Coral Trophy tips and predictions: Blackjack Magic the choice
This time of the season has a wealth of good staying handicap chases – and the Coral Trophy at Kempton today, along with the Eider at Newcastle on the same afternoon, herald the flurry of horse races that punters love to get stuck into.
The celebrated contest at the Surrey course has been won by big names such as Desert Orchid and Rough Quest. While the 2024 renewal is unlikely to offer any legends of the turf, it looks competitive – and many of the runners will be stirring betting interest not only today but for other similar races at Cheltenham, Aintree, Ayr and Sandown.
A field of 12 is set to go to post and we have three runners worth particularly close attention.
Coral Trophy – Kempton, 3.37pm
Coral Trophy tips
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Plenty of the runners in this year’s Coral Trophy have form at Kempton, but few have put their best foot forward here when the ground is testing, as it will be this afternoon.
While BLACKJACK MAGIC has never been here before, his finest hour came in the Badger Beer Chase at Wincanton last November. Like Kempton, that is a sharp, right-handed track that puts the emphasis on jumping and rewards prominent racers that get into a good rhythm.
Sam Twiston-Davies is a top rider generally and is particularly adept on horses such as the Black Sam Bellamy gelding, so his booking is a positive even though regular rider Rex Dingle is on board a rival here, Lord Baddesley.
Blackjack Magic showed several times over as a novice chaser that he can navigate deep ground and looks a rock-solid option in first-time blinkers.
Course specialist to go close
This is FLEGMATIK’s big day for the whole season. It was last year too, when he travelled like the best horse only for Our Power to worry him out of it by a neck
The Fuisse gelding is back for another crack and has arguably landed in a slightly weaker race. He has also boosted his record at the Surrey venue with a course-and-distance win last month over Chianti Classico, who is among the market leaders for the Ultima at Cheltenham.
The slight quibble with Flegmatik is that he is not the most straightforward ride, and essentially has one run in him. He is also 5lb higher than when coming up short last year, but it is hard to see a runner with Kempton figures of 311021 being far away.
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Red-hot Pauling one to watch again
You could think that BOWTOGREATNESS has been a bit of a disappointment since his breakthrough run at last year’s Grand National meeting. He has run only twice, with form figures of P5.
But that would belie a campaign that has probably been all about the big spring handicaps for this unexposed chaser. His Aintree run was a first outing over fences at three miles or further, and as expected he thrived.
This will be a second attempt, and the Westerner gelding showed a lot more than his fifth place at Cheltenham, 23 lengths adrift of the winner, last time. In a race that typically proves strong form, he travelled potently at big odds before running out of puff late on.
A return to the Cotswolds for the Festival could be the ultimate aim this season. Bowtogreatness is entered in the Ultima and Kim Muir.
It could be that this outing promises more than it delivers, but this race is worth more money than the Ultima, so it could well be that this is the big day for him.
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