Betway Chase Day, Saturday 22nd February 2020 - Kempton Park

Good morning from a relatively bright but cloudy Kempton Park Racecourse!

Our first visit to the course, and what a day it is, with a bumper 8 race card, featuring the Pendil Novices Chase, Adonis Juvenile Hurdle, Dovecote Novices Hurdle, and the feature of the day's action being the Betway Handicap Chase. Usually that is already an excellent card, but supplemented to this meeting is the Betway Kingwell Hurdle, that was transferred from Wincanton's lost card last week after high winds forced the abandonment of the meeting.

Starting off at 12:40 with a typically competitive handicap hurdle, it features the return of the Jonjo O'Neill trained Palmers Hill, who won very impressively with his willing and regained partner Jonjo Jr. 15 months ago at the November meeting. Sidelined since, he returns with further improvement hoped for with this one, who also holds an entry in the Coral Cup and Martin pipe at the Cheltenham Festival in less than 3 weeks time. He won't have it easy though, with the exciting Downtown Getaway from the Nicky Henderson yard at Seven Barrows opposing him, with some decent form in the locker to boot.

The first Graded race of the day is the Grade 2 Pendil Novices Chase, and is a mouthwatering contest, with the favourite being Comanche Red, who was very impressive when taking a Class 3 handicap Chase on Boxing Day, while second favourite Master Tommytucker was going well when falling 4 out in the Kauto Star on the same card.

The following Adonis Juvenile Hurdle is a case of unknown potential for a lot of these, with Fujimoto Flyer taking top billing after an emphatic success at Auteuil in September. Next up after that is the rearranged Kingwell Hurdle, where Elgin is the form horse, posting a couple of excellent efforts over jumps and Flat before injury curtailed his progress to now. Former Willie Mullins trained Quick Grabim from the Fergal O'Brien yard will pose some smart opposition if he can recapture his form that saw him land a Grade 1 in Ireland while still in his care.

The Dovecote is a fascinating contest in itself, with recent Ludlow scorer Garry Clermont being chucked into this Grade for the first time for Jonjo O'Neill, with opposition coming from Highway One O Two, a smart performer who has scored at Plumpton in successive times. By far the form horse is Buzz, who won on his hurdling debut before following up at Doncaster after his run at Taunton was franked when the runner up Galahad Quest took the Finesse Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham on Festival Trials Day in January. Whether that form is good enough for this level remains to be seen.

A hugely competitive Grade 3 is the feature race and final graded race of the day, spearheaded by the admirable partnership of Black Corton and Bryony Frost. With Talkischeap, Crievehill, Kildisart and Adrien Du Pont also in the mix, the race is shaping up to be a highlight of the jumps season.

Fingers crossed it lives up to it's billing!