Kempton tips: Class-dropping Swagger ready to strut his stuff
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Mitchum Swagger to turn on the style in Kempton tips
Mitchum Swagger looks a worthy favourite to take advantage of a significant drop in class and land the 7f conditions stakes on this evening’s card at Kempton (18.55).
The David Lanigan trained gelding is lightly-raced for a four-year-old, having won twice and been placed on five occasions from just nine starts.
He ran a stormer when third of 28 to Portage in the ultra-competitive Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot back in June and was arguably an unlucky loser.
The son of Paco Boy was still last with three furlong to go but flew home, despite not getting the clearest of passages to be gaining at the finish and beaten just 1 1/2 lengths.
It was a cracking effort and Mitchum Swagger backed it up with a solid head second to Buckstay at Chelmsford before being beaten just a head in a Group 3 at Haydock.
The selection was then out of his depth when last seen in action at Ascot and finishing a well-beaten 12th of 13 to brilliant filly Minding in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
This represents a return to much calmer waters and a golden opportunity for Mitchum Swagger to get back to winning ways for a stable that has a terrific strike rate of just over 26 per cent at the track in the past 12 months.
Red Rannagh ready to rock
Red Rannagh has posted some solid efforts of late and looks decent value at the odds on offer to land the spoils in the 1m 3f handicap (19.25).
The gelding joined trainer David Simock after winning a maiden in Dundalk and caught the eye in no uncertain fashion on his penultimate outing over course and distance when third of eight to Mengli Khan.
After being dropped out at the start by jockey Jamie Spencer and held-up well off the pace, the three-year-old kept on nicely to be nearest at the finish and beaten just over three lengths.
Red Rannagh backed that up with a solid fourth over 1m 4f at this venue last month where he faced an impossible task after dwelling badly at the start before staying on strongly to be beaten just two lengths.
Judged on those efforts, Red Rannagh should be more than capable of winning a race of this nature off his current mark of 86, especially if the fitting of the hood for the first time has the desired effect and enables him to break on level terms.
Kempton tips
16.25: Presto Boy
16.55: Brother Tiger
17.25: Modern Life
17.55: Aventus
18.25: Big Tour
18.55: Mitchum Swagger (NAP)
19.25: Red Rannagh (NB)
19.55: Gold Return
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