IT HAS been six weeks since I had the operation on my broken hip, and I am still none the wiser where I stand in my progress, to be honest with you.
My rehab has been going well, with physio and gym-work, as well as using the pool at Peter O’Sullevan house – I am allowed to use it as my injury was classified as high trauma – but because of the Covid-19 situation I have been unable to get an X-ray.
So while I feel good in myself, and am doing 3-4 hours work a day – though I ease off at weekends to let my body heal – it is case of the blind leading the blind at the moment without the X-ray. My progress and recovery is very hard to gauge.
Anyway, plenty are in a far worse predicament than me.
At least the injury allows me a bit more time to look at the racing and, as Unibet sponsor the cards at Kempton on Tuesday and Wednesday, they have asked me to have a look at the races.
We will obviously start off with Tuesday for now, and I have been asked to give a line or two about riding around Kempton.
Kempton’s outside track is easy to ride as you can win from any position; a good 3f in the home straight allows closers to come down the outside, so the pace of the races really is key.
The inside track’s 5f and 1m2f distances are much more tactical and draw-dependent for obvious reasons, but all in all it is a fair track and plenty of the trainers use the course to introduce their better 2yos as it is a horse-friendly place to run them.
Kempton – Tuesday
Here are my thoughts on Tuesday’s Unibet sponsored races at Kempton:
1.00pm: I like Ryan’s Nashy in here. As a son of Camelot and Venus De Milo, he will probably get 1m6f on pedigree, so the issue for him is whether he will be quick enough to cope with 1m2f around Kempton’s inside track. But he shaped well enough over 1m here in October, so I think he is probably the one to beat.
1.35pm: An inside draw around 1m2f is key, so Sootability is well housed in one to get a good position. He is less exposed than most in here, and Conor Murtagh takes 3lb off, too. Unibet are paying AN EXTRA PLACE on this race.
2.10pm: Grandfather Tom progressed nicely last season and ran well enough off this mark at Ascot on his final start. Robert Cowell’s gallops at home are pretty sharp, so 5f around here may suit him. He has the draw in one.
2.45pm: These races will obviously be very well contested, but the vibes are that Science is pretty good and certainly Archie Watson knows how to ready one. He has an appealing pedigree and cost a fair bit as a yearling. This could be his stepping stone to Royal Ascot.
3.20pm: Cold Front has an obvious chance. The stable do a lot of their work on the all-weather and he clearly showed a lot on his sole start at two at Newbury last season.
3.55pm: Imrahar hasn’t been seen out since September but he shaped really well on his debut at Newbury and he should be a factor in a what could be a very decent maiden, if he is ready to go.
4.30pm: This doesn’t look to be the strongest of maidens and Galsworthy has already shown a level of form that would make him hard to beat.
5.05pm: The Horse Watchers generally do well with their purchases, and Malika I Jahan looks a fair buy out of David Lanigan’s yard. He fits the bill here but the draw in 12 is an obvious negative. Unibet are paying AN EXTRA PLACE on this race.
5.40pm: Gigi’s Beach cost 125,000gns at the Breeze-Ups and has a fair better pedigree than a 58-rated horse, so he could be worth a chance here with first-time blinkers to sharpen him up.
