8:40 Kempton (AW)
This Class 6 Unibet Supports Safer Gambling Handicap at Kempton, a qualifier for the London Middle Distance Series, brings together a field of 14 over 1m2f219y on standard to slow ground. The KTB Fit Scores highlight a competitive but readable contest, with Sonnerie Power heading the ratings on 69 and a clutch of others bunched between 62 and 55. Several runners are dropping in class while others return from breaks or step up in trip, and the overall standard of form points to a fair handicapper prevailing in what looks an open race on paper.
How the race shapes up
A strong pace is anticipated with at least two confirmed front-runners in Imperial Cult and Pershalla, both of whom tend to make the running or race prominently. This shape should see the early fractions strong, with the race likely to collapse late and play into the hands of hold-up performers. The key question is whether the prominent runners can dictate matters or if the late closers will be able to pick up the pieces as the leaders tire in the straight.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1Sonnerie Power KTB Selection69/100Sonnerie Power is a fair handicapper who has won twice at this track and handles standard to slow going.
- 2Uzincso62/100Uzincso is a fair 10-year-old who has won six times at this track from 33 runs and also has six wins from 34 starts on standard to slow ground.
- 3Running The Game57/100Running The Game shaped with promise when winning here over today's trip on his final start last year and has a solid record on standard to slow going.
- 4Karakula56/100Karakula is a fair handicapper who arrives in solid form after two seconds this year and holds a career-high RPR of 78.
- 5Imperial Cult55/100Imperial Cult is a fair handicapper who showed he retains ability when winning a similar race last time out.
- 6Golspie54/100Golspie is a fair handicapper who has been running to form without winning lately and arrives here in reasonable order.
- 7Pershalla54/100Pershalla is a fair sort who showed her best this year when winning over C&D in February and adding a handicap success at Lingfield in March.
- 8Three Yorkshiremen49/100Three Yorkshiremen is a fair handicapper who won over this trip earlier in his career and has scored once from six runs at Kempton.
- 9St Just In Time49/100St Just In Time has a modest level of ability on his best days but recent form has been poor and he showed little on his only previous visit to this track.
- 10Sea Of Charm48/100Sea Of Charm is a fair performer on his best days and has placed twice from three runs over this sort of trip.
- 11Semele47/100Semele has shown modest ability at best with form of 430 and an RPR of 72 that matches her class read.
- 12Wood Whisperer43/100Wood Whisperer has fair ability on his best figures yet has failed to build on early promise and looks a shade exposed after seven runs.
- 13Man From Havana39/100Modest performer who showed ordinary form when seventh of 11 in a Nottingham maiden over a mile on his final start in October.
- 14Blackwaterfoot37/100Modest performer who won a 1m2f handicap at Ffos Las last summer but failed to back that up in two subsequent runs at similar distances.
The contenders
Sonnerie Power KTB Fit 69/100
Sonnerie Power is a fair handicapper who has won twice at this track and handles standard to slow going. He drops back in trip today having last run over a mile and a half, though he has won over this distance in the past. The yard have a strong 43% strike rate here from a small sample while Luke Morris is more workmanlike with a 9% record from thousands of rides at Kempton. From draw 12 he is expected to be held up and produce his effort late, a run-style that aligns well with the anticipated strong pace. Recent form of 7-1576 includes a win at this venue, and his RPR of 80 confirms he is up to winning races of this nature. The combination of dropping in class, proven course form and the trainer's excellent local record make him the one to beat.
Uzincso KTB Fit 62/100
Uzincso is a fair 10-year-old who has won six times at this track from 33 runs and also has six wins from 34 starts on standard to slow ground. He drops back in trip today having last run over 1m4f yet has won at this distance in the past. The yard posts a 10% strike rate here from 806 runs while Egan is on 12% from 543 rides at Kempton. Usually held up and producing his effort late, he should be suited by the strong pace that is likely to unfold. His figures of RPR 79 and TS 73 show he remains competitive at this level, and with six course victories to his name he knows the venue well. Recent efforts of 974-04 suggest he is approaching a big run.
Running The Game KTB Fit 57/100
Running The Game shaped with promise when winning here over today's trip on his final start last year and has a solid record on standard to slow going. He returns from a break with a career-high RPR of 79 which marks him as fair at this level though his two efforts on turf last summer were poor. Gary Moore has a 12 percent strike rate from 1300 runs at Kempton while Tom Queally is 9 percent from 1286 rides at the track. Usually held up with high confidence, he is likely to be well positioned to strike when the leaders tire in a race with a strong pace. Dropping in class should help and the Kempton victory last season provides a clear benchmark. His TS figure is absent but the RPR stacks up well in this company.
Karakula KTB Fit 56/100
Karakula is a fair handicapper who arrives in solid form after two seconds this year and holds a career-high RPR of 78. He has twice been well beaten over C&D on standard to slow ground though and is stepping up in trip again today having failed to get involved on his only previous try at this distance. The yard's 15% strike rate at Kempton from 151 runs is respectable and the 7 lb claimer is operating at a similar level from limited rides here. Usually racing prominently, he could find himself in the firing line early in a race expected to be strongly run. Recent form of 154-22 demonstrates consistency but the C&D record is a clear concern. His TS of 68 is respectable but the lack of success on this surface at this trip tempers enthusiasm.
Imperial Cult KTB Fit 55/100
Imperial Cult is a fair handicapper who showed he retains ability when winning a similar race last time out. He is 0-9 at this track with five placed efforts on standard to slow going, and he now drops back in trip having been placed twice in five runs at this distance. Trainer and jockey both have solid records here. As a habitual front-runner with high confidence he is sure to set or contest the strong pace, which could leave him vulnerable late on if the race collapses as expected. His RPR of 77 and recent form of 5833-1 underline that he is in form, but the lack of a Kempton win remains a nagging doubt. Both George Baker and Neil Callan know the venue well, yet the prominent run-style may prove taxing.
The rest of the field
GolspieKTB Fit 54/100
Golspie is a fair handicapper who has been running to form without winning lately and arrives here in reasonable order. He steps up in trip for the first time in a while having been placed without success at this distance and his record on standard to slow going is only modest. The yard has a solid strike rate at Kempton while the jockey's record here is more limited.
PershallaKTB Fit 54/100
Pershalla is a fair sort who showed her best this year when winning over C&D in February and adding a handicap success at Lingfield in March. She ran poorly at Goodwood last time but is back on a more suitable surface and trip here having been stretched over 1m3½f on her latest start. The wide draw in stall 14 is a negative on this tight track.
Three YorkshiremenKTB Fit 49/100
Three Yorkshiremen is a fair handicapper who won over this trip earlier in his career and has scored once from six runs at Kempton. His recent form is modest with three poor efforts since the turn of the year though he has dropped to a workable mark. Trainer and jockey both record modest strike rates here and the draw in stall one could prove either help or hindrance on standard to slow ground.
St Just In TimeKTB Fit 49/100
St Just In Time has a modest level of ability on his best days but recent form has been poor and he showed little on his only previous visit to this track. The yard has a solid 17% strike rate at Kempton yet the jockey is operating below expectations with a 9% record from a big sample here. He has been tried at today's trip twice without success and his only run on standard to slow ground also failed to produce a win or place.
Sea Of CharmKTB Fit 48/100
Sea Of Charm is a fair performer on his best days and has placed twice from three runs over this sort of trip. He has been competitive on standard to slow going and showed some promise when placed in two of his three runs here though he is yet to win at the track. The trainer is still seeking a first Kempton winner from 14 attempts while the jockey has a modest 2% strike rate from 248 rides at the venue.
SemeleKTB Fit 47/100
Semele has shown modest ability at best with form of 430 and an RPR of 72 that matches her class read. She ran respectably when fourth over C&D on her handicap debut but failed to build on that when last of ten at Nottingham last time. First-time headgear is now fitted as she steps up in trip again.
Wood WhispererKTB Fit 43/100
Wood Whisperer has fair ability on his best figures yet has failed to build on early promise and looks a shade exposed after seven runs. He steps up in trip today having been unable to make the frame in two previous tries at this distance while his sole Kempton effort resulted in a midfield finish. The yard is currently 0-10 at the track and the jockey operates at a 6% strike rate here.
Man From HavanaKTB Fit 39/100
Modest performer who showed ordinary form when seventh of 11 in a Nottingham maiden over a mile on his final start in October. He steps up markedly in trip for this handicap debut and that distance looks a fresh question rather than a proven strength. The yard's modest record at Kempton is matched by the jockey's 0% strike-rate from nine rides here.
BlackwaterfootKTB Fit 37/100
Modest performer who won a 1m2f handicap at Ffos Las last summer but failed to back that up in two subsequent runs at similar distances. Steps up in trip today for a new yard after seven months off which asks a fresh question. Trainer has yet to strike at this track from ten runs while the jockey's 8 percent strike rate from over a thousand rides here is modest.
KTB verdict
Sonnerie Power stands out as the KTB Selection. A fair handicapper with two course wins to his name, he drops in class, handles the ground and is ideally suited by the strong pace that should unfold given his hold-up style. The yard's excellent local record adds further layers of confidence. Main dangers are headed by Uzincso, whose six course victories and proven ability on standard to slow ground make him a major player from a similar hold-up position, while Running The Game is interesting on the back of his C&D win last season and looks well treated on his return. Karakula and Imperial Cult are likely to be prominent in the market and in the race but both have questions to answer over the trip and surface respectively.
KTB Selection Sonnerie Power
This is the narrative read of the 8:40 Kempton (AW). For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Kempton (AW) racecard. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horses are most likely to set the strong pace?
Imperial Cult tends to make the running or race on the pace with high confidence, while Pershalla also tends to make the running or race on the pace.
How many course wins does Uzincso have at Kempton?
Uzincso has won here six times from 33 runs.
What is the trainer's strike rate at Kempton for the yard of Sonnerie Power?
The yard of Sonnerie Power has a 43% strike rate at Kempton (AW) with an A/E of 3.67 from 7 runs.
Which runner is wearing first-time headgear?
Semele is fitted with first-time headgear.
Which horse is dropping back in trip after its most recent run over 1m4f?
Both Sonnerie Power and Uzincso are dropping back in trip having last run over a mile and a half.
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