The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)

RACING:DIVINREADY­TODELIVERK­EMPTONGOOD­SFORNICHOL­LSASLAIETH­LIESPOISED­TOSTRIKE

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Divin Bere has found a successful new arena and is all set to prove his versatilit­y again in the 32Red. com Handicap at Kempton. Paul Nicholls took over the training of the former smart juvenile hurdler from his fellow jumps heavyweigh­t Nicky Henderson last season - but had little joy in three top handicaps over timber. A summer wind operation was prescribed, and then a return to the Flat for the first time since Divin Bere’s days in France two years ago. The five-year-old proved it was a wise move by chalking up a comfortabl­e win as the well-backed 2-1 favourite under the trainer’s daughter, Megan, in a Bath handicap two weeks ago. Divin Bere has taken a 6lb hike for his trouble, but his jumping career is set to stay on hold a little while longer as father and daughter team up again on the all-weather this time with the 2017 Cheltenham Festival runner-up. Half an hour earlier on today’s floodlit card, more familiar colours and connection­s may make the winner’s enclosure in the 32Red On The App Store Novice Stakes. It is a year to the day since Laieth followed up his debut fourth here with an odds-on victory at Wolverhamp­ton. Gelded in the meantime, the threeyear-old is back for Godolphin and Saeed bin Suroor with the right profile to defy his penalty and take care of this field under Jason Watson. Nottingham serves up some taxing handicaps, but one solution is perhaps reasonably straightfo­rward - thanks to Richard Hannon’s top weight Moyassar. The colt has yet to strike on turf, but can put that right in the British EBF Nursery Handicap on the back of an admirably consistent profile in his five runs to date. Moyassar did justify the odds with ease on Chelmsford’s Polytrack three starts ago, but could then finish only second at 4-7 next time. He has since put up a muchimprov­ed performanc­e, when a half-length third to a winning stablemate in a valuable race at York - and down to the minimum trip for

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Paul Nicholls

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