KEMPTON PARK HORSE RACING 2021 - MEETING #13 WEDNESDAY 19th MAY + RACEGOERS ARE BACK!

Welcome to Kempton Park racecourse a season of evening meetings following the events on a Wednesday night on the all weather flat track under the lights. We will be blogging throughout 2021 till the end of the year. Started well this season pleasantly still ahead as we pass the middle of May. Bit of a lull elsewhere for me, AFC Wimbledon ended their season the other week, surviving another season in League One, while the Epsom Derby / Oaks will be held in a couple of weeks time. NFL Fixtures due out too shortly while the 2021 London games have also been confirmed for the Tottenham Stadium, also Wembley will have welcomed about 20,000 fans from Chelsea and Leicester City for the FA Cup final. Congratulations to Leicester on their 1-0 victory which should be dedicated to the late owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

Returning to the horse racing all results here are reported to 1pt at Starting Prices (SP) we will be keeping a rolling record of profit/loss all the way through from January till the Boxing Day 'King George' fixture in December. A successful opening first quarter in 2021 means we arrive here with a +32.055 profit and will continue to keep a record to SP throughout the season.

Throughout the year we will keep up with our occasional lay opportunities of anticipated short priced favourites too. Naturally we will keep these results separately from the handicap figures we had been fairly successful with our selections throughout last year managed to get plenty of favourites beat so we finished on 33/49 (67.34%). We reset the counters for 2021 and will be continuing this throughout the year again. Currently standing at 12/17 (70%) after the latest meeting and we shall see how things progress during the year ahead. 

This week will be our thirteenth Wednesday evening meeting of the year and gladly this week we begin to see the return to spectators on the racecourse not just the few owners. Tonight's meeting we shall now be expecting a seven race card with five handicaps for us to review. Our action will now commence at 17:25 with a one mile apprentice handicap event, then we should end the card around about 20:35 with our final handicap event over just under twelve furlongs. 

Here's a link to this Wednesday's race card; RACECARD

Going and Weather -- The going on the polytrack surface is described as 'standard to slow' and the current weather forecast for this Wednesday is for a somewhat wet afternoon and early evening with regular showers in the forecast but a higher temperature of around 17C tonight - hopefully the showers will not put off the spectators that will be returning here for the first time tonight.

Here are our handicap selections for tonight;

17:25  Unibet Casino Deposit 10 Get 40 Bonus Apprentice Handicap (3yo)
1m  [Class 5  10 runners]

The declarations are now in and we've still five handicaps to review, beginning with this one for 3yo's and all apprentice jockey's. The field of ten is headed by Natural Value (Jonny Peate) has had only three all weather runs as a 2yo and might need this race on his debut as a 3yo. Sir Mark Todd has started his training career well with his small yard and has L'OPERATEUR [6th 4/1] here, had a recent run at Windsor where he was runner up and now returns to the all weather surface. Will also have an interest in IVYNATOR [7th 10/3] (C Fellows) a winner last year at Newcastle and now has the talented Saffie Osborne in the saddle who I think will be one to follow.

18:00  Unibet Extra Place Offers Every Day Handicap

1m  [Class 4  11 runners]

Another mile contest for older horses, plenty of experience and previous winners amongst them but my eye is drawn to BONNEVAL [2nd 10/3] (J Fanshawe) only raced three times, won his second contest last year at Ripon and returned this year with a place effort here and could well come on for that run. Also at the bottom end of the handicap tonight we've BORN TO FINISH [7th 50/1] (C Poulton) who will have the assistance of Hollie Doyle. Won back to back all weather events in January including around this track, showing that even as an 8yo there's plenty of talent still on show.

19:35  Try Our New Price Boosts At Unibet Handicap

1m 3f 219y  [Class 3  7 runners]

Just the seven now for this next handicap, better grade and all have a chance, GREAT ESTEEM [4th 11/1] heads them and is rarely out of the equation now dropped a little by the handicapper could go well under Hollie Doyle, then we have KEPALA [6th 18/1] who is fairly lightly raced, but will enjoy the trip and although it's her seasonal debut might be a bit of value against the field. Repeat of her short head second place at Newbury would certainly make her interesting.

20:05  racingtv.com Handicap

7f  [Class 4  14 runners]

The seven furlong event headed by Stone Circle (M Bell) this is a significant step down in class been competing in class 2 events and winning at Ascot too, first try on the all weather though so we will have to pass today and try the pair of lightly raced TOMOUH [7th 13/2] (S bin Suroor) along with PAXOS [2nd 9/4] (E Walker) against the field. In a fairly open event will also have a look at Don't Tell Claire [8th 40/1] as a place bet, she ran well up until the most recent effort which seemed too bad to be true, certainly if the odds allow it worth another chance to confirm the promise shown earlier in the year with wins at Sandown Park and Newcastle, although a six month absence to overcome. 

20:35  racingtv.com Handicap

1m 3f 219y  [Class 6  13 runners]

The finale is for fillies and has attracted a field of fourteen, (now lost one as a non runner, so thirteen) HAMMY END [4th 5/1] has had plenty of chances, and although regularly placed isn't one to have a huge punt on for the win, BUT we are going with him in this grade, with Tom Marquand in the saddle might be able to find some magic replacing apprentices. Also of interest is BUG BOY [3rd 17/2] who stepped from from a third place here, runner up at Southwell then winning at Bath two weeks ago, has a 7lb claimer on too which really brings his mark down and could go in again over a trip that suits perfectly.

Staked -- 10 points.       Returns -- 0 points.
Results will appear here later during Wednesday evening. All results are accurate and recorded to SP returns to a 1pt win stake only and updated each meeting. Our winning start to 2021 continues and these first few months have proved to be successful our overall profit stands at +32.055 pts after meeting #12. We will update tonight's meeting #13 during the course of this evening, so far a frustrating evening too many seconds and thirds so no winner tonight, losing -10 points off our pot which now falls to +22.055 pts. 

Lays -- 12/17 We had a good season last year again with the lays, aiming at favourites and not afraid to take on short odds on shots too. The plan will be for at least one or two each meeting and we will keep those results separate from the handicaps. Another short price selection beaten out of sight tonight so we move up to 13/18.

Tonight's Lays;

18:35 - Smart Start [7f Novice Stakes]. LOST 10th 11/10f

The next midweek floodlit meeting here will be held on Wednesday 2nd June so keep well and hopefully we can have a successful 2021.