All-Weather racing tips, news and tracker horses

By Andrew Asquith

Horse Racing

Thu December 14, 2023 · 2y ago

Andrew Asquith backed up last week's winners with another 13/2 winner at Kempton - don't miss his all-weather eyecatchers.

Two horses for you Sporting Life My Stable

One of the biggest eyecatchers on the all-weather in the last week was undoubtedly Sardinian Warrior, who finished runner-up on his debut over a mile at Kempton last Wednesday. All eyes were on 2,000,000 guineas purchase El Cordobes, a well-related colt trained by Charlie Appleby who really took the eye in the preliminaries, but what he was able to achieve on the track was adequate at best, finishing down the field in sixth. The market expected much more and he will surely be capable of better moving forward, but it was an underwhelming debut to say the least.

Sardinian Warrior, on the other hand, shaped with an abundance of promise, in clear need of the experience in the first half of the race, and still having plenty to do over a furlong out, but what he did from that point after the penny began to drop marks him out as a colt chock-full of potential. He rattled home to take second place well inside the final furlong all under a hands-and-heels ride and that visual impression was also backed up by the clock.

From the three-furlong pole Sardinian Warrior was just under a second faster than the winner – who set a clear standard on form – and even quicker than the remainder of his rivals, which resulted in an 18 lb sectional upgrade by Timeform. He looks a banker for a similar event, but more importantly he looks a smart prospect who could hardly be in better hands.

Sterling Knight is another horse to add to your Sporting Life My Stable following his effort at Lingfield also last week. He was surprisingly easy to back in the market given he had created a favourable impression when winning at Wolverhampton three weeks prior, convincingly beating a next-time-out winner, and he shaped much better than the bare result in a race which wasn’t run at a true gallop.

The winner very much had the run of the race and the chasing pack didn’t stand a chance of catching him once he kicked for home in the straight. However, Sterling Knight finished his race like a horse still at the top of his game, and was far from knocked about in the closing stages, his rider not even raising his stick. That effort can be marked up further when taking sectionals into account, too, Sterling Knight the only horse in the field to run the final two furlongs under 22 seconds (21.92), in turn earning himself an 11 lb sectional upgrade by Timeform. He therefore remains a horse to be interested in this winter, well up to winning similar races from this sort of mark.

All-Weather Angle tips: Wednesday December 13

1pt win McLean House in 7.00 Kempton at 13/2 (General)

1pt win She's Centimental in 8.00 Kempton at 17/2 (General)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

There is more listed action at Kempton this evening as the Wild Flower Stakes, run over a mile and a half, takes centre stage on an eight-race card. On paper, it looks an excellent opportunity for 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Rebel’s Romance to resume winning ways, and the market duly reflects that.

He started the 10/3 second favourite for the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan which was won by Equinox – who has recently retired as the worlds highest rated horse on the Flat – and also contained other Group 1 winners like Mostahdaf and Westover. Rebel’s Romance has no rivals of that calibre on his return from a short break dropped into listed company, and really should be winning, but he makes no appeal at the prices.

One horse I am interested in backing this evening is SHE’S CENTIMENTAL in the fillies’ handicap over six furlongs. It is no surprise that she has taken so well to all-weather racing looking at her pedigree, and she looked a useful sprinter in the making when winning three of her first four starts, the latest of those coming at Wolverhampton in April on her handicap debut from a BHA mark of 77.

She beat a heavily-backed odds-on shot on that occasion who has gone on to have a cracking year, so the form has substance, and She’s Centimental went through that race like a horse some way ahead of her mark, going a couple of lengths clear in the straight and always holding on.

Things having gone to plan since, however, not proving as effective on turf, but also disappointing in a couple of starts on the all-weather in between. However, there was plenty more to glean from her recent return to action back at Wolverhampton, where she only beat one rival home, but shaped much better than the bare result.

The reopposing Crimson Angel finished a close second on that occasion, but she had a clearer run that most of her rivals, including She’s Centimental, who encountered trouble early in the straight and was never able to open up, while she also ran through the line with plenty of running left.

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She did show a tendency to lug a little to her right, too, so it will be interesting to she her at this right-handed track. She’s Centimental has a wide draw, but there is pace to her inside, so she should be able to drop in nicely, and she is now 2 lb below her last winning mark.

I wasn’t surprised to see the John Butler-trained Soar Above get supported in the overnight markets, given the stable are going along nicely and this represents a slightly easier assignment for the horse, while he is also now below his last winning mark.

He might bounce back to his best and dot up, but he is generally half the price he was at the time of writing, and he failed to beat a rival home over course and distance last time. For me, the one to beat is MCLEAN HOUSE, who won both of his starts over course and distance earlier in the year, and didn’t shape too badly on his return and handicap debut at Wolverhampton three weeks ago.

That was his first start for nine months – and since undergoing a gelding operation – and he left the impression he would come on for the run, moving into the race nicely but unable to pick up at the same rate of knots as the principals. That form is worth viewing positively, too, the winner Sterling Knight (mentioned later) running well in defeat since, while the runner-up won next time.

McLean House is a nice stamp of a horse and even in his wins earlier in the year, he didn’t do anything quickly, so the switch back to Kempton, which has a longer straight, is expected to suit him much better, allowing him more time to move into top gear. He seems sure to have come on plenty for his latest run and, after just four starts, he is still unexposed. I though he would have been favourite for this, so I’m inclined to get him on side at the current odds.

Preview posted at 0840GMT on 13/12/2023

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