Kitty’s Light

Kitty’s Light finished almost 20 lengths behind the winner Annsam in the three-mile handicap chase at Kempton on Saturday, but it was still an encouraging run. Towards the rear of the seven-strong field from early, he got out-paced when Adam Wedge started to turn the screw on Annsam in front as they raced down the back straight, and he had to be ridden along as they reached the end of the back straight. He stuck to his task though. Fifth as they straightened up for home, he stayed on well over the last three fences. He moved into third place on the run to the final fence, and he closed to within less than three lengths of the runner-up Smarty Wild by the time they got to the winning line.

It was a good run by Christian Williams’ horse, on ground that was probably softer than ideal, over a distance that was probably shorter than ideal. He is unusual in that he is a real stayer, he relishes a true test of stamina, but his best form is away from soft and heavy ground. The handicapper dropped him by another 3lb for this run, which was very fair, down to a mark of 132. That is 17lb lower than his peak, and 12lb lower than the mark on which he started this season. All his runs this season have been over three miles or shorter, so he will be of interest again now when he goes beyond that distance. He has been placed in the last two renewals of the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown – he was unlucky not to win the race in 2021 – and that is an obvious end-of-season target for him again. It is a good race for him, run over an extended three and a half miles, usually on goodish spring ground. The Scottish Grand National is another legitimate target, a race in which he finished second to his stable companion Win My Wings last year, as is the Eider Chase at Newcastle in late February, if the ground came up good to soft or better there. He will be interesting now the next time he races over an extreme trip on ground that is good to soft or better.
Kempton, 14^th January 2023