Three Group 2 National Hunt features take centre stage at Kempton and Warwick on Saturday afternoon.
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There has been plenty of rain at Kempton in the build-up to their Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle fixture on Saturday and track conditions are currently soft with more rain forecast. A similar story at Warwick with heavy going listed by the clerk of the course.
It’s Warwick Racecourse’s big day on Saturday with two Group 2 contests on the card.
A competitive looking Gr2 Ballymore Leamington Novices’ Hurdle (16h25) sees seven runners go to the 2-miles, 5-furlong start.
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls, in red hot form over the last fortnight with a 36% winning strike rate, sends his progressive 6-year-old Knowsley to the West Midlands track.
Unbeaten over hurdles, Knowsley readily won a Chepstow maiden in early-November before following up under a penalty in a novice event at the same track a month later. The extra couple of furlongs he tackles and the underfoot conditions should suit.
The official handicapper has Tom Lacey’s Ginny’s Destiny a couple of pounds clear of the Nicholls runner, and the son of Yeats also has the benefit of previous course experience having won his hurdles novice over course and distance when last seen in November. He was over 8-lengths clear of the reopposing Mexico who has won since.
Earlier on the card at 15h50, four compete for the Gr2 Hampton Novices’ Chase, run over 3-miles. Another Paul Nicholls runner is favourite in the form of the Lorcan Williams ridden Complete Unknown. A winner on heavy going earlier in his career, he goes there with a leading chance of success.
However, at the prices, a chance is taken with The Goffer. At around 7/2 at time of writing, the Irish raider, trained by Gordon Elliott, is rated 4lbs higher than the Nicholls runner on official ratings and will certainly enjoy the underfoot conditions.
The Gr2 Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase (16h05) run over an extended two and a half miles has attracted a field of six. Named in honour of a top-class chaser from the Paul Nicholls yard who raced earlier this century, the contest on Saturday could be won again by the champion stable.
Course and distance winner Pic D’Orhy (last season’s Gr2 Pendil Novices’ Chase winner) was impressive when taking the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon last month. He is fancied to make it 3 out of 3 this season with stable jockey Harry Cobden retaining the ride.
