KEMPTON PARK RACES 2016 -- WEDNESDAY NIGHTS #24 17th AUGUST

Hope you are enjoying the Olympics from Rio it's a bit different to the "sand" we encounter here at Kempton and our 24th meeting of the season on Wednesday night see's us chasing a loss of -39.59 points, which I suppose is only 1.7 points per meeting if you look at it over the entire year to date. Hopefully we can still pick up the winning thread again and continue through into the turn of the year.

Though not as good as recent seasons have begun we do still have plenty of time to recover things. At least the places paid a little bit and the LAY bets are also still losing (or winning, depending on your view) so I'm remaining optimistic that things will turn in our favour soon.

As always our focus will be on the handicap contests for each meeting but will occasionally include a feature listed or conditions event too. Keeping records of our endeavours to a 1pt level stake at SP, naturally we will personally be looking to get better odds but for the purpose of the results we record to SP.

We will keep up with our occasional lay opportunity of short priced favourites and as a result of yet another successful lay last time out we have a success rate of 11 from 11. Results for this will be kept separately too and hopefully we can remain at 100% for a long while yet.

This week there's a 6 race card on offer, we have 4 handicaps to consider the opening two contests being maidens. The meeting will commence at 18:40 with a 7f maiden contest for 2yo only, and our first handicap gets underway at 19:40 also over 7f.

Here is a link to the evening's race card
http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/meeting/kempton-park/17-08-2016/fast-cards








The going on the polytrack surface is described as Standard to Slow and the current weather forecast is for a heatwave, well it'll be sunny at least this is England after all. The temperature is likely to rise to the highs of about 25C when the meetings begins and will cool during the evening, make sure you have plenty to drink.

Here are our selections for this weeks handicaps;

19:40 -- 7f Fillies Handicap.
Our opening handicap is the third race on tonight's card, and the top weight SWEET DRAGON FLY is our next LAY [LOST 4th 5/1]. Won a bath maiden over 6f and up in trip, up to handicap grade, and top weight should be sufficient to get her beat. 

Against the forecast favourite is MALMOSTOSA [6th 11/1] who having won her maiden on the AW at Wolves then stepped up to a mile at Yarmouth and was chasing down the leaders before fading in the final half furlong, a step back to the 7f on this surface should see her fare a lot better.

20:10 -- 1m Handicap (London Mile Series Qualifier).
A good field of 14 declared for this latest series in the Mile races, am going to dismiss the 3yos here as I expect one of the older horses to have their measure at this stage of the season. And it's AFJAAN [2nd 3/1] from Willie Haggis that I side with, has a good pedigree (Sired by Henrythenavigator) and ownership, has won a couple of races, proven on the AW surface and was in much better company recently at Goodwood when only beaten a couple of lengths. 

Expected to go well tonight 2nd beaten a head.

20:40 -- 2m Handicap.
A stayers event next where we've 8 declared, several inform runners here and most of the field have winning form over the distance and form on the track. 

Both MISTY BOB (on a hat-trick) and HATSAWAY (seeking a four timer) would be the obvious choices while in their current good run of form, the latter indeed getting plenty of weight from his rivals tonight. 

But we're going with JACOB CATS [4th 11/1] who chased up a decent horse at Sandown and has had six weeks off to recover from that effort. Looks decent enough on paper in this grade, has won at both Goodwood and Newmarket so if acting on the sand should be close.

21:10 -- 6f Handicap (3yo).
A sprint finale now and a dozen 3yo's declared, not many winners present so already might be better to side with one of the trio CURIOUS FOX [WON 12/1], OASIS MOON and SECRET INTERLUDE. 

Secret Interlude [9th 12/1] has had a little break, will prefer this track to the twists and turns of Brighton and the 5lb claim of Lucy Barry is very welcome. 

About time Jamie Osborne did me a favour here, no joy with Jamie, thankfully Curious Fox was a far more generous price than expected and able to take 12/1 about that one and Secret Interlude while Oasis Moon became the 2/1F instead.


Staked -- 5 points
Returns -- 13 points

Loss c/f to our next evening meeting now stands at;
-31.59 Points to level stakes at SP.

Lays -- 12/12 (Still 100%, and another successful lay tonight in the 19:40 which came 4th).

Our next Wednesday evening meeting at this course will be on August 24th.