Wednesday top racing tip: Golden Sands in good hands at Kempton

Rogue Force is an obvious contender after winning this race last year when it was a lower-tier Class 4 handicap, racing off a mark of 76 on his second run back from a break under Jack Mitchell.

This year, the event is only an upper-tier Class 5 and he looks sure to go well, especially as all three of his career wins have been achieved around here, all under Mitchell.

However, there was a handicap over this course and distance last month that should offer some significant pointers for today's event.

It was a stronger higher-tier Class 4 handicap with two very decent handicappers, Keyser Soze and Dembe finishing first and second.

The reason why that race is interesting is that it featured three of today's main contenders, Golden Sands, Uzincso and Rogue Force, who finished third, fourth and fifth in that order.

Rogue Force was returning from a break, so he should do better this time off a two-pound lower mark, while Uzincso has since performed to a similar level (sixth of 13), although he should really have done better in what was an easier race, having been sent off clear favourite.

He is up at the head of the market again today but this seven-year-old looks a bit short in the market on that evidence, especially given his unfavourable wide draw.

The best value option appears to be Mick Appleby's front-running four-year-old, Golden Sands, with Alistair Rawlinson taking over the reins from the claiming rider who partnered him in that aforementioned handicap.

On the face of it, Golden Sands did very well to finish third behind Keyser Soze and Dembe, but he really should have finished even closer to that front pair.

Golden Sands is a front-runner who needs to force the pace in order to draw the finish out of his rivals, and he did that to good effect under Rawlinson on his penultimate outing, when he was a half-length runner-up in a higher-graded handicap.

On that occasion, Golden Sands was ridden from the front as usual, with Rawlinson alert to his stamina strengths, kicking for home approaching the final bend, and although he was headed in the closing stages it was a bold bid in a first-time headgear combination of a hood and cheekpieces.

The same headgear was in place again over this trip last month but the claiming rider held on to him for far too long, allowing the principals to quicken past him before reacting when it was too late.

Had his rider been more positive on him, Golden Sands could have really stretched the field in the home straight and that would have played to his strengths far more than the sprint finish he created by delaying his kick for home.

Rawlinson will know how to judge the pace this time, so Golden Sands looks a good-value bet to not only confirm recent placings with both Rogue Force and Uzincso, but also to go one better than his higher-graded near-miss at Wolverhampton the time before.

The new headgear combination is clearly working well and under today's more experienced jockey, another bold bid can be expected from his middle draw.