Kempton Saturday Racing Preview

Kempton host a superb card of racing on Saturday and in the first contest of the day we like the look of Fergal O'Brien's five year old Polish.

The gelding has hardly put a foot wrong on both his outings to date since joining this new yard having previously been tried over the flat gaining a rating of 82.

On his first start over hurdles he finished a valiant second at Taunton behind a nice Philip Hobbs horse, but since then he has got off the mark at Ludlow and he should progress from that on Saturday.

The first big event of the day comes in the Grade Two Pendil Novices' Chase over two and a half miles and Master Tommytucker for Paul Nicholls looks the pick of the bunch.

The nine year old has been highly touted from this yard to be a very special horse and after he won nicely over two miles two furlongs at Kempton on his seasonal debut he backed that up.

He did look like he could go over further and although falling last time out in the Grade One Kauto Star Novices' Chase on Boxing Day, he should go well having had a break.

It is raining Grade Two action on Saturday at Kempton and the next contest of the day is the Adonis Juvenile Hurdle and again we have sided with Paul Nicholls.

He fields four year old Solo who is having his first ride for the yard but heads to over England as a big prospect having had two hurdle runs over in France.

In October he finished second of 17 runners in tough conditions and in even worse ground he broke is duck next time out at Auteuil and now under the tutelage of Mr Nicholls he could be a star.

The rescheduled Grade Two Kingwell Hurdle takes place this weekend after Wincanton as called off last weekend and in this hot contest we are siding with the Dan Skelton trained Ch'tibello.

The nine year old has finished second in this event twice and this year's renewal looks slightly weaker than previous ones he has ran in.

The gelding is a Cheltenham festival winner when landing the County Hurdle at the festival last season and comes here off the back of a decent fifth in the Grade One Christmas Hurdle with the form from that already being franked.

It would not be a big race on Saturday without us tipping up a Nicky Henderson trained horse and he fields Buzz in the feature contest of the afternoon.

The Grade Two Dovecote Novices' Hurdle sees decent field of youngsters head to post but this six year old looks a class above the rest from his two runs this year.

He started his life over hurdles at Taunton in January, having been a decent horse on the flat for trainer Hughie Morrison gaining a career high mark of 98.

He won on his timber debut showing plenty of scope to improve and the second that day has since gone on to land a Grade Two at Cheltenham which is a huge form boost.

Buzz with his form franked stepped it up again at Doncaster in another Novices' contest which held a tougher field but he came up with the same performance.

He looks a graded winner in the making and is versatile to handling any conditions.

The big chase event of the afternoon at the King George VI Chase track is the Betway Handicap Chase and we are looking for our third winner with a Paul Nicholls trained gelding.

Adrien Du Pont is a decent chaser for the yard and loves this race especially having finished third in the contest last season of six pounds higher which makes him a player.

He was pulled up on his seasonal debut showing that he needed the run and in a tough Class 2 next time out he was outclassed again but that form has been franked with Riders Onthe Storm landing a Grade One next time out.

The Class 3 Handicap Chase is the penultimate contest of the afternoon and the Philip Hobbs trained Keep Wondering looks to have a big chance.

This six year old has been in inspired form this season with figures of 2331 in all of his runs getting off the mark in good fashion at Ffos Las when dropped in trip.

Heavy conditions are what he revels in and he will get similar soft ground at Kempton.

The final runner of the afternoon comes in the two mile bumper contest and Nicky Henderson fields Bothwell Bridge that looks a bright youngster.

He made a very pleasing debut for the Seven Barrows Yard when finishing second of 15 runners at Huntingdon and he should progress nicely in this contest.

Henderson, as may will know is a very shrewd trainer in these types of races especially at this track with a 31% strike rate in bumpers at Huntingdon.