ANNSAM can strike for the in-form Evan Williams by beating 12 rivals for the Coral Trophy Handicap Chase (3.00) at Kempton Park on Saturday.
The Vale Of Glamorgan trainer approaches the spring with his horses at the top of their game – and Annsam made his own contribution with a course-and-distance score last month.
The son of Black Sam Bellamy put in a shoddy round of jumping when pulled up in this race last February, but he fenced with panache in beating Smarty Wild here six weeks ago, making the running and sauntering clear in the straight to win by 17 lengths. The handicapper’s reaction to that performance – a 7lb rise in the weights – could have been worse, but this afternoon’s assignment still demands a personal best from Adam Wedge’s mount..
But there is plenty more to come from an eight-year-old who is having just his 10 th start over the larger obstacles and who has shown his form on all types of ground..
KITTY'S LIGHT is ripe to exploit a fall down the weights in the Vertem Eider Handicap Chase (3.25) at Newcastle.
Harry Cobden says winning Cheltenham ride on Il Ridoto did not deserve banIt is nearly two years since the Christian Williams-saddled seven-year-old saw the inside of a winner’s enclosure, after scoring at Kelso in March 2021.
Jack Tudor’s mount has drawn a blank in 14 subsequent efforts, but his defeats include podium efforts in Ayr’s Scottish Grand National and the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown Park in the spring of last year.
The latter came from a British Horseracing Authority rating of 145, so my selection makes plenty of appeal from a figure fully 13lb lower here.
Although beaten 20 lengths in third behind Annsam at Kempton Park in the middle of last month, Kitty’s Light was staying on at the finish in the style of a horse about to take a step forward.
The step up from three miles to four is a definite plus, and he rates a worthy favourite to take the £41,624 first prize back to his trainer’s Ogmore-By-Sea base in Glamorgan.
At Kempton, SCRIPTWRITER should come up with the right final act in the Grade 2 Coral Adonis Juvenile Hurdle (1.50).
Having made the perfect start over obstacles at Sedgefield and Cheltenham, Milton Harris’s youngster went in on the all-weather at Wolverhampton before a three-quarter-length second to Comfort Zone at the home of jump racing at the end of January.
Paddy Brennan’s partner has to carry a penalty for his Cheltenham success but is only at the start of his career journey and should prove up to the job.
The Grade 2 Sky Bet Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle (3.40) is a good opportunity for HANSARD to defend his unbeaten record over timber.
Having joined Gary Moore from Ireland, where he landed a Ballinrobe bumper from four starts, The Gurkha’s son impressed in victory at Huntingdon and Plumpton – and there is plenty more where that came from.
Newsboy’s Daily Double plus tips on every race from Thursday’s four meetingsThe Grade 2 Coral Pendil Novices’ Chase (2.25) brings together five promising fencers, with preference for DATSALRIGHTGINO.
A three-and-three-quarter-length second to Stage Star on Cheltenham’s Trials card ranks as a personal best for Jamie Snowden’s seven-year-old and a reproduction of it would see him give favourite Boothill plenty to think about.
Lingfield Park stages the Group 3 BetUK Winter Derby (2.05), in which LORD NORTH is expected to better his silver medal of 12 months ago.
The John and Thady Gosden seven-year-old gave best to Alenquer in last year’s race but the winner went on to lift the top-level Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh three months later.
Lord North is returning to the track after 238 days on the sidelines but has an excellent record fresh and has 12lb and upwards in hand of his opponents on official figures.
After a last-time-out fourth to Tone The Barone at Wolverhampton, ALLIGATOR ALLEY has a strong chance of turning the tables in the Listed BetUK Hever Sprint Stakes (1.30).
A lack of pace worked against David O’Meara’s speedball in the Black Country but there will be more competition for the lead here, and a 7lb pull in the weights also fuels hope of revenge.
CHEPSTOW
12.47 RAMBO T
1.22 IOUPY COLLONGES
1.57 ZAMBEZI FIX
2.32 EATON COLLINA
3.07 OPERATION MANNA
3.45 GALOP DE CHASSE
4.17 ALI STAR BERT
4.52 BEAT THE BAT
LINGFIELD PARK
12.55 RENARDEAU
1.30 ALLIGATOR ALLEY (NAP)
2.05 LORD NORTH
2.40 NOTRE BELLE BETE
3.15 BURGLAR
3.50 CRIMSON ANGEL
4.25 GRANDEE
5.00 SUNDAYINMAY
NEWCASTLE
1.10 ICI LA REINE
1.43 ENDLESS ESCAPE
2.18 BARON DE MIDLETON
2.53 HASHTAG BOUM
3.25 KITTY’S LIGHT (NB)
4.03 DUBAI DAYS
4.38 LIHYAN
5.15 MOONLIGHT GLORY
FAIRYHOUSE
1.35 ZENTA
2.10 PURSE PRICE
2.45 SPIRIT OF LEGEND
3.20 HAPPY DREAMS
3.55 LONGHOUSE POET
4.30 BRIDESWELL LAD
5.05 DOWN MEMORY LANE
KEMPTON PARK
1.50 SCRIPTWRITER
2.25 DATSALRIGHTGINO
3.00 ANNSAM
3.40 HANSARD
4.10 WILL CARVER
4.45 QUICK DRAW
5.20 BROOK BAY
CHELMSFORD CITY
5.10 WOODSTOCK
5.40 INVESTED
6.10 COME ON GIRL
6.40 BEAUZON
7.10 HALIC
7.40 RED EVELYN
8.10 ETERNAL HOPE
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