Kempton preview: Polytrack specialist Dougan the standout punt

David Metcalf | September 19, 2016

Dougan can deliver under title-chasing Crowley

Dougan can maintain his unbeaten record on the polytrack surface by landing the 6f sprint handicap on today’s card at Kempton (16.40).

The David Evans trained gelding has won all four of his starts on the artificial surface and is also 2-2 at the venue.

His last success came at the track back in in April where he came from off the pace and quickened up smartly to land a class 2 contest going away by 1 3/4 lengths off a mark of 85.

Dougan has since posted some solid efforts in similar grade affairs on the turf, including when third at Newmarket on two occasions off 93.

The gelding also shaped better than the bare result suggests last time out at Ascot when 12th of 18 to Magnus Maximus having been set an impossible task from a hopeless position and having since been dropped 2lb and is now able to race in this lower grade class 3 contest off 91.

It makes Dougan nicely treated on the pick of his form now returned to the surface he relishes and another plus is that the son of Dutch Art now gets the services of title-chasing jockey Jim Crowley in the saddle for the first time.

Cryptic the answer to finale

In the 1m handicap that brings proceedings to a close (17.40), Cryptic looks decent value to get back to winning ways now returned to the scene of his sole success.