After the Cheltenham Festival, the show must go on this weekend - and Stu Williams is keen on three selections at Kempton Park.
Recommended bets
2pt win On The Slopes in 1.30 Kempton at 6/4
2pt win Downtown Getaway in 2.40 Kempton at 4/1
2pt win Legal Eyes in 3.15 Kempton at 11/2
Grand Annual absentee ON THE SLOPES will head to Kempton on Saturday and he could take some pegging back given how well the form of his third placed afford at Cheltenham in January is working out.
The winner, Simply The Betts, landed the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate on Thursday, while the runner-up, Imperial Aura, ran out a commanding winner of the Northern Trust Company Novices' Handicap Chase on Tuesday. Therefore it is entirely possible that On The Slopes can overcome a 7lb rise for his smooth success at this venue last month.
Both Chris Gordon and Tom Cannon remain among the winners and the ground should prove ideal, so the sound jumping six-year-old makes plenty of appeal.
Nicky Henderson enjoyed a fine week at Cheltenham can strike again with the progressive DOWNTOWN GETAWAY, who has gone up 5lb for his course and distance success in a warm contest last month.
The scopey seven-year-old had clearly benefitted for wind surgery on that occasion and it's fair to presume that he has plenty more to offer - especially as he was far from fluent at the final flight of hurdles, yet still managed to battle back and defeat a similarly progressive rival in the form of Palmers Hill.
Downtown Getaway beat the 142-rated Champagne Well when getting off the mark at Ascot last season, and he was sent off an 8/1 chance in Grade One company at Aintree last spring. It's easy to make a case that he could prove much better than a mark of 136.
Ben Pauling has overcome a sticky start to the season and should enjoy a decent spring, and I am hopeful that the lightly-raced LEGAL EYES can kickstart it.
The progressive gelding had Kim Muir runner-up Kilfilum Cross 11 lengths in arrears when scoring over three miles at this venue last month, and he remains open to plenty of improvement on just his fourth start over fences.
His disappointing effort at Sandown in December may have had something to do with the issues in the yard, and he demonstrated that he had the pace to handle this drop back in trip when running out a comfortable five-length winner at Plumpton in October.
Legal Eyes could easily prove better than a mark of 137 and he can hopefully show as much with track, trip and ground in his favour.
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