Kempton Preview: Don’t Be can complete hat-trick

The ultra-progressive Don’t Be can make light of a 4lb rise in the weights to land the hat-trick in the 7f handicap at Kempton today (3.20).

Trained by the ultra-shrewd Sir Mark Prescott, the filly is a typical improver from the yard who looks well-ahead of the assessor.

The four-year-old opened her account in good style at Wolevrhampton when only having to be driven out to score by 1 1/4 lengths off a mark of 66, and easily defied a 6lb rise in the weights to follow-up in impressive fashion at Lingfield last time out.

Don’t Be was held-up and forced to race wide in the latter, before making good headway a furlong from home and showing a smart turn of foot to quicken clear and beat Presumido by 1 1/3 lengths.

The daughter of Cape Cross was value for much more than the winning margin, and given her upwardly mobile profile a further 4lb rise in the weights looks on the lenient side.

Takeitfromalady disappointed when failing to land a gamble last time out but looks worth another chance to take advantage of a drop in the weights in the 1m 3f handicap (2.50).

The Lee Carter trained gelding is on a long losing run, having not scored since landing a class 4 contest at Windsor back in July 2012 off a mark of 82.

However he did run a couple of solid races to be placed last year, including when a 3/4 length runner-up over course and distance in a class 4 contest off 79, and now gets into this class 6 affair off just 62.

That is a career-low mark for the five-year-old, and makes the son of Intikhab dangerously well-treated if bouncing back to anything like his best.

In the 6f handicap (3.50), Secret Asset looks decent each-way value now dropped into class 4 company for the first time in his career.

The Jane Chapple-Hyam trained gelding was last successful in a class 2 handicap at York in July 2013 off a mark of 96 and is now able to race off just 80.

That gives the nine-year-old a huge chance from a handicapping perspective in this much lower grade, especially if the fitting of the blinkers for the first time have the desired effect.