Swing along with Sixties at Kempton

Son of St Leger hero clearly in good heart and capable of winning off rating of 91

SIXTIES GROOVE is a likely candidate for top honours in the 32Red London Middle Distance Final Handicap at Kempton.

As a son of the stable’s St Leger hero Sixties Icon, it is little wonder the threeyear-old struggled over shorter trips in the early part of his career.

His sole juvenile appearance was not devoid of promise, but he failed to make a significant impression on his first two starts of this season over an extended mile and seven furlongs respectively.

However, he made a successful start to his handicap career over this course and distance back in June off a mark of 63 and has not looked back.

A wide-margin win at Epsom earned him a big rise in the weights, but he has competed well in good handicaps on the grass at Goodwood and Newmarket the last twice and appears capable of winning off his current rating of 91.

This one-mile-three-furlong contest looks competitive, but Sixties Groove is clearly in good heart and acts on the track, so a bold bid is expected.

Meanwhile, YALAWIN gets the nod in the Breeders Supporting Racing EBF Maiden Stakes.

Roger Varian’s Lawman colt shaped with huge encouragement on his debut at Newbury earlier in the month, placing third behind a couple of horses with solid form in Parfait and Firefright.

Yalawin will surely step forward from that initial experience and he is taken to account for the useful Dick Tracy and get off the mark.

ISSUE can confirm debut promise with victory in the Breeders Backing Racing EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes. The daughter of Nayef sported a hood on her introduction at this venue last month and having unshipped her rider before the start, seemingly has her quirks.

Smart mare KASSIS can make a successful reappearance at Hereford.

Jamie Snowden’s inmate opened her account over fences in testing conditions at Bangor last December and ran creditably when 100-1 for a Listed event at Huntingdon a couple of months later.

A competitive Cheltenham heat in April proved a bridge too far, but she rounded off her campaign in winning fashion back at Huntingdon in May and makes her first start since in the Re Group 15 Year Anniversary Mares’ Handicap Chase.

She is 4lb higher in the weights than when last seen, but the rise does not look insurmountable and she should go well if fit enough to do herself justice after a break.

SELECTIONS:

HEREFORD: 1.00 New Member, 1.30 Whataknight, 2.00 Jennys Day, 2.30 Kassis, 3.00 Doitforjoe, 3.30 Barton Rose, 4.00 On Demand.

KEMPTON: 2.20 Plus Night, 2.50 Yalawin, 3.20 Issue, 3.50 Dream Of Summer, 4.20 Rousayan, 4.50 SIXTIES GROOVE (NAP), 5.20 Goring.

DOUBLE: Yalawin and Sixties Groove.