Kempton Preview: Killing Time can slay rivals

Killing Time is a fascinating contender now dropped back in trip and returned to the polytrack surface in the mile handicap at Kempton this evening (8.40).

The Ralph Beckett trained gelding was a progressive sort last year, rounding off the campaign with back-to-back victories in mile contests at Windsor and this venue.

In the last of those successes, Killing Time came from off the pace to assert in the final 100 yarda and win going away by 1 1/2 lengths from Spiritual Flame off a mark of 75.

The son of Oratorio now gets into this off just 3lb higher having failed to cut any ice in two runs this season.

However, both those starts have come on the turf over 1m 2f and 1m 4f, and his best runs have come over a mile on the all-weather.

That makes Killing Time interesting now that he has his optimum conditions at a track where he has won and finished second in two starts.

In the 1m 3f handicap (6.10), Grasped looks a worthy odds-on shot to make it three wins in four starts.

The progressive Lady Cecil trained filly won with more in hand than the 3/4 length winning margin suggests when scoring last time out at Lingfield and looks to have got away lightly with just a 2lb rise in the weights.

The daughter of Zamindar is also unbeaten in all three starts on the all-weather surface, and looks the type who is open to further improvement now upped in trip.

Dual course and distance winner Tevez has been given a big chance by the handicapper and can take advanatge to land the spoils in the mile contest that closes proceedings (9.10).

The Des Donovan trained nine-year-old has not been at his best in four starts this season, but is now 3lb lower than when last successful as a result.

That win came in a class 5 contest on the turf at Yarmouth, but prior to that Tevez had won over course and distance in this grade off his current mark of 65 and he is now simply too well-treated to ignore at a venue he runs well.