Kempton brings the evening entertainment on Wednesday and there is a bumper nine-race card for punters to enjoy, with the action underway at 16:17 and finishing at 20:30.
There are three maidens for two-year-olds throughout the meeting, while the feature on the card, a competitive nursery over 1m, comes at 18:30.
16:17 – Mezzo Soprano @ 6/4
The unexposed Mezzo Soprano has won her opening two starts and Simon & Ed Crisford’s filly looks likely to take some stopping in her hat-trick bid off an opening mark of 75.
Stepping into handicap company means more is required but the evidence of her first two wins suggests her mark may be lenient.
On debut over this trip at Catterick, Mezzo Soprano was well-backed and won comfortably at odds of 4/7, and that form has worked out well.
The third, Agnes Grey, was having her sixth start and, although beaten over three lengths, has since finished runner-up in handicap company off a mark of 70.
Trilby, who finished fourth that day, has since been second in a handicap off 67 and that suggests there may be plenty of room to manoeuvre for Mezzo Soprano.
Her latest win under a penalty came over a furlong shorter on soft ground at Thirsk and the runner-up, Midream, has since won a Windsor maiden, so the daughter of Exceed And Excel looks tough to beat on handicap debut.
18:30 – Mafnood @ 11/4
The feature on the card, a nursery handicap for two-year-olds, can go the way of top weight Mafnood.
The Kingman colt got off the mark in a Haydock maiden at the third time of asking and he improved upon that to finish runner-up behind Double Jump in a Doncaster nursery 27 days ago.
That looked a strong race for the grade and was over seven furlongs, so he should be much happier on his return to a mile, which was the trip that he won over previously. The form of that Haydock victory has been well franked with the second, fourth and sixth all subsequent winners.
Mafnood is the only ride on the card for Jim Crowley and there is no reason to think he can’t defy a 2lb higher mark in a less competitive race than the Doncaster one that he previously contested.
19:30 – Barrier @ 5/2
The three-year-olds could be the ones to focus on in the 1m4f handicap at 19:30 and there could be a Royal winner with Barrier taken to triumph for His Majesty The King.
With only four starts, Barrier is one of the most unexposed runners in the field and last time out was a career-best effort from Andrew Balding’s charge, who finished second on handicap debut behind Lucky Fifteen at Sandown.
That winner has since risen 12lb in the handicap, so off a 3lb higher mark, Barrier has to make plenty of appeal with these extra two furlongs sure to suit.
The booking of William Buick suggests he is going to be ready to go on his first run for 117 days and it would be disappointing if he didn’t soon progress beyond this grade.
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