All-Weather racing tips, news and tracker horses

All-Weather Angle: Wednesday December 4

1pt win Cyclonite in the 5.10 Kempton at 9/2 (General)

1pt win Absolute Star in the 6.40 Kempton at 7/2 (General)

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Andrew Asquith's full tipping record can be found here

All-weather racing is back this week and there is some excellent action at both Lingfield and Kempton. The Winter Oaks Trial takes place at the former track this afternoon and Simon & Ed Crisford, who have won the last two renewals, appear to have another leading chance with another improving three-year-old in Charlotte’s Webb.

She is building a positive record on the all-weather, and was impressive at Newcastle last time, just pushed out in the closing stages to assert from the second and third who also arrived in good form. This will be her first visit to Lingfield, which will present a sharper test than Newcastle, but she won well enough at Wolverhampton two starts back, and she is clearly a filly on an upward curve that is taking on largely more exposed rivals. Charlotte’s Webb looks the likeliest winner but is priced accordingly.

As previously mentioned, Kempton is my preferred punting track on the all-weather, so I’m going to focus on that meeting this evening.

There is an interesting nursery over six furlongs and I’m interested in US-bred CYCLONITE, who is returning from four months off and has been gelded since last seen also.

He is by smart US-sprinter Bucchero, who was a multiple winner on dirt, out of a Street Cry mare who was also successful in America, so he’s very much bred to excel on an artificial surface.

Cyclonite has also shown his best form on the all-weather, too, yet to finish out of the first three, and impressing when opening his account over six furlongs at Newcastle in August.

He tanked through that race, getting a nice tow into proceedings and still on the bridle two furlongs from home, while he also looked more straightforward than previously when asked to go and win his race, really knuckling down in the closing stages to be snugly on top at the line from another nursery debutant.

Admittedly, there have been no winners emerge from that race, but the runner-up has run respectably from higher marks since, and they did pull clear of the remainder. Cyclonite wasn’t in the same form back on turf at York when last seen, but he was in much deeper waters that day, and it may pay to put a line through that effort, as he sweated up beforehand, was awkward leaving the stalls and also lost his position early.

That was also over seven furlongs, which may be a step too far for him this year, and I’m taking it as a positive that he’s been gelded since, as he had shown some signs of temperament previously.

James Ferguson hasn’t had many runners of late, but the last two he’s saddled have both won, so there is clearly nothing wrong with the form of the yard, and he is well birthed in stall 1. Just to his outside is Berkshire Kameo, who tends to go forward, so hopefully he can sit in behind that rival and be in a good position to strike in the straight.

Later on the card, ABSOLUTE STAR is an interesting stable switcher now having her first start for Roger Varian (previously with Archie Watson). Aside from the positive stable switch, her form stacks up well, too.

She showed plenty to work on when finishing runner-up over seven furlongs at Newcastle in January, unable to get on terms with the well-backed newcomer, but not at all knocked about in the closing stages.

Absolute Star didn’t progress as expected from her debut run seven weeks later, having the run of things, but playing third fiddle to a couple of promising newcomers who are rated in the 80s now.

That form worked out well on the whole and Absolute Star ran a career-best effort two weeks later upped to a mile again at Newcastle when third to the same horse as on her previous start and the well-bred newcomer Rainbows Edge, who won again under a penalty next time and also finished runner-up in Listed company.

Absolute Star was surrounded by subsequent winners on that occasion in what tuned out to be a strong fillies’ maiden and she is potentially well treated now entering handicaps from a mark of 69 after a near nine-month break. Roger Varian continues in form and, though this looks quite a strong race for the grade, she arrives totally unexposed from a mark which may well underestimate her taking all of her form into account.

There’s also a cracking Listed contest at Kempton this evening and you have to hugely respect the claims of Roi de France now moving up in class. He did very well to win a course-and-distance handicap last month, overcoming trouble in-running and conceding first run on Popmaster to prevail.

He definitely looks a smart colt in the making and is once again proving popular in the market. This is a much deeper field, though, and the likes of Poker Face and Dear My Friend pose a sterner challenge.

In particular the latter, who can boast an excellent record on the all-weather, successful on four of his five starts on an artificial surface, and it would be no surprise were he to bounce back to form after a short break. Dear My Friend can also boast a solid record when fresh, so he would be an interesting each-way alternative at a double-figure price, but Roi de France hasn’t much to find with the pick of his efforts, and remains open to further improvement – he has the ‘Timeform small p’ attached to his rating.

• Preview posted 0950GMT on 4/12/2024

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