Kitty’s Light

Kitty’s Light put up a big performance to finish second to his stable companion Cap Du Nord in the valuable Coral Trophy at Kempton on Saturday. Held up early on by Brian Hughes, towards the rear of the field and wide, he couldn’t go the early pace. He was being ridden along after two fences, and he was left in last place when Phoenix Way departed at the third fence. Still stone last of the 12 remaining runners as they raced down the side of the track, he made progress on that part of the track, and he travelled well around the outside into the home straight, just about five lengths behind the leaders. He stayed on well too over the last three fences and, while he couldn’t get to his stable companion, he ran all the way to the line to get to within three lengths of the winner, coming over five lengths clear of the rest of his rivals.

This was a really good run by Christian Williams’ horse in a test that wasn’t as stiff as ideal. He goes well on this good to soft ground, he goes well on better ground too, but he is a real stayer for whom three miles on goodish ground probably isn’t far enough. He put up the best performance of his life in the Bet365 Gold Cup last year, over three miles and five furlongs on good ground, when he was probably coming to win his race before he was hampered. In the end, he was promoted to second place, but he almost certainly would have won without the interference. That race is surely his target again this year. The handicapper raised him by 3lb for Saturday’s run to a mark of 143, which is just 4lb higher than the mark off which he ran at Sandown last year as a mere five-year-old, and it is 6lb lower than his peak. He will be of big interest now in the good staying handicap chases as we move into the spring. He holds an entry in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter on the Saturday after Cheltenham, but the ground may be softer than ideal for him there, and he will be of greater interest back in the Bet365 Gold Cup.
Kempton, 26^th February 2022