Kempton Preview: Pipers Piping ready to call the tune

Pipers Piping has been shaping as if ready to strike and can take advantage of a drop in the weights to land the 1m handicap at Kempton this evening (7.30).

The Mandy Rowland trained gelding is a nine-time winner on the all-weather, with the last of those successes coming in a 7f contest at Wolverhampton in March 2014 off a mark of 59.
The nine-year-old scored readily by 3/4 of a length and was put up 6lb to 62 by the assessor.

That looked harsh, and Pipers Piping subsequently failed to trouble the judge in his next seven starts.
However his mark has fallen as a result, and the veteran is now running off just 51.

That is 4lb lower than when last successful, and Pipers Piping has run really well of it in his last two starts at Wolverhampton over 1m 1f to finish third and sixth when not getting the best of runs.

The drop back to a mile looks sure to suit, and granted better luck in-running Pipers Piping looks weighted to take all the beating.

In the 6f handicap that opens proceedings (4.30), Littlecote Lady can cash-in on a career-low mark to land the spoils now dropped back in trip.

The Mark Usher trained mare has notched both her career successes over course and distance, with the last of those coming in February 2013 off a mark of 51 when beating Steel City Boy by 1/2 a length.
The six-year-old went on to finish runner-up at Wolverhampton off 53, and also ran well to finish runner-up twice last year at this track over 6f off marks of 52 and 53.

The daughter of Byron now gets into this off just 49, having shaped better than her form figures suggest on her last four starts after a lay-off of 214 days.

In the last of those over 7f at this venue seven days ago, Littlecot Lady was tenderly handled after losing vital ground when going left at the start and the drop back to 6f today looks sure to suit.
Another plus is that Littlecote Lady is now reunited with David Probert who steered her to her first career success, and from a good draw in stall 1 everything points to a huge run.

Selections:
4.30: Littlecote Lady (NB)
5.00: Budding Rose
5.30: Millionaires Row
6.00: Highsalvia Cosmos
6.30: Volunteer Point
7.00: Little Miss Mighty
7.30: Pipers Piping (NAP)
8.00: Berrahri