Kempton preview: Pharaoh to rule on handicap debut

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Trainer Chris Wall has his team in terrific form, and The New Pharaoh can provide the Newmarket handler with another winner by landing the 1m 4f handicap on today’s card at Kempton (16.55).

The gelding has had just three starts and caught the eye in the last of those on his seasonal reappearance when seventh of 11 to Irish Hawke over 1m 1f at Lingfield.

Altough beaten just over 12 lengths, The New Pharaoh was very tender handled and kept on nicely in the closing stages.

It was an effort which suggested there was better to come, and the four-year-old looks a potentially improver now going down the handicap route.

The son of Montjeu is certainly bred to be much better than his opening lowly mark of just 60, and Wall has a tremendous strike rate with horses making their handicap debut after just three starts.

The New Pharaoh is also by far the least unexposed in the line-up, and another plus is that he has the services of Ashley Morgan in the saddle who is good value for his 3lb claim.

Taking it into account, The New Pharaoh looks weighted to take all the beating in what is a weak class 6 affair.

Landwade Lad has been knocking on the door of late and can gain a deserved success in the 1m 2f handicap (14.55).

The James Fanshawe trained gelding progressed in three maiden runs as a juvenile, before posting a solid effort on handicap debut over 1m at Newmarket when third to Black Granite off an opening mark of 75 in a class 2 affair.

After getting slightly outpaced a furlong from home the son of Dansili rallied well to be beaten 3 1/4 lengths, and finished just 3/4 of a length behind the runner-up Prince Gargarin who has gone on to land a Listed contest.

That is strong form in the context of this class 4 contest and makes Landwade Lad’s current mark of 80 look exploitable.

The four-year-old also comes into the contest on the back of two really solid efforts to finish runner-up at Nottingham and Leicester to unexposed types in the shape of Winterval and Almodovar.

Those efforts suggest Landwade Lad’s time is near, and off bottom-weight of 9st 1lb this looks a nice opportunity for him to open his account.

Selections:
14.25: Mossgo
14.55: Landwade Lad (NB)
15.25: Joules
15.55: Premier Currency
16.25: Virginia Celeste
16.55: The New Pharaoh (NAP)
17.25: My Mo

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