Andaleep is looking to punch his Finals Day ticket in the 11-furlong Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Rosebery Handicap, one of the highlights at Kempton Park today.
It’s Finals Day at Kempton Park (Pic – Kempton Park Racecourse on FB)
The nine-year-old has hit the crossbar twice this season, going down narrowly to The Glen Rovers in the London Middle Distance Series Final and finishing second to King’s Code at Wolverhampton on Boxing Day.
Andaleep filled the runner-up spot in three Racing League handicaps during the summer, as well as posting a creditable fifth in the Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket.
Co-trainer Daniel Kubler said: “Andaleep has a good record over the course and distance, having finished second in the last two runnings of London Middle Distance Series Final, and this will qualify him for that race again.
“Even though he has been off for three months, he is pretty ready. He was going to run at Kempton at the end of January but had a little setback, so we have freshened him up with this race in mind.
“Initially, I did not have Finals Day in mind but I had a look at the list of qualified horses for the Easter Classic and he should get a run, so I think there is a good chance he will go there if he comes out of this weekend OK.
“He has been to Newcastle once before for a Racing League handicap and did not run very well, but it was a strange race and I could forgive him that as he is generally such a consistent horse.
“It would be tough to see him winning the Easter Classic but, as he showed last year, he is well capable of running well in these big handicaps and picking up good prize money. He is nine years old now and has seen it all – he is just a pretty cool horse.”
Paradias may also have the BetUK Easter Classic on his agenda after this weekend, with Alan King’s runner chasing a hat-trick following wins at Wolverhampton and Kempton Park.
Andrew Balding’s trio is headed by Mount Atlas, who was second in a valuable handicap at Newmarket in the autumn. Stable-mates Teumessias Fox and Lieber Power line up for King Power Racing.
Amo Racing is double handed as well, with Mr Alan returning from a campaign in Bahrain for George Boughey, while Forceful Speed reappears after a 273-day absence on his first start for Raphael Freire.
Max Mayhem has also been overseas, with Hilal Kobeissi’s runner annexing a 12-furlong handicap impressively at Meydan on his latest start.
Potential improvers Balmacara (Eve Johnson Houghton), Calumet (Marco Botti) and Grey Cuban (Hugo Palmer) look to build on promising three-year-old campaigns.
George Baker, who won the race 12 months ago with Cemhaan, saddles Killybegs Warrior, while Ambiente Amigo and Real Dream complete the field for James Owen and Ian Williams.
Elsewhere on the card, Soprano makes her 2025 return in the Listed Virgin Bet Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes over a mile. George Boughey’s four-year-old was twice placed at Gr1 level last year, including in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.
Her opposition includes 2023 Gr2 Queen Mary Stakes scorer Crimson Advocate (John & Thady Gosden) and Ollie Sangster’s Shuwari, who makes her first appearance since finishing second in the 2023 Gr1 Fillies’ Mile.
Godolphin’s Cavallo Bay (Charlie Appleby) heads five runners in the Virgin Bet Best Odds Daily/British EBF Conditions Stakes over a mile, a race won by Notable Speech and Mostahdaf in recent years.
Unbeaten fillies American Gal (Ed Walker), Glittering Surf (Owen Burrows) and Rhapsody (William Haggas) are among seven contenders in the Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places/British EBF Fillies’ Conditions Stakes over a mile.
