Kempton (eve) 15/7/09

[fintron]

7.50 Kempton Its pretty rare for Brian Ellison to turn one of his horses out on the polytrack here but tonight he sends My Mate Mal out in the Digibet.com London Mile Handicap Qualifier and I think his gelding can make the journey south a worthwhile one. Drawn in stall 13 he couldn't have hoped for a much better draw as he looks to race up with/set the pace, and he has a few other factors in his favour. He has been raised 4 lbs from his last run in a handicap when second to stablemate Rosko at Newcastle, but I still think he is handicapped to have a chance. He placed at Wolverhampton on his last all-weather run to suggest he handles the surface and hopefully he can break well and will take some pegging back. 9/1 SJ, EW.

[fintron]

Re: Kempton (eve) 15/7/09 6.40 Kempton I made Ragsta my nap when she was unfancied for her run at Salisbury a few weeks ago, but she was a late withdrawl and makes her handicap here instead tonight. Unfortunately, a much shorter price is available tonight, but I still think she is well handicapped and will take a chance on Richard Hannon's filly. She bumped into a very useful type in Radiohead on her Bath debut; Brian Meehan's Johannesburg colt won the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes next time out, so although Ragsta was four lengths adrift of the winner, she was far from disgraced, especially since she herself put quite a bit of daylight between herself and the third. She was then upped to todays trip of 6f when appearing at Lingfield and finished a respectable fourth. The winner, Hairspray was narrowly beaten in a listed contest next time out whilst the second, Curtains, won a maiden and has then ran credibly in Group 3 and listed races when narrowly beaten in large fields. Ragsta was only a length or two behind those horses, which you would imagine would be rated at least 80+ now, so looks to be well handicapped running off a much lower mark (67) for Richard Smith here. She won last time out in a seller and although its foolhardy to get carried away with seller form, that run at least showed she has the ability to get her head infront. She steps up in trip to seven furlongs tonight but has hinted she'd get further than six on previous runs. 7/2 Bet 365, win.