Kempton Preview: Glorious chance for Sun to follow-up

Glorious Sun opened his account in good style last time out and looks a worthy favourite to follow-up on handicap debut in the 1m contest at Kempton this evening (6.10).

The Ed Walker trained gelding shaped with plenty of promise in his first three runs before readily beating Geordan Murphy by 2 1/4 lengths over course and distance.

The son of Medicean was well on top at the finish, and the runner-up has scored twice since to give the form a solid look.

It was an effort which suggested Glorious Sun would have more to offer when going handicapping, and an opening mark of 82 could well be on the lenient side if that proves to be the case.

With the stable in good form, and George Baker in the saddle who has a near 30% strike rate when teaming up with runners from the yard, Glorious Sun looks the one they all have to beat.

Stormbound could never get competitive last time out over course and distance from a poor draw but looks worth another chance to confirm earlier promise in the 1m handicap (5.40).

The Paul Cole trained five-year-old won over course and distance last November when finishing strongly to get up close home and score by a head off a mark of 65 and backed that up with an excellent effort on seasonal reappearance, again over course and distance, when beaten just a nose off 68.

Stormbound then got back on the winning trail at Bath, before posting another solid effort over CD to finish runner-up off his current mark of 71.

The son of of Galileo now runs off 70, and that looks exploitable on the pick of his form.

In the 1m 3f handicap (6.40) the booking of George Baker to partner the dangerously well-treated Mcbirney for the first time suggests connections mean business.

The Paul D’Arcy trained gelding is a dual winner at the track who was last successful over 1m 4f here last March when easily scoring by five lengths off a mark of 69 in a class 5 contest.

The seven-year-old now gets into this lower grade class 6 affair off a career-low of 60, 9lbs lower than when last successful, and that gives McBirney major claims from a handicapping perspective.