Racecards
13:50 Kempton Park
Pertemps Employment Alliance Handicap Chase (Class C)
- 11 Runners
- Distance: 3m
- Going: Soft
- Form UP-6634
- Age 10
- Weight 11-12
- Trainer B G Powell
- Jockey B Hitchcott
led, blundered 14th, headed and weakened next
- Form 2121P-2
- Age 6
- Weight 11-12
- Trainer N J Henderson
- Jockey M A Fitzgerald
going well in 3rd when blundered and fell 15th
- Form 23211-F
- Age 8
- Weight 11-9
- Trainer K Bailey & M Nicholls
- Jockey J P McNamara
in touch until ridden and weakened from 14th
- Form 1119F-P
- Age 8
- Weight 11-8
behind, steady headway from 14th, led after 2 out, stayed on under pressure flat, all out
- Form 235253
- Age 8
- Weight 11-8
- Trainer M C Pipe
- Jockey T Scudamore
close up, not fluent 8th, went 2nd aftr 12th, blundered 14th, weakened after 4 out
- Form B3/P5-13
- Age 8
- Weight 11-7
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Ruby Walsh
behind, mistake 4th and 6th, stayed on under pressure from 4 out, stumbled 2 out, mistake last, stayed on strongly flat, not reach winner
- Form P/51-331
- Age 10
- Weight 11-7
- Trainer J Gifford
- Jockey Jimmy McCarthy
chased leader, mistake 10th, soon lost place, tailed off when pulled up before 3 out
- Form U22-12F
- Age 8
- Weight 11-7
- Trainer P Hobbs & J White
- Jockey R Johnson
in touch, mistake 9th, led 15th, ridden and headed after 2 out, no extra flat
- Form P/F2-113
- Age 9
- Weight 11-4
- Trainer Miss V Williams
- Jockey Mr A O'Keeffe
in touch, blundered 4th, weakened 4 out, jumped left next, jumped badly left and fell 2 out
- Form 391112
- Age 7
- Weight 11-0
- Trainer C J Mann
- Jockey N D Fehily
behind, bad blunder 2nd, mistakes 14th and 3 out, stayed on under pressure
In depth
Verdict
A close-knit handicap and with only 8lb's separating the top nine in the weights this is a hard race to call. Ballinclay King is returning to a more realistic mark and has shaped as if returning to form of late. He has stamina to burn and will relish the ground if this does not come around too soon after his outing at Cheltenham earlier in the month. But he does still have a welter burden to carry today. Merchants Friend, whose stable have been firing in the past month, is now 13lb higher than when he won at Plumpton at the start of last month and has a little to prove on his first attempt at a trip of three miles. Desailly, on the other hand, has no doubts about getting the trip and will have his supporters after a good effort at Exeter just over a week ago. However, he was travelling smoothly on that occasion and found disappointingly little when asked to close in on the winner near the finish. Others with strong claims on the pick of their efforts are Handyman and Eau De Cologne, but the Venetia Williams-trained Itsonlyme has a very good strike-rate and is chosen to add to his tally today. He finished in front of some very useful types at Wincanton last time and should find the conditions much to his liking as he bids for a ninth career win from what will be only his seventeenth start.