Nacarat again at Kempton?

an excellent card at Kempton today is headed by the Racing Plus Chase, a Grade Three handicap over 3 miles at 16.50 CET. The most popular winner would undoubtedly be the 12yo grey Nacarat (Tom George/ Paddy Brennan), who is expected to be retired after the race. Drying ground and Kempton in late February bring out the best in him, and he has won this race twice already, in 2009 and 2012 and also finished placed twice in between. On the form of his runs since last year he cannot be recommended, but he runs so much better in this race that he cannot really be lett out. On recent form however Wyck Hill (David Bridgwater/ Tony McCoy) is clearly one for the short list; he has won both his statrs this season, last time beating Katenko, winner of two similar events since. He has been sold to top owner JP McManus (for an undisclosed but certainly high price) and is likely to start a warm favourite today. In our view, he represents no value at all, and in any case he may find this tri p on today´s ground too short for him- the Grand National is his target. Our choice is Same Difference (Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies), whose most recent third place to Unioniste reads very well.Rolling Aces (Paul Nicholls/ Ruby Walsh) has won his last 2 races and is clearly going places, but he could be too high in the handicap now, and Philip Hobbs´ two runners Quinz (Richard Johnson), the 2011 winner but pulled up all recent starts, and Duke of Lucca (Tom O´Brien) could have better prospects in a very open race.
We don´t fancy Nicky Henderson´s two runners here, but otherwise he and Nicholls should as so often dominate the card. Henderson has 3 of the 7 runners in the Grade Two 45yo hurdle at 15.05, but possibly Irish Saint (Nicholls/ Walsh), a leading fancy for ther ZTriumph Hurdle, could cpme oiut on top here. The Grade Two novice chase at 15.40 should lie between Molotof (Henderson/ Barry Geraghty) and Grandioso (Nicholls/ Walsh) and the same teams contest the Grade Two novice hurdle at 16.15 with our preference for Lac Fontana (Nicholls/ Walsh), who as a 4yo maiden is getting a lot of weight from the opposition.
The handicap hurdle at 17.25 is another very open affair, but the Twiston-Davies stable can possibly score again here with Kaylif Aramis, the form of whose win at Ffos Las has been upheld several times since .
With Ruby riding for the Nicholls stable at Kempton, the trainer has sent his other main jockey Daryl Jacob to Chepstow and he can take the opening race at the Welsh track on Irish bumper winner Pay the King, who makes his hurdling debut at 14.35. He also has a chance in the main event, a 2 mile handicap chase at 16.20, on Doeslessthanme, but this is another very open race and we just prefer Oh Crick (Alan King/ Josh Newman), who won the race last year and can go in again off 3 lbs higher.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Storming Gale - Filbert - Milarrow
2. Race: Irish Saint - L`Unique - Vasco Du Ronceray
3. Race: Molotof - Grandioso - Peckhamecho
4. Race: Lac Fontana - Brick Red - Forgotten Voice
5. Race: Wyck Hill - Rolling Aces - Opening Batsman
6. Race: Katkeau - Kaylif Aramis - God Of The Kop
7. Race: Beat That - Henryville - Black Cow