Kempton Saturday Preview - 26/02/22

The first selection of the afternoon from Kempton comes in the Class 3 Handicap Chase and Deyrann De Carjac for Alan King is a horse that can bounce back to his best.

The nine year old although not been seen winning since 2019 has seen his mark been creeping down the handicap whilst running fairly credibly and back in this company presents him an opportunity to get back to winning ways.

This season the gelding need his seasonal debut being pitched into the Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November.

But since that run has been seen back at Prestbury Park on two occasions in similar Grade Three events and has finished fifth both times, firstly in the Racing Post Gold Cup in October and then on New Year's Day.

Dropping down to a mark of 129 in a Class 3 event having been running in Grade Three events makes him a big player if retaining all his ability.

He is now 8lb below his last winning mark.

One of the feature events of the afternoon is the Grade Two Adonis Juvenile Hurdle over two miles and the Milton Harris trained Knight Salute is the horse to beat.

Making his hurdles debut this term having been a very average horse on the flat, the gelding went into a Juvenile Hurdle at Sedgefield and bolted up by nine lengths.

In a better race at Kempton next time out he won nicely again from Impulsive One, who he takes on again in this event.

Seeking a hat-trick he headed to Cheltenham in November and landed the Grade Two Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle in dominant fashion.

Not knowing where the ceiling is with this horse, Harris sent him to Doncaster last time out in the Grade Two Summit Juvenile Hurdle and taking on the smart Porticello, who has since franked the form in a big way, he went on to beat him by close to a length.

That form looks very difficult to beat at the weekend and unless Paul Nicholls' newcomer is extra special, Knight Salute looks the one to be on.

The first Grade Two event over fences at Kempton on Saturday is the Pendil Novices' Chase and our selection Minella Drama is looking to make it back to back wins.

The Donald McCain trained seven year old was a very smart P2P horse finishing second on both his outings behind two smart types in Sir Gerhard and Erne River.

Bought for £60,000 by Green Day Racing, he was a smart hurdler last year, racing six times and never coming outside the top two in any of his races, winning on three occasions.

Having finished a narrow second in the Grade Two Supreme Trial at Haydock, he then won nicely in a Listed event at Market Rasen before finishing his hurdles career at Aintree's Grand National meeting when second to the smart My Drogo in the Grade One Mersey Novices' Hurdle.

Sent over fences this term the gelding got off the mark on his first try at Uttoxeter and then backed that up at Carlisle when a short head second to the smart War Lord for the Tizzard's.

Looking for Grade One glory next time out at Sandown he was well beaten in the Henry VIII Novices' Chase, with the race not going to plan.

Always looking like he needed a step up in trip he went to Haydock over 2m4f in a good Grade Two event and got back to winning ways in emphatic style.

Saved for this event since he looks a big player.

One of our best bets of the day comes in the Grade Two Dovecote Novices' Hurdle over two miles with Shallwehaveonemore looking a potential class above this field.

Only seen four times in his career, he made his bumper debut in March 2020 when bolting up at Kempton and after that was put away for this term.

Given his hurdles debut in October, he went to Ascot in a good Novices' Hurdle where he was narrowly beaten by a smart type for Paul Nicholls in Kandoo Kid, with the third that day Peking Rose since winning a nice event aswell.

Looking to frank the form in Grade One company in the Tolworth Hurdle he had to settle for fourth in heavy ground behind the monster Constitution Hill.

Shallwehaveonemore last time out was dropped back into novice company and got back to winning ways in extremely taking fashion, hosing up by 20 lengths.

He deserves his shot at this Grade Two and getting his preferred better ground we should see the best of him.

The final big event of the afternoon at Kempton is the big fielded Grade Three Coral Trophy Handicap Chase over three miles and we have two each way selections.

The first is the Christian Williams trained Five Star Getaway who has been a big ante-post mover in the betting and looks to have a solid each way chance.

Managing to land a hat-trick at Sandown, Haydock and Wincanton over 2m4f around this time last year, he was bumped up to a mark of 135.

He was then seen one more time last term where he the runs seemed to catch up with him and he could only manage seventh in the Novices' Champion Handicap Chase at Ayr.

Seen back for his seasonal debut in October at Chepstow he needed the run and then off a mark of 130 got back to winning ways over course and distance at Kempton.

Only upped 4lb for that win he went to Sandown in a competitive Handicap Chase and was a fair third, staying on well over the three miles.

He seems to have improved since going up to three miles this term and off the same mark of 134 on ground he loves, he is a bet for us.

From the same yard but at the other end of the betting market is the rank outsider Kitty's Light who looks massively overpriced at 22/1.

The six year old gelding has Brian Hughes booked which is always a bonus, but at his current price looks a tasty each way bet if bouncing back to form.

A winner at Kelso back in March last year off a mark of 135, he then stepped up in trip for the Grade Three Gold Cup Handicap Chase off 139 and was a narrow second in a photo-finish running a career best.

Kitty's Light returned in October at Chepstow finishing a narrow second to a well handicapped rival in Chirico Vallis.

He was then bumped up to a mark of 149 where he finished a superb second in the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase, but struggled back in handicaps since, being pulled up at Newbury and then running no race at all on two occasions in soft ground.

He is now back down to a mark of 140 which is very workable considering how he ran in the Grade Three Gold Cup off only 1lb higher.

Good/ good to soft ground is the key to this horse and he gets that Saturday.