Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Wednesday.
Three points of interest
Step up in trip likely to suit Macedonian
Macedonian has a mixed pedigree as he's by a speed influence in Kodiac but he's out of the useful mare Marsh Daisy who won a couple of listed races at a mile and a quarter.
Macedonian has clearly inherited a good deal of his sire's speed as he was successful over six furlongs on his handicap debut at Kempton three weeks ago, but the way he stayed on to lead close home - earning a Timeform in-play symbol that denotes he responded well - suggests he should have little trouble with an extra furlong. He gets the chance to prove himself over that longer trip in the seven-furlong handicap (18:30) at Kempton on Wednesday and is expected to prove up to the task.
The strength of Macedonian's six-furlong win has not yet been fully tested but there were positive signs at Lingfield on Monday when the fourth, Handle With Care, and sixth, Toughly, filled the first two positions in a similar event.
Roi de France to stand in the way of Mount Athos' hat-trick bid?
Mount Athos is bidding to complete hat-trick in the feature seven-furlong handicap (19:00) and is also attempting to extend his unbeaten record at Kempton to five starts. He's clearly at home around Kempton and is entitled to plenty of respect, but he may have to play second fiddle this time around to the progressive Roi de France.
Roi de France possibly found the Cambridgeshire coming too soon in his development, though it's also possible that he was unsuited by the easy ground as he has the pedigree and run style of one who is likely to be at his best on a sound surface.
He soon got back on the up, though, when winning a mile handicap at Kempton before showing even better form in defeat here when runner-up to Poker Face, a subsequent winner of the Group 2 Zabeel Mile at Meydan.
Roi de France steps back into handicap company looking fairly treated based on that listed form, and the ease with which he travels suggests he'll have the speed to cope with this first try at seven furlongs.
Best Rate's Wolverhampton form is proving strong
Best Rate was well positioned close to a modest tempo when getting off the mark at Wolverhampton in December on his third start, but the performance he produced there now looks a bit better than it did at the time thanks to the exploits of some of those in behind.
The runner-up Tawasol, who shaped best, has not been seen since, while the third home, Stage Winner, did not need to improve to complete a very simple task at long odds-on at Lingfield in January. However, the fourth home, City of God, improved to win a Southwell maiden before producing a couple of good runner-up efforts in handicaps, while fifth-placed Leadenhall Street was only narrowly denied in a very strong Kempton novice before decisively getting off the mark on his handicap debut.
Best Rate may have had things in his favour at Wolverhampton but that was the third promising effort he posted from as many starts after also showing plenty to work with when third here on debut and then finishing fifth in a strong-looking novice at Lingfield.
It's unlikely we've seen everything Best Rate has to offer after only three starts and he goes handicapping in the mile event (19:30) at Kempton with the Timeform 'small p' attached to his rating to denote that improvement is likely. He's been gelded since last seen and returns to action with trainer Richard Hannon going well having sent out four winners from his last ten runners.
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