Three for your shortlist for Saturday's big handicap at Kempton

There's big prize money up for grabs at Kempton Park this Saturday with the first prize for the three-mile Ladbrokes Trophy over £85,000. Our man Gavin Beech casts his eye over the potential contenders among the six-day acceptors and selects three for his ante-post shortlist.

Improving staying chaser Beachcomber was such an impressive scorer over this course and distance over Christmas that he’s got to be on any shortlist. It could easily be argued that the handicapper has been lenient by only bumping him up 8lb for that 10-length romp, and it looks very much like he’s going to get similar conditions again this weekend. 

There is a small question-mark around whether the blinkers - which he wore for the first time that day - have the same effect (assuming he’s declared in them) but he’s a really good jumper when on song and we may simply be dealing with a horse that is really coming to himself as a staying chaser.   

Our Power has had his issues since winning this race in 2023 but he returned from a year off track with a fine second in a warm handicap at Cheltenham in December. He then backed that up with a similarly respectable effort in defeat behind Chantry House at the same track on New Year’s Day and connections have surely had this race in mind for him ever since. Nicely refreshed by six weeks off the track, Our Power is just 3lb higher than when winning this race (his sole previous run at Ascot), and drying conditions are right up his street. 

Coral Gold Cup winner Kandoo Kid still has potential over three miles-plus despite a 7lb rise for that Newbury success, which was also his first run after a wind op. The slight drop back in trip wouldn’t be ideal but that should be negated by the likely strong pace of this competitive event.

We know he’s fine going right-handed because he’s won at Ascot and Taunton, he’s find on any ground and he should be cherry-ripe for this, having not run since Newbury. He could seriously enhance his claims with a big run here - and the weights for Aintree are already out!