KEMPTON PARK HORSE RACING 2021 - MEETING #21 WEDNESDAY 18th AUGUST

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 continue blogging throughout 2021 till the end of the year. Started well this season pleasantly still ahead as we push on through August still in profit and less than half the season to go. Away from the racing we have been to AFC Wimbledon for their first home league fixture this season coming from behind to share a 3-3 against Bolton Wanderers last Saturday, this was the first league game in Plough Lane with the fans back in numbers it was great to see and beginning to feel a bit more 'normal' now another home match is due on Tuesday night against Gillingham [7:45]. 

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 half of the year during 2021 went a little behind in July but now we are back in front with a profit of +31.555 points and we 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 23/30 (76.67%) after the latest meeting and we shall see how things progress during the year ahead. 

This week will be our 21st Wednesday evening meeting of the year. Tonight's meeting we shall be expecting a six race card with four handicaps for us to review. The meeting includes another qualifier for the London Mile Series which is off at 19:45. Our action will now commence at 18:15 with the first of our handicap events over seven furlongs, then we should end the card around about 20:45 with the final handicap event over shade under 12 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 warmer afternoon and early evening with a serious chance of showers in the forecast and a highest expected temperature of around 21C tonight.

Here are our handicap selections for tonight;

18:15  Try Our New Price Boosts At Unibet Handicap (3yo)
7f  [Class 6  13 runners]

We open with our first handicap for 3yo's and a field of fourteen where top weight Valentinka [4th @16/1] now has a 7lb claimer on board and that might drop her into contention today. Just Amber [3rd @9/1] comes into her first handicap on a low mark, the Clive Cox yard are going well and this wouldn't take much winning, she was placed on the all weather surface at Wolves and Derby winner Adam Kirby takes the ride.
Winner - (3) Vitalline @11/8f [Hollie Doyle].

19:45  Try Our New Super Boosts At Unibet (London Mile Series Qualifier) Handicap
1m  [Class 4  8 runners]

The mile qualifier sees Colonel Faulkner [Won @15/8f] reappear, a winner at Deauville and then Lingfield last time out, just getting up on the line that day. Hollie Doyle retains the ride, and is only 3lb higher, comes fast and late and should have more races at this sort of level. Love Dreams [3rd @14/1] has the most experience here, was campaigning off marks in the 90s and now only 75 today still has the talent to win and ought to be placed at least.
Winner - (4) Colonel Faulkner @15/8f [Hollie Doyle].

20:15  Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Fillies' Handicap

7f  [Class 5  8 runners]

Byzantia [4th @10/1] signed off last season with a victory at Southwell but has tried turf and different trips for a new stable this season with no joy, back to 7f now here and she's worth a chance in a small race. While Sayifyouwill [5th @10/3] won a similar looking contest here in June, has plenty of experience and would not be too surprised if she wasn't in the frame again with jockey Rhys Clutterbuck taking off another 5lb. 
Winner - (3) Crystal Casque @7/4f [Angus Villiers].

20:45  Unibet Casino Deposit 10 Get 40 Bonus Handicap (3yo)
1m 3f 219y  [Class 5  6 runners]

Just the seven 3yo runners for our finale tonight, headed up by Countessa [Won @7/2] a last time out winner at Lingfield on the soft turf, similar trip but different going will see how she speaks in the market. Dolphin [2nd @10/3] is a Sea the Stars filly trained by Roger Charlton ran on for third over this trip at Leicester in her first handicap and ought to have learnt a fair bit there needs to race up a little closer to the place to strike. Also interested in Ladywood though Mark Johnston's runner having run up a sequence of three wins earlier in the year has been finding things tougher of revised ratings, but in a small field here could be worth a look in the place market too. [finished 3rd @11/1 but with only six runners tonight just missed out]

Winner - (1) Countessa @7/2 [N Callen]

Staked -- 8 points.       Returns -- 7.375 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 has returned and we are now back in the black to the tune of +31.555 points to a level stake at SP coming into our 21st meeting. Couple of winners tonight but a small loss of -0.625 means we have a profit of +30.93 points to carry through to the next meeting here next week.

Lays -- 23/30 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. These continue to go quite well given we are half way through the year, and they are generally very short prices, including two beaten favourites last time. The plan will be for at least one or two each meeting and we will keep those results separate from the handicaps. Got tonight's selection beaten so our stats move onto 24/31.

Tonight's Lay Selection(s);

18:45 - El Hibri  [7f 2yo Novice Stakes]. Lost 2nd @5/2

We will have another midweek floodlit meeting here on Wednesday 25th August so keep well and hopefully we can have a successful 2021.