Kempton best bet: Lunarscape a perfect fit for Kempton

18:00 Kempton: Unibet Support Safe Gambling Handicap (1 mile)  

The early favourite, Cephalus, was a beaten odds-on favourite over this trip in a lower-graded Class 6 contest at Southwell last time.

The five-year-old did win the time before, but that was also in Class 6 company, and he is now 8lbs higher with a wide draw today.

Planet Sport Bet: Bet £20+ cash on any runner in the race and if Cephalus wins, get a £5 Free Bet

He doesn’t offer any value here, especially as his first-time visor is by no means guaranteed to have the desired effect, but one runner who does offer value is four-year-old Lunarscape. 

Her latest effort can easily be overlooked because she didn’t like her first-time cheekpieces (quickly discarded) and she was forced very wide around the final bend at Wolverhampton.

But prior to that, she put in an encouraging run on her return from a break, also at Wolverhampton, where she finished third out of 11 over the longer 9.5-furlong trip.

That was in a stronger 0-70 handicap and that trip looked a bit further than Lunarscape wanted to go, so under the circumstances, it was a very good run.

Now 2lbs lower, she is of major interest dropped back to a mile on a track that promises to suit perfectly.

That’s because Lunarscape produced her career-best performance over a mile at Windsor last April, and that track is another tight, flat, right-handed circuit, and form from there unsurprisingly transfers very well to this venue.

The four-year-old filly’s best all-weather run was also over this mile trip and it came on the Lingfield Polytrack circuit in October, where she finished second when racing off 69 in what was a 0-70 event.

She came from further back than ideal and the winner got first run on her, but she was doing her best work in the closing stages, strongly suggesting that today’s track, which has a much longer, flatter run-in than Lingfield, will suit her much better because it will give her more time to get into full stride.

She has only been with Mark Loughnane since late November so these new connections will now know a lot more about her and she looks a good value bet, from a very handy stall 3 draw, on this third run for the yard, with the in-form David Probert a strong booking

Suggested best bet: Lunarscape in the 18:00 at Kempton

• Tips and analysis provided by Steve Jones who runs CD Systems Daily Bargain on Tipstrr

The second-favourite, Lunario, is also of interest on his debut for the red-hot Alice Haynes, who is 6/22 for 27 percent over the last fortnight, including two winners returning from breaks, one of which was winning on stable debut.

Lunario arrives fresh from three months off, which is a plus because he was also returning from a break when he finished second over seven furlongs at this venue when he making his final appearance for Robyn Brisland in October.

Briefly outpaced as the leader quickened, he was galvanised down the long home straight to finish a never-nearer runner-up, doing his best work in the closing stages in the manner of a colt who would have appreciated an extra furlong, which he has today

This lightly-raced four-year-old is yet to win, but he is in good hands to put that right very quickly.

Next Best bet: Lunario in the 18:00 at Kempton

 

READ MORE: Kempton racing tips: Best bets for Wednesday January 24