Kempton Preview: Anglo Irish holds all the aces

Anglo Irish has built up a solid profile on the polytrack surface and can further enhance it with victory in the 1m 2f contest at Kempton this evening (8.10).

The John Gosden trained colt has won three of his five starts on the artificial service and made the frame on the two other occasions.

The last of the three-year-old’s successes came over 1m 3f at this venue fortnight ago, where Anglo Irish was always well positioned and found plenty to beat Masterpaver by a neck.

There was lots to like about the way the son of Dansili dug deep and responded to pressure, and a 3lb rise in the weights could well be on the lenient side.

Anglo Irish also has a course and distance win to his name, so the step back up to 1m 4f will not be a problem, and with the prospect of more to come and the stable in good form he looks sure to take all the beating in the hands of William Buick.

Like A Prayer is another who has good form on the polytrack surface and looks weighted to go well in the 1m handicap (7.10).

The Ralph Beckett trained gelding showed improved form at the back end of last season, finishing a solid fifth to the now 102-rated Glorious Empire at this venue before scoring in good style when upped in trip over course and distance.

The three-year-old then followed up in a mile contest at Lingfield off a revised rating 65, where he was value for more than the winning margin, and now gets into this off just 3lb higher.

That gives Like A Prayer a big shout at the weights, and the son of Compton Place comes into the contest on the back of an eye-catching run on the turf when a tenderly handled keeping on fifth of eight to After The Goldrush at Windsor in a race which wasn’t run to suit.

In the 1m handicap (7.40) course specialist Flamborough Breeze can take advantage of a drop in the weights to score an overdue success.

The Ed Vaughan trained five-year-old was in terrific form in February 2013 when landing a hat-trick of successes over course and distance.

The last of those victories came off a rating of 66 and Flamborough Breeze has since been placed several times off marks in the mid 70s.