Kempton tips: our selections for the Wednesday wager

Alarming is the pick of those to have raced, having shown plenty of promise in her races at Salisbury and Goodwood. But there also some interesting newcomers in this, including MOONLIT SURF, a half-sister to the useful Wave Rider who has a more favourable draw. Her trainer, Owen Burrows, is 8/32 with his two-year-olds on turf this year, with Sean Levey (runner-up for the trainer the two times he has ridden for him in the past five years) an interesting jockey booking. 

This could be a momentous week for John & Thady Gosden and Godolphin, with such as Ombudsman and Trawlerman on duty for them at Ascot on Saturday. MILITARY CROSS is less high-profile but does look something of a banker here. He should have won here on his debut – was given too much to do – and stuck to his task when a distant runner-up to Aegean Prince at Ascot last time. This looks an easier assignment. 

It will be interesting to see if first-time blinkers help Penelope Valentine and Equalised, who have both looked hard work on occasions. They have fared well with the draw, as has DANDY G BOY, who gets the vote in a tricky contest. RaceiQ tells us he has good gate speed and he generally races up near the pace, which may give him a tactical advantage in a race where there does not look a stack of pace on the cards. He made most of the running over a mile at Chelmsford before fading in the closing stages and dropping back to 7f should suit. His jockey, Silvestre De Sousa, boasts eight winners from 35 rides at Kempton in the past year and his RaceiQ A/E (actual over expected) is an encouraging 1.68 (anything over 1 is a positive). 

Most of of these look in the grip of the handicapper, but KITARO KICH is an exception and is my best bet on the card. He won four races on the all-weather at the start of the year and had a rating of 82 after going close here in late April. That had slipped back to 74 (3lb below his last win mark) before he revived with a good second here on Friday night (had run on turf in his previous three starts). The form of that race should work out – RaceiQ had the winner clocking a time 1.59sec quicker than par – and the handicapper has nudged up Kitaro Kich 2lb for his future assignments. 

It could be worth taking a chance on GEMMARI, who was thriving on his racing when last seen in the spring. A near miss here at the start of the year was followed by successive wins at Wolverhampton and Southwell. Those victories were achieved over 12f, but he was strong at the finish each time, shaping as if well worth a try over further, as befits a horse whose dam, by Galileo, was proven at up to 14f. His seven-month absence is a niggle, but here’s hoping he can pick up from where he left off. 

BLUE TRAIN won narrowly but convincingly last time over this same course and distance and has a good opportunity to follow up under a 6lb penalty. He came into things nicely after a slow start and showed a positive attitude in the finish as he usually does. This is certainly not any better race and the booking of Rossa Ryan for the first time for this last race of the evening takes the eye.