Kempton preview: Spirit has a Grand chance

Grand Spirit showed a good attitude when scoring last time out, and can make light of a rise in the weights to follow-up in the 7f handicap on this evening’s card at Kempton (19.25).

The Luca Cumani trained gelding got off the mark on his final start as a juvenile when winning over 7f at Brighton by 3 3/4 lengths, and was allotted an opening handicap mark of 81 on the back of that success.

Grand Spirit ran well off it on his seasonal reappearance in a 7f class 4 contest at Lingfield when a 1 1/2 length fourth to Bow And Arrow, but then failed to sparkle in his next five starts.

However, that resulted in a drop in the weights and the three-year-old took advantage to make all and hold on gamely to land a 7f contest at Wolverhampton by a neck off a mark of 74 whne last seen in action.

Grand Spirit has been raised just 2lb for that success, and that looks lenient judged on his run behind Bow And Arrow.

The son of Lord Shanakill was attempting to give Bow An Arrow 1lb when they met, and that one has gone on to score twice since and is now rated 96.

That suggests Grand Spirit remains very well-treated off a revised rating of 76 and, with Andrea Atzeni in the saddle, he looks weighted to take all the beating.

Trainer Dean Ivory has his team in good form, and Lancelot Du Lac can provide him with another success if the 6f conditions’ contest (20.25).

The gelding is a course and distance winner who has won twice and finished placed three times in seven runs on the all-weather.

In the last of those successes back in Decmber, Lancelot Du Lac ran on strongly to score at Lingfield by 3/4 of a length before going on to finish an excellent head second in Meydan.

The five-year-old also ran very well when third of 25 to Interception in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot and was far from disgraced on his penultimate outing when eighth of 14 to Muhaarar in the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket.

This is far easier and respresents an excellent opportunity for Lancelot Du Lac to get back to winnings ways.

Selections:
17.20: Thee And Me
17.55: Wavelet
18.25: Chester Street
18.55: Himalayan Queen
19.25: Grand Spirit (NAP)
19.55: The Steward
20.25: Lancelot Du Lac (NB)
20.55: Shahrazad