Simon Holt is backing Jim Crowley to land a high-profile Saturday double at Kempton - check out his preview and best bets.
Recommended bets: Saturday racing
2pts win Raucous in 2.40 Kempton at 8/1
2pts win Smart Call in 3.15 Kempton at 11/4
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
On an understandably low-key Saturday, just a week before the Grand National, SMART CALL lends a little class to proceedings at Kempton and should justify favouritism in the listed Betfred 'Home Of Goals Galore' Snowdrop Fillies Stakes.
Sent to Sir Michael Stoute last season, the six-year-old was top class in her native South Africa winning three times at Grade One level including when taking the prestigious J & B Met at Kenilworth (Cape Town) in January, 2016.
Smart Call, the mount of Jim Crowley, has yet to win for Stoute but she ran well on a number of occasions last summer, notably when fourth to the high-class French filly Qemah in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot before filling the same position behind Ajman Princess in the Group One Darley Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville in August.
The mare was not disgraced on her final start finishing seventh to Highland Reel in the Hong Kong Vase and looks to have been deliberately lowered in class here to start the new season on a positive note.
On ratings, Smart Call has plenty in hand over her rivals, though she does need to prove equally effective on this polytrack surface.
A proven all-weather performer is the French raider Hunaina who was twice a winner at Dundalk when trained in Ireland and, more recently, beat three decent rivals at Chantilly.
However, this looks more competitive and the Jeremy Noseda-trained La Figlia may be open to more improvement after just two promising starts.
Raised to Listed level at Newmarket last September, this daughter of Frankel ran well considering her inexperience to finish fourth behind the useful Muffri'Ha and, while the form doesn't really come close to matching that boasted by the selection, she looks an interesting prospect.
Earlier, it might be worth taking a chance on RAUCOUS, another of Crowley's mounts, making a winning debut for new handler Robert Cowell in the Betfred 'Supports Jack Berry House' Handicap.
The slightly-quirky five-year-old lost his form in the second half of 2017 but had won first time out on the all-weather at Chelmsford off a mark of 105 and can run off just 94 here.
Several other efforts would give Raucous a big chance; he was eighth in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot, fourth to Magical Memory in a Group Three at Newbury and then was beaten only four-and-a-half lengths in the Stewards Cup.
With sprint-specialist Cowell renowned for revitalising many an older horse in the past, the son of Dream Ahead looks worth an interest.