Racing Post day at Kempton

today´s high class card at Kempton is sponsored by the Racing Post, the U.K.´s (and probably the world´s) best racing paper, including excellent coverage from Germany. The richest race is the Racing Post Chase, a valuable handicap over 3 miles at 16.00 CET which has 17 runners and looks wide open. Top-weight Nacarat (Tom Feorge/ Paddy Brennan) is a real Kempton specialist, and won this race in 2009 before last year finishing runner-up to Razor Royale (Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies). Nacarat is now slightly better off at the weights, but we expect Razor Royale to defeat him again, but there are dangers galore, notably Fistral Beach (Paul Nicholls/ Tony McCoy), who started favourite last year but fell early on. In fact Fistral Beach has started favourite for his last 10 races, but he only managed to twice; however his trainer seems confident that he has ironed out his problems, and although he is not well handicapped, we must have him on our short list. Philip Hobbs has two fanc ied runners in Quinz, the choice of stable jockey Richard Johnson, and Mostly Bob (Tom O´Brien), while we also expect the 3 northern raiders Sagalyrique (Donald McCain/ Jason Maguire), Door Boy (/Howard Johnson/ Brian Hughes) and Safari Adventures (Lucinda Russell/ Campbell Gillies) to run well at big prices off their low weights.
The opening Grade Two Adonis Hurdle for 4yo´s at 14.55 sees several Triumph Hurdle hopes in the line up. We are not so keen on those with winning British form, and are certainly interested in the newcomers Molotof (Henderson/ Barry Geraghty), twice runner-up in Pau, the German-bred Lava Lamp (Evan Williams/Jamie Moore), a half-brother to Lady Marian and the even better-bred Zarkandar (Nicholls/ Daryl Jacob), a half-brother to Arc winner Zarkava. Molotof´s connections won this last year with Soldatino, who went on to score at Cheltenham; perhaps this is the successful cocktail for today .
Henderson introduces another newcomer in Celtus (Geraghty), who runs in the Grade Two Dovecote Novice Hurdle at 16.35; he won 3 of his 4 starts in France and could be good enough to score on his first British run. Unfortunately there are only 3 runners in the Grade Two Pendil Novice Chase at 15.25, where we expect Captain Chris (Hobbs/ Johnson), runner-up in all 4 starts this season in good company, to get the better of American Trilogy (Nicholls/ Nick Scholfield)
The handicap hurdle at 17.10 is another wide open affair, but the two German-breds First Stream (Johnson/ Hughes) and Ostland (Charlie Longsdon/ Kielan Woods) could both run much better than last time, when neither completed on very heavy ground. The going, while still on the soft side, will be more suitable today for these useful flat performers, both Group One placed in Germany.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Tonic Mellysse - Molotof - Zarkandar
2. Race: Captain Chris - American Trilogy - Adams Island
3. Race: Nacarat - Fistral Beach - Quinz
4. Race: Toubab - Sire De Grugy - Celtus
5. Race: Mr Hudson - Rollwiththepunches - Higgy`S Boy
6. Race: Forget It - Coup Royale - Sprint De Ferbet
7. Race: Tour D`Argent - Diamond Sweeper - War Of The World