Kempton racing tips: King Alexander and Teddy Blue trending towards bold Lanzarote Hurdle bids

Last weekend’s selection for the Sussex National, Gold Clermont, ran well and looked to be in contention coming into the final two furlongs before sadly running out of gas to finish a mid-division eighth.

Hopefully, we can return to winning ways by applying the trends below to the 17-runner field lining up to contest the Coral Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton.

2.42 Kempton 2m5f (Winter) Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+)

Planet Sport Bet: Bet £20+ cash on any runner in the race and if Wonderwall finishes in the first 5 places, get a £5 Free Bet

I have used these trends to reduce the field to a manageable number for further analysis:

• 22/22 – Had won between 1-3 times over hurdles 
• 19/22 – Aged 7 or younger 
• 19/22 – Had raced within the last 7 weeks 
• 17/22 – Had won exactly twice over hurdles before 
• 16/22 – Returned 10/1 or shorter in the betting 
• 16/22 – Went onto run at that season’s Cheltenham Festival (no winners) 
• 16/22 – Winning distance 3 lengths or less 
• 16/22 – Irish (10) or French (6) bred 
• 15/22 – Had never won a hurdles race over 2m4f or longer before 
• 14/22 – Carried under 10st-12lb 
• 13/22 – Came from the top 3 in the betting 
• 12/22 – Aged 6 years old 
• 10/22 – Placed favourites 
•   9/22 – Won last time out 
•   8/22 – Had run at Kempton before (5 won) 
•   5/22 - Winning favourites 
•   4/22 – Trained by Nicky Henderson (3 of the last 10) 
•   3/22 – Trained by Nick Williams 
•   3/22 – Trained by Paul Nicholls Trainer 
• Gary Moore won the race in 1996, 1998 & 2007 
• 36/38 - Aged under 8 years old 
• 6/10 - Won by a claiming jockey

On paper at least, King Alexander appears to be the second string from the Nicky Henderson stable, which has a good record in the race with four wins (3 in last eleven runnings).

This capable six-year-old won last time out,  winning easily in a Class 3 at Exeter, and the only negative from our trends perspective is that he has already run over two miles four furlongs.

Suggested bet: King Alexander in the 14:42 at Kempton

Samuel Spade won a Class 3 last time and takes a hike in both class and weight here, having gone up by eight pounds due to that win. 

Ben Pauling is a trainer I respect, and he has proven adept at preparing his horses for big races, and his charge here has a course win to his name, which is another positive.

Mothill takes a huge leap in class and goes up five pounds and that makes his task difficult here. He has also run at two miles four furlongs, which has tended to be a negative coming into this race.

READ MORE: Harry Cobden’s Planet Sport Blog assesses his seven Kempton rides

Teddy Blue is an interesting runner at a huge price, which is more a reflection of  his three horrible runs this season rather than his career record as a whole. 

Gary Moore’s six-year-old has won at Class 2 level but has placed at Graded level on multiple occasions and if replicating that form, I expect him to be amongst the prize money here. 

A couple of key things to note are the application of cheekpieces and the fact that this is his first attempt over a trip further than two miles one furlong. 

This combination of factors may help Teddy Blue relax into the race and if he stays, he could go well for a stable that has won this race three times.

Suggested bet: Teddy Blue in the 14:42 at Kempton

As usual these big-field handicaps provide multiple options for the winner of the race, but based purely on the trends I am suggesting an each-way bet on two of our shortlist Teddy Blue and King Alexander. 

As ever, look around for those bookmakers that are offering additional places to boost chances of a return.

READ MORE: Saturday ITV racing tips: Best bets for Kempton, Warwick and Wetherby on January 13