19:40 Kempton

Wednesday 20 December 2017

All16:1016:4017:1017:4018:1018:4019:1019:40

32Red.com Handicap

Off time: 19:41 | Winning time: 3m 27.44s

(3)

Spiritoftomintoul^b⁵⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 9-10| J: George Downing| T: A W Carroll| OR: 60| CD

14/1

Falling in the weights, but that's because he hasn't sampled success since February 2016. Returns to the AW, having last raced on turf in late October, when well down the field at Newbury (2m).

Form: 275558

(2)

Great Return¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-10| J: Edward Greatrex| T: W Greatrex| OR: 60

4/1

Formerly with Lisa Williamson, but took a major step forward on stable debut at Lingfield recently (first start since June) when finishing 3½L third to Strictly Art (2m). Interesting.

Form: 9-67053

(8)

Aumerle⁵⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-8| J: L Morris| T: S Lycett| OR: 58

7/1

Hasn't won since December 2015 (1m5f+), but is 12lb lower in the weights now as a result. Stamina a slight question mark.

Form: 455256

(11)

Unblinking⁷⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Liam Keniry| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 57

20/1

Essentially has looked fairly slow, but has been spotted making late progress over shorter trips on the Flat, so worth a try over this trip (hurdles placed over 2m).

Form: 60-88

(4)

Howardian Hills^h²⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: K Shoemark| T: V R A Dartnall| OR: 57

14/1

His sole career success was in a 1m4f Wolverhampton claimer in July (33/1), so that probably tells a tale. That said; he has at least one solid Kempton effort in the book (September 2017), where he shaped like this trip was worth a try.

Form: 182975

(9)

Maid Of Tuscany^b²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 9-5| J: A Kirby| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 55| D

33/1

A winner over 1m6f at Catterick in October 2016 for Alex Dunn, but kept almost exclusively over hurdles since (often in sellers). Race-fit, and worth a market check.

Form: 50/4310-

(14)

Tommys Geal¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-3| J: Nicola Currie⁽⁷⁾| T: M Madgwick| OR: 53| C

25/1

In reasonable form during May (1m2f-1m3f), but this four time career winner from 45 starts looks vulnerable over this longer trip.

Form: 522008

(13)

Wintour Leap^p¹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 9-2| J: Oisin Murphy| T: R Stephens| OR: 52| D

20/1

Made the frame (beaten 5½L) at Lingfield on her penultimate start, and has dropped 3lb since. Effective over this trip, third over C&D in October, but remains a 17 race Flat maiden.

Form: 377330

(1)

Enola^p1¹⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: Josephine Gordon| T: Miss A Murphy| OR: 58

33/1

A winner on turf on debut at Lingfield in June (1m3f+) for Ed Dunlop, but was sold for just 5,000 gns the following month. Modest on both starts for this stable, so this trip looks an experiment at best in first time cheek-pieces.

Form: 16976

(10)

Grey Diamond¹²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-1| J: Danny Brock| T: D P Quinn| OR: 57

100/1

Cost 58,000 gns as a foal, but has continued to disappoint in six starts for Mark Johnston and was knocked down cheaply for just 1,000 gns last month. Stable debut over a new trip from a lowly mark, but very risky.

Form: 753059

(12)

Sea's Aria^t⁶⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 9-1| J: R Havlin| T: M R Hoad| OR: 51| BF| D

16/1

Twice a winner in Ireland for Denis Hogan (Flat and Hurdles), but has struggled through much of 2017, and was moved on for £4,800 last month. Feasibly handicapped if the stable switch can rejuvenate.

Form: 716-854

(5)

Navajo Star^v⁴²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: A Mullen| T: M Appleby| OR: 56| D

12/1

The handicapper has checked her progress since her quickfire 2m Chelmsford and Newcastle victories during October. However, this ranks as a very winnable contest, and she wouldn't need to find that much more improvement in order to bounce back.

Form: 741144

(7)

Black Prince^t⁵²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: D C Costello| T: A J Honeyball| OR: 56| D

5/2

A game winner over this trip on his last Flat start at Chelmsford in October (3lb higher now), and has since run well in a Wincanton juvenile hurdle when 5L second to Thounder. Less exposed than most, and one for the shortlist.

Form: 303031

(6)

Ding Ding¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 9-0| J: S Donohoe| T: Miss S West| OR: 50| BF| D

5/1

A winning machine over hurdles at Plumpton since November 2016, and has had just the one run on the Flat during that period; beaten 4½L by Lake Shore Drive (Wintour Leap third) over 2m at Lingfield last month. Player.

Form: 5329/8-2

Result Amended

Unblinking - Original Position 6th. Amended Position 5th.

Howardian Hills - Original Position 9th. Amended Position 8th.

Maid Of Tuscany - Original Position 12th. Amended Position 11th.

Tommys Geal - Original Position 4th. Amended Position 14th.

Wintour Leap - Original Position 14th. Amended Position 13th.

Enola - Original Position 7th. Amended Position 6th.

Grey Diamond - Original Position 13th. Amended Position 12th.

Sea's Aria - Original Position 8th. Amended Position 7th.

Navajo Star - Original Position 11th. Amended Position 10th.

Black Prince - Original Position 5th. Amended Position 4th.

Ding Ding - Original Position 10th. Amended Position 9th.

Forecasts

Black Prince (5/2), Great Return (4/1), Ding Ding (5/1), Aumerle (7/1), Navajo Star (12/1), Spiritoftomintoul (14/1), Howardian Hills (14/1), Sea's Aria (16/1), Unblinking (20/1), Wintour Leap (20/1), Tommys Geal (25/1), Enola (33/1), Maid Of Tuscany (33/1), Grey Diamond (100/1)

A wide open finale in which recent hurdles form is plentiful, with the key contenders mixing obstacles with Flat racing. Black Prince is less exposed than most, and returns to synthetics just 3lb above his last winning mark following a decent hurdles debut at Wincanton. Sea's Aria debuts for Mark Hoad from a fair mark having seemingly lost his way in Ireland, whilst Maid Of Tuscany goes on the Flat for the first time since joining Neil Mulholland. Great Return should prove capable of making the frame, and looks a much more interesting proposition now with Warren Greatrex, but the selection is the Plumpton specialist DING DING. She looks a key player on the strength of her Lingfield AW effort last month, and more than likely will confirm placings with her old rival Wintour Leap tonight.