Plumpton & Kempton - Monday 21st April

 Easter Monday is here and I will be at Kempton for the first of 4 days racing next week (Epsom Tuesday, Sandown Friday and Saturday). 

Kempton

16:05, Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Handicap

Dancing Magic 11/1, 1pt each-way (3 places)

Roger Teal's season has started well and his runner here must have a decent chance. Dancing Magic is, amazingly, still a maiden at the age of 5 however, that may be more down to how aggressively he was campaigned early in his career than his overall ability. The gelding did once finish 4th behind subsequent Derby winner Auguste Rodin in a Grade 1 as a 2 year old and was run in Group races exclusively as a 3 year old. Last year his sights were lowered to handicap company and he ran well before ending his season with 2 runner up efforts in maidens. It's worth noting that he had to give bundles off weight away to younger horses on both occasions and ran with credit. He arrives here off a mark that is 12 pound lower than the start of last season, when he finished in the Spring Cup at Newbury in April of 2024. He likes to go forward so being drawn 1 is a real bonus and he is just too well handicapped to ignore. 

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Plumpton

14:35, BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Chase Handicap Chase

Coastguard Station 12/1, 1pt each-way (3 places)

It is a significant jockey booking that Sam Twiston-Davies is sweating down to 10st2lb to partner Henry Oliver's likeable 9 year old Coastguard Station. He has everything in his favour which may be why the top jockey is happy to ride. Good ground suits this lad well and he tends to need a decent pace to aim at, which he will get here with so many classy front runners in the field. He hasn't run at Plumpton before so has won at Fakenham which is quite similar to booster hopes that he will act round this tight track fine and it's worth noting that he won well at Ascot last time out 22 days ago so clearly comes into this race in good order. When he finally hit form last Spring he followed up his win at Fakenham by finishing 2nd and 1st on his next 2 runs. I think he's worth a punt at the odds for sure.