2024 Uttoxeter & Kempton Saturday Tips – DS
2024 Uttoxeter & Kempton Saturday Preview
The Jukebox Man was the only horse we backed that enjoyed the rain sodden ground on Friday. Bunting was bitterly disappointing because on paper, he should have enjoyed it. Pink Legend and Sequestered got stuck in the mud, as did Gentlemansgame. Mr Freedom didn’t seem to act on it either but somehow, the County Hurdle winner Absurde did. It’s a head scratching game at times. We go again on Saturday, 2024 Uttoxeter & Kempton Saturday tips are below.
1.35 Kempton – Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Class 3)
Just five runners and not really a betting race for me. There is one in here I’ll be keeping an eye on though and that is Soul Icon. He wasn’t all that far behind Nickle Back on his last start on half decent ground and you can put a line through his last outing as it was soft.
I suspect Keiran Burke’s charge is going to rate a fair bit higher than 131 on nice ground over fences. The question today is whether connections consider it is worth exploiting his mark for a pot of this size (11k). I’d imagine there’ll be more valuable races he’ll get into off his current rating in the next couple of months so at odds of 4/1, I’ll just watch him today.
2024 Uttoxeter & Kempton Saturday tip: No Bet
1.50 Uttoxeter – bet365 Handicap Hurdle (Class 3)
From the glitz and glamour of Cheltenham to the slightly less salubrious surroundings of Uttoxeter. This is the flagship meeting for the Staffordshire track and the feature race is the Midlands National at 3pm. The ground is heavy and the first live race on ITV4 today is this nine runner 20f handicap hurdle.
Olly Greenall and Josh Guerriero do quite well at this track and they have the fav here, Jagwar. Owned by JP, this French recruit went close on his UK debut at Aintree (20f) on good to soft ground. He then disappointed at Haydock over two miles on heavy on his handicap debut off 119.
Aintree Bound?
A switch back to novice company and step up to 19f (hvy) saw him win by a head at Carlisle. The form of his Aintree effort suggests he should be up to winning off this mark and he looks the type to head back there for a handicap at the Grand National meeting. He’ll need to go up in the weights for that plan to work so he should be trying.
He’s far too short for the blog and to be honest, the outsiders are hard to make a case for. With the possibility of a non-runner reducing this to a seven runner race, I think it makes sense to sit this one out. No bet.
2024 Uttoxeter & Kempton Saturday tip: No Bet
2.10 Kempton – Unibet Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
Titan Discovery runs in this and he’s a very nice horse. We were denied a lovely touch with him on his second handicap start at Sandown (20f gd/sft) where he bumped into Jingko Blue. He finished 11L clear of the third and while he probably had a stone in hand, Jingko Blue had two.
He made no mistake back at Sandown last time off 4lbs higher, winning by 3.25L on soft. I think a 6lb rise for that to 121 is more than fair and he could still have a bit in hand. His half brother Bingoo is rated 130, this lad could be even better than that in time.
There’s no double figure odds about him this time though so I’ll take him on with Alien Storm.
Wants A Trip
If ever a horse has looked like he’s been crying out for this sort of trip (and possibly further) it is this son of Getaway. Trained by in form Charlie Longsdon, this 6yo stayed on without threatening over 16f at Cheltenham back in October. Longsdon gave him the winter off, presumably to avoid bad ground, and he returned with another solid run, staying on again over 19f at Doncaster.
He’s a half to Go Another One, a multiple 24f winner, and his half brother Sharp Rise also won over this sort of trip. He’s been second twice on nice ground at this track, it was soft when he ran poorly on his only other visit.
The booking of Sean Bowen for the first time is eye-catching (8/38 with 10 top 4s for Longsdon & 2/5 this season). Once the rain stays away, Alien Storm will hopefully run a massive race at odds of 9/1.
2024 Uttoxeter & Kempton Saturday tip: Alien Storm e/w @ 9/1 (4 places) NAP
2.25 Uttoxeter – bet365 Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
A huge pot with a £51k first prize and a big 18 runner field. The trip is 23.5f and on this dreadful ground, it’s going to be a grueller. Christian Williams loves to target these kind of races and he looks to have an ideal candidate in Lord Snootie. He just failed to reel in Cuthbert Dibble on bad ground last time at Haydock and the winner advertised that form off 6lbs higher when third in the Pertemps. Obvious claims.
At around 20/1, Transmission could be worth chancing now he is back on testing ground. He wasn’t disgraced off this mark of 125 on good to soft in a hot handicap at Sandown last time (23f). Previously at Plumpton (25f) he comfortably beat Hititi off 119 on soft ground, even after Joe Anderson was all but unseated at the sixth hurdle.
The son of Doyen hasn’t had heavy ground since his rules debut at Wexford for Colm Murphy. He split Inthepocket (now rated 149 and a G1 winner) and Joyeux Machin (now rated 136). There are no stamina worries with him and his trainer Neil Mulholland had a welcome winner on Friday. At odds of 20/1, Transmission is the e/w selection.
2024 Uttoxeter & Kempton Saturday tip: Transmission e/w @ 20/1 (5 places) nb
2.45 Kempton – Handicap Chase (Class 2)
A 0-150 chase that should be dominated by the market leaders. I could possibly make a case for one of the two at double figure odds but it would be a tenuous one. There’s just too many ifs, buts and maybes, even for me. Found On was taken out of Cheltenham because of heavy ground and he has won going right handed so if I were having a bet, it would be on him. However, he’s only 7/1 and the likes of Flegmatik and Outlaw Peter are big dangers. No bet.
2024 Uttoxeter & Kempton Saturday tip: No bet
3.00 Uttoxeter – Midlands Grand National Handicap Chase (Premier)
The feature. Just a dozen runners and guess who trains the 9/2 joint favourite… Yes, just when you thought he’d gone away after Cheltenham, Willie Mullins is back to try and plunder yet another big pot. He relies on Mister Incredible here off top weight with Brian Hayes in the plate. However, he hasn’t been seen for a year and they won’t want to bottom him out as his main aim is Aintree next month. Mullins is also 0/4 with his previous runners at Uttoxeter.
There’s a couple in here with previous in this race. Truckers Lodge won it four years ago off 141 and he races off 7lbs lower here thanks to Freddie Gingell’s claim. However, he was well beaten last year off 135 and at 12 years old, his best days are behind him.
Young Dev was runner up in 2022 off 133 with a 7lb claimer on board. Denis Hogan takes 3lbs off him this time so he is effectively 5lbs lower, but this will be his seventh run in the space of 11 weeks or so and you’d rather have a fresher horse for a race of this nature.
Risks Attached
He comes with risks attached given his inconsistent nature but if Beauport is in the mood, he could run a huge race here. Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, Jordan Nailor rides and he knows this lad inside out. His last run at Warwick in January was one of his poorer efforts, pulled up after looking like he didn’t want to know.
However, on his penultimate start at Sandown (28f hvy) he ran much better, chasing home Truckers Lodge. He’s 2lbs better off for that 1.25L defeat and the 8yo is capable of turning the tables if doesn’t get out of the wrong side of the bed.
Beauport has been placed both runs on heavy and his only ever run at Uttoxeter saw him land a valuable handicap hurdle at this meeting off 142 back in 2022. Surely, connections must have had this race in mind for him at some point ever since then and I’m hoping this is his seasonal aim. At odds of 16/1, Beauport is the e/w selection.
2024 Uttoxeter & Kempton Saturday tip: Beauport e/w @ 16/1 (4 places)
3.35 Uttoxeter – Novices’ Handicap Chase (Class 2)
Evies Vladimir looks a massive threat in this fairly valuable novices’ chase. Gavin Cromwell’s horses are flying, Keith Donoghue is riding well and this horse loves heavy ground. He looks like he wants three miles too so I’m not surprised to see he’s just 9/4.
I’m not going to take him on. None of the bigger priced horses are jumping off the page and with the Curragh (hopefully) to come on Monday, I’d rather wait until then before having any more bets. We’ll sit this one out. No bet.
