Theatre Guide to take centre stage, while King duo seek Winter Escape

David Metcalf | February 26, 2016

There’s a couple of cracking Alan King contenders to keep an eye on at Kempton this Saturday, as the Cheltenham Festival draws ever closer, but Colin Tizzard gelding Thetare Guide is getting much fanfare ahead of the feature race on a cracking card at this Surrey venue.

No waiting in the wings for Theatre Guide

Tizzard’s nine-year-old looks well-treated on the pick of his form, so is decent value to land the Betbright Chase (15:35).

Theatre Guide ran a blinder when winning the 2013 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury to finish a keeping on 4 1/2 length third of 21 to Trio D’alene off a mark of 145, and backed that up with a solid second at Cheltenham off 147.

He then went on to score in his sole start in 2014 when dead-heating at Kempton off off 149 and, after a spell in the doldrums, bounced back to form on his second start this season when an excellent second of 15 to Smad Place in the Hennessy off 139.

Although not match for the easy 12 length winner, Theatre Guide stayed on strongly from off the pace after making a couple of costly errors and stuck nicely to the task.

That form reads extremely well in the context of this contest, and the son of King’s Theatre is able to race in it off the same mark.

It gives Theatre Guide every chance from a handicapping perspective, and although well beaten last time out when third to Smad Place at Cheltenham that was a Grade 2 contest, so the return to handicap company is sure to see this horse in a far better light.