Who To Follow At Kempton On Saturday - 25/02/23

James Mackie | @JMackieRacing

Thu 23 Feb 2023 15.33

Kempton 15:40

Ukantango

J: Aidan Coleman

T: Olly Murphy

N/A

Age: 6

Weight: 11-5

OR: 129

Days: 49

The final Grade Two event of the afternoon from Kempton is the Dovecote Novices' Hurdle over two miles and we are taking on the favourite again with Ukatango for Olly Murphy.

A smart six year old that thrives on good ground the gelding made his rules debut in March last year when winning a bumper in good style at Stratford.

Sent hurdling next time out in May at Aintree he went on to bolt up by nine lengths, taking to the switch to timber well and again showing he acts best on quicker ground.

Making it 2/2 at Wetherby next time out under a penalty this time on good to soft ground he showed good determination to get the job done, going away from the field in the end.

Stepped up to the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle when last seen at Sandown, the ground turned extremely soft before the off and he did not handle it at all being pulled up before two out.

Forget that run, getting back to a sound surface in calmer waters can get him back on track.

Form: 1112PView

Date	Course	Distance	Type	Weight	Position
11/11/23	AIN	16	Sft	11-8	9
14/04/23	AIN	16.5	Sft	11-4	11
25/02/23	KEM	16	Gd	11-5	3
07/01/23	SAN	16	Sft	11-8	PU
13/11/22	CHL	16.5	Gd	11-2	2

Nicky Henderson sends a good team to Kempton on Saturday starting in the opener where he fields the juvenile Pawapuri who makes his hurdles debut having been a nice horse on the flat for William Haggas.

Henderson then fields the mare Tweed Skirt in the Grade Two Pendil Novices' Chase with the six year old doing very little wrong this term and getting the sex allowance could play a hand.

His next runners come in the Handicap Hurdle over 2m5f with Will Carver very interesting having his first start for 629 days and Scarpia arguably the better chance of the two on jockey bookings.

The Seven Barrows trainer sends Quick Draw out in the Handicap Chase over three miles with the gelding looking to land a hat-trick of wins.

Finally, the experienced handler turns out Iolaos Du Mou for just his second start in the bumper with the five year old bolting up on debut at Newbury in November and although under a penalty holds big ability.

Henderson heads into the weekend sporting a strike rate 27% for the last two weeks, managing to land nine winners from his last 33 runners.

Very experienced rider Daryl Jacob heads to Kempton on Saturday only for two rides and both of them look to have big chances.

The first is the Irish raider Nusret for Joseph O'Brien with the jockey being the retained rider for owners Simon Munir & Isaac Souede and this colt has a serious chance of going close off the back of his form this term.

Jacob's final ride of the afternoon comes in the Handicap Hurdle over 2m5f where he teams up with Nicky Henderson on Will Carver.

The gelding has not been seen for 629 days but comes into the race seeking a hat-trick and looking like a top of the ground horse he will get his conditions.