The civilised day of Kempton’s double header attracted a pretty decent crowd for the lesser day.

Going: Good to Soft (Soft places)

race 1: Stanjames.co.uk Juvenile Hurdle [2m]

1: Red Flare     2: Hibiki     3: Mark Of Love

Winner owned: WH Ponsonby, trained: Alan King, ridden: Jack Doyle

The flat form of the assembled field was not that much better than might be encountered at Plumpton, and then the lowest rated flat horse came through to pinch the prize. At face value, it looks like a duff race for the top of the quality tree, but Red Flare has shown stamina in abundance, looks a jumper in the making and had the potential to rise to take the promotion in his stride. And the first pair were in complete command from before two out, apparently a step ahead of all the rest. Perhaps the odd winner might emerge from it.

race 2: Stan James Wayward Lad Novice Chase, Grade 2 [2m]

1: Mahogany Blaze     2: Pur De Sivola     3: My Petra

Winner owned: Mrs Lorna Berryman, trained: Nigel Twiston-Davies, ridden: Paddy Brennan

It was a fairly sub-standard pattern race, and Mahogany Blaze won it comfortably despite repeating his previous inclination to drop in the odd hefty blunder. To be fair, he was fine until the second last, and what looked awkward to the naked eye at the final fence did not seem as clumsy on the replay. Pur De Sivola was being given his first direct challenge to see if he could step up from more run-of-the-mill events, and was found wanting, if not proving totally hapless.  

Pur De Sivola (4) sort of pings the third, Mahogany Blaze (1) keeping a wary eye on him. My Petra (5) and Pepperoni Pete (red) keep a safe distance

race 3: Stanjamesuk.com mares only Handicap Hurdle [3m 0.5f]

1: Sovietica     2: Hendre Hotshot     3: De Blanc

Winner owned & trained: Stewart Pike, ridden: Jamie Moore

As far as mares races go, this was a decent one, with none of the runners in a state of desperate indifference to the racing concept or collecting the alphabet in the form figures. It also had an unusual condition, with runners rated 124 below getting an £81 discount on the entry fee, unless they declared to run*. A one pound whim on the part of the handicapper and the owners are out of pocket to the tune of over 26 pints of T.E.A. at the Hogs Back Brewery bar. The key to the race was Eden Linty, raised eleven pounds for winning a 20 runner Newbury handicap. She was badly in with Mossville on running in the autumn, and the market seized upon those form lines with a grip of iron. Thus was the upset born, as Sovietica, the paddock pick, who made all and refused to concede to Hendre Hotshot’s determined challenge.

* Or it could be deemed a frosty welcome to horses rated 125+ with the hint being 'well, we are kind of busy, but if you insist on turning up...'

race 4: Desert Orchid Chase, sponsored by Stan James, (Grade 2) [2m]

1: Voy Por Ustedes     2: Hoo La Baloo     3: Mister Quasimodo

Winner owned: Sir Robert Ogden, trained: Alan King, ridden: Robert Thornton

Rather like last year, this was a fairly uneventful occasion, with the horses finishing in single file, more or less in the order that the weights said they should – with the honourable exception of fourth placed Pauntley Gofa. The oddity was that in the post race presentation, Robert Ogden came across as unusually animated in his delight at Voy Por Ustedes’ success. It is not much of a talking point, is it?

race 5: Stanjamesuk.com Handicap Chase [3m]

1: Yardbird     2: Caribou     3: Thistlecraft

Winner owned: Gilco, trained: Alan King, ridden: Robert Thornton

Fate had engineered the outcome of the Welsh National to keep Alan King’s feet on the ground, but he took his day’s earnings to just over a billion pounds (approx) with another success, this a comfy one, just short of two years after Yardbird’s last win. Caribou did well on the whole, but in his life he has yet to win a jumps handicap and it is not certain that his rating of 130 is especially helpful in putting that right. Despite having won at Ascot (clockwise) and Fontwell (figure of eight, but right handed when the race heats up), Lord Jay Jay spent sufficient time going off to the left to think that he has been possessed by the spirit of Leon Trotsky and will put that history right.

race 6: Stanjamesuk.com Handicap Hurdle [2m]

1: Palomar     2: French Opera     3: Fredensborg

Winner owned: Sir Robert Ogden, trained: Keith Reveley, ridden: Fearghal Davis

Rather in line with the pattern of the day, the winner did so quite comfortably, having been sent about the job of winning after the second last. This was a bit of a different kettle of fish to Kelso and Bangor where he had won his last two. On the whole, the field was fairly inexperienced, nine of them having seven or less hurdle runs before this, and that lack of evidence may have produced some questionable official ratings, both high and low. However, the first four (Garrulous was fourth) had 7, 3, 6 and 5 runs to their name – all could have crept in under the official guru's radar.

Plus Points

Mark Of Love (race 1): Stayed on fairly soundly, and ought to have a race in him at a modest level.

My Petra (race 2): Was found out over hurdles in graded company, e.g. 11^th in the Triumph Hurdle, but jumped alright on this chase debut, and is another who just needs her sights set a bit lower.

De Blanc (race 3): Unsurprisingly for a Venetia Williams horse, showed no lack for fitness after 20 months off. She did sweat up badly before the race (although I have a vague recollection of her doing the same and winning in the past), but ran very well indeed, fading out of it only from the second last. She stayed three miles plus in chases, but at hurdle speed it is not yet proven.

Hoo La Baloo (race 4): On this evidence has a decent win in him, when avoiding the elite two milers – and in one bizarre accident he actually won a three miler, so has some flexibility.

Thistlecraft (race 5): Won on his comeback over course and distance, but on slightly softer ground did not quite see out the trip. As both chase wins have been three milers, he probably wants good ground to be at his best.

Buster Hyvonen (race 6): Settle at the back on his first run in 8 months, and was still there with no urgency three out. There was a little nudging along belatedly, but he may as well have had ‘Warm Up’ painted on his bum in luminous green paint.

Down Arrows

Distiller (race 1): Was backed as if there were high expectations for his hurdles bow, but seemed surprised that anyone would have the temerity to ask him to jump over stuff.

Indicible (race 1): Came from French flat racing with a bit of encouraging form, but dropped away a bit tamely in the straight. Even allowing for being eased dramatically, it was all a bit feeble.

Pepperoni Pete (race 2): Unseated at the first at Taunton on his previous start, and after a sound first mile, the jumping went to pieces later on, before he fell at the last. Surely a return to hurdles is the only way to go?

Accordello (race 3): Plugged on when it was all over, again, and is likely to replicate it rather than improve on it, not being certain to stay three miles in truly run race. In this instance, she was flattered by the rate at which some rivals stopped.

River City (race 4): Is well reported to need decent ground, but a more significant stat in his six chase wins has been that the biggest field he has won in is only six, and he has only beaten 20 other horses in them in total.

Yardbird (race 5): Appears a bit of a nervy sort, and the shapes of things could be good and bad days fairly randomly assembled.

Bible Lord (race 5): Was a rising force last season, but has not been buzzing at all after his summer break. A bad error mid-race did the damage today.

Uk-Jumping Selections

Hendre Hotshot (race 3): Was unfathomable in advance, raised in class, on different ground and upped in trip. She ran a stormer, just being pipped and looking totally at home at this level.