Pont’s worth a Kempton punt

PAUL NICHOLLS sent out eight winners last Saturday so to say the former champion trainer has his horses in rare form is a massive understatement.

Harry Cobden rode four of them at Ascot and the pair should be followed again when they team up with ADRIEN DU PONT

(3.35) in the 888Sport Handicap Chase at Kempton Park.

This seven-year-old looked a progressive chaser when obliging over course and distance at Christmas and even though the assessor has raised him 7lb, he looks a cracking each-way wager around the 9-2 mark in this 10-runner field.

In the 888sport Pendil Novices’ Chase, BAGS GROOVE

(1.50) can regain the winning thread.

This fluent fencer ran no sort of race in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at this track on Boxing Day, but he was found to be a sick animal when he returned to Harry Fry’s yard.

He had previously obliged at Ffos Las, Wincanton and Huntingdon and looks a good thing, especially as the stable had a winner at Taunton on Wednesday.

Nicholls, above, sends VICENTE (2.40) on the long haul from Zummerzet to Newcastle, where the beast lines up for the Vertem Eider Chase.

The ground at the Geordie venue is described as good to soft, which he will handle, but the surface may be a bit quick for the many slowcoaches in this field.

The 10-year-old Vicente ran well when third over three-and-a-half miles at Taunton in January, on his first spin for two months, and the assessor has kindly dropped him to a perch of 146. That’s the same mark he ran off when landing the Scottish Grand National in 2016 and 2017 at Ayr, and that track is very similar to this one. On the sand dunes at Lingfield Park, CORINTHIA KNIGHT (2.05) can make the most of his stall one position and capture the Betway Hever Sprint Stakes run over the sharp five furlongs.

Archie Watson’s speedster lost all chance of success when hampered at the start in a six-furlong affair here at the beginning of the month, but before that he accounted for Gracious John – now 2lb worse off – by a length-and-a-half over course and distance in December.

The four-year-old is 2-2 over track and trip, and he can complete his hat-trick from his plum draw.