Bet.

The next race in focus is the Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Rosebery Handicap over a mile and three furlongs. The race has attracted a maximum field of fourteen, so it has a competitive look to it. Sky Bet are paying five places, so that gives us a bit of scope to have a crack at something at a decent price if that’s your thing.

At 11/2 Chillingham doesn’t necessarily fill that criteria but he could run well on his seasonal debut for in-form trainer Ed Bethell. He won on his seasonal return this time last year and whilst he hasn’t won on the all-weather, he has run well on an artificial surface from limited chances. The form of his second place to Prydwen at Wolverhampton on his final start in November now reads well after that horse won the All-Weather Championships Marathon Handicap at Newcastle on Good Friday. Chillingham stays further than this trip but he’s effective over shorter, but it remains to be seen if this is too sharp a test.

The Andrew Balding trained Old Harrovian is Sky Bet’s 4/1 joint favourite with INTINSO for John and Thady Gosden. Old Harrovian has had just the four runs and is two from two on the all-weather. He was last seen running in a Group 3 at Newbury but was too keen and a tongue tie is added for this reappearance run. He needs to put his best foot forward to win off his mark, albeit he’s clearly well thought of as that Group 3 run would suggest.

Intinso is another intriguing runner in this open handicap. He has a lovely pedigree and is owned by Imad Alsagsr, who also bred him. You get the impression the gelding operation he had in November may well have been the making of him. He hacked up on his first start after that op at Wolverhampton in mid-March and was raised 8lbs in the ratings for his troubles. I think they’ll be plenty more to come though, and he’s high on my shortlist.

James Owen is a trainer making a name for himself under both codes and he runs an interesting horse here, the former Godolphin-owned, Charlie Appleby-trained CANNON ROCK. He was picked up for buttons (in the racing world) in September by his new trainer, who will have thought that was 16,000 guineas well spent when he won on stable debut at Southwell last month.

That was in novice company and the third placed horse had an official rating of 75, so 89 doesn’t look chucked in here, but he’s clearly on the upgrade and at 11/1 is an each way price. He’d be my each-way selection and I also like the look of Intinso, the mount of Hollie Doyle. He looks on the upgrade for team Gosden.

The final race to look at is the Virgin Bet Queen’s Prize Handicap over two miles.

Once again, we have a maximum field of 14 declared to go to post, and once again it looks wide open. Sky Bet have the James Owen trained Sweet Fantasy as their 11/4 market leader. She’s made a successful switch to hurdling for her new connections and now switches back to the flat over a trip further than she has tackled before on the level. She’s entered in the group 2 Yorkshire Cup though and that indicates her trainer thinks there’s more to come ability and trip wise, so a mark of 87 shouldn’t be insurmountable. Aidan Keeley also claims 3lbs off her back, so there’s plenty to like.

Novel Legend is 100/30 next in for trainer James Fanshawe who was back amongst the winners at Lingfield on Thursday. He has top weight to carry but is a previous course and distance winner.

Tritonic was last seen over fences at Cheltenham in December. He’s only had one start on the all-weather, but his trainer Alan King excels with this type of horse. He’s 8/1. Aqwaam is also an 8/1 shot and he’s a real all-weather operator. He hasn’t run here before though.

Spirit Mixer is a horse I’ve taken a shine to in the past. He’s a 9/1 shot for trainer Andrew Balding and jockey Oisin Murphy but needs to get back on track after a heavy defeat at Lingfield on his return. That was his first run for 11 months though, so I’d forgive that.

He has claims on his second place to Trueshan in the 2022 Northumberland Plate. He’s a pound lower in the handicap now after three subsequent out of the frame runs. He has a wonderful pedigree being by Frankel out of Group 1 winner Arabian Queen and I’m not abandoning him yet. However, a couple of lengthy absences suggests he’s had his training problems.

I definitely want SWEET FANTASY on side, and I’d love to see SPIRIT MIXER run a big race. Maybe we’ll see the latter at Chester again in May as he’s operated well round the Roodee in the past.

One final heads-up for Saturday and I’ll be in the Sky Sports Racing studio where the star of the show will be Il Est Francais, who takes his next step towards the French Gold Cup (Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris) at Auteuil. It’ll be his first run since his win at Kempton on Boxing Day in the grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase and it’ll be a shock if he’s beaten in the Prix Murat, which is scheduled to be off at 1.15pm.

Let’s hope the relentless rain abates soon. The focus next week turns to the Grand National and the ground looks set to be testing at Aintree too. I remember Red Marauder winning the race in a bog in 2001 and at the moment the National course is soft, heavy in places with an unsettled forecast before the meeting. I’ll be looking for horses with big feet for next week!

More from Sporting Life

• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.