Lanka will prove to be a real Star!

STAR OF LANKA can shine brightest in a typically competitive renewal of Kempton’s Listed Unibet Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle.

Warren Greatrex’s five-year-old is one of several in a field of 15 who will arrive very much in form on Saturday.

In Star Of Lanka’s case, that amounts to back-to-back victories after being moved up closer to this trip of two miles and five furlongs - both at Hereford, whose tight, righthanded nature is akin to this weekend’s configuration.

Star Of Lanka held on by just a short head from a subsequent winner last time after a characteristically attacking ride from Gavin Sheehan.

Star Of Lanka perhaps has more potential for continued improvement than a stack of prolific and more experienced winners in opposition.

This will be just his seventh career outing, whereas likely favourite Kloud Gate was a hardened performer on the Flat in France before he went jumping for Gary Moore last spring.

Kloud Gate also had very useful form in four runs back on the Flat in the summer, and has since returned with two odds-on handicap hurdle victories.

Cotswold Way and Erick Le Rouge have similar profiles to Star Of Lanka.

They bid for four-timers and, for their trouble in a notably tight handicap covered by a weight range of just 10lb, concede just 1lb and 4lb respectively to Star Of Lanka.

It will be a brave man to back against Charbel over two and half miles on a flat track, after the winning performance he produced in last month’s Edredon Bleu Chase at Huntingdon.

Noel Fehily, riding Kim Bailey’s gelding in the absence of injured David Bass, took the initiative from an early stage - and the rest of a very good Grade Two field never got a look-in.

Charbel had eight lengths to spare at the line and, over just an extra halffurlong, he is the obvious selection to follow up in the Listed 32Red Casino Chase.

The Unibet Handicap Chase will require a little more stamina, and Glen Rocco appeared an obvious candidate to relish the step up in trip when he beat all bar one here on Boxing Day.

Warwick provides an afternoon of quality action, not least in the McCoy Contractors Civil Engineering Classic Handicap Chase.

Step Back is still interesting off the mark he earned with his 13-length romp in Sandown’s big handicap at the end of last season.

But he was slightly lacklustre on his return at Cheltenham in October, and has been off the track since then.

Spring targets may be his best bet again - although it is of obvious note that he won first time out on a belated reappearance in each of his previous two campaigns.

It may nonetheless be wisest to look much further down the handicap to second-season novice Impulsive Star, who nestles on 10st 1lb.