Kempton Preview: Grendisar holds solid claims

Grendisar has a terrific record at Kempton and can further enhance it by landing the 1m 4f Listed contest there this evening (6.45).

The Marco Botti trained colt has won three of his five starts over course and distance, with the last of those coming earlier in the month where he beat Fire Fighting by a neck in another Listed affair.

The five-year-old travelled strongly throughout and after making smooth headway two from home idled when hitting the front inside the last to score with more in hand than the winning margin suggests.

Although now 2lb worse off with the winner, that was Grendisar’s first run for 201 days and he is entitled to come on for it.

I fancy him to confirm the form, especially as Fire Figthing has disappointed since and his trainer has been badly out of form of late.

By stark contrast the Botti horses are in really good shape, and in a race which should be run to suit Grendisar looks the one they all have to beat.

Lanclot Du Lac bounced back to form when runner-up last time out and can go one better to land the 6f handicap (7.15) for a second year in succession.

The Dean Ivory trained gelding posted a cracking effort when beaten 2 3/4 lengths by Aetna in an ultra-competitive Listed contest on the turf at Doncaster and is able to race in this lower grade class 2 contest off the same mark of 103.

That is just 5lb higher than when landing this prize 12 months ago and gives the son of Shamardal every chance from a handicapping perspective.

In the apprentice handicap that closes the card (7.45), Brown Pete looks a bit of value to turn over the jolly Habeshia.

The six-year-old is on a long losing run of 33, having not scored since landing a 1m 2f contest on the polytrack surface at Lingfield off a mark of 62.

However, the Anne Stokell trained gelding is now able to race off 17lb lower and comes into the contest on the back of two solid efforts to finish in the frame.

If Brown Pete can build on those runs there is little doubt that he is very well-treated, and the son of Aussie Rules looks far more straightforward than Habeshia who looked a hard ride when landing a gamble last time out and is far from certain to follow-up in a race of this nature.

Selections:
4.15: Miss Jonh
4.45: Ze King
5.15: Ershaad
5.45: Secret Glance
6.15: Kokovoko
6.45: Grendisar (NAP)
7.15: Lancelot Du Lac (NB)
7.45: Brown Pete