Kempton (AW), Wednesday 6 May 2026: Evening Tips
A seven-race card at Kempton on a Standard to Slow Polytrack surface. Conditions are on the slower side of normal, which will suit horses with a proven ability to handle a bit of cut underfoot rather than those who want true, quick ground. Three races worth pulling apart tonight, with a solid favourite, a couple of each-way plays, and a handicap that sets up well for a course specialist.
Race 1 (8:00): Try Unibet's New Improved Acca Boosts Handicap (7f, 14 runners)
Selection: Farasi Lane Each-Way at 5/1 (Bet365, Midnite)
Eight starts at Kempton, two wins and a near-miss. That kind of course record is not accidental at this track. Hollie Doyle, who knows every inch of the Polytrack here, takes the ride for the Newland and Insole yard, who are returning 3 wins from 25 runners in the past fortnight. Not a white-hot strike rate, but they are running horses in the right places.
The key angle here is the traffic problem last time out. He hit a wall of horses and never got a clear run, yet still finished within range. With 14 runners in a 7f handicap, pace will be strong from the off, and Farasi Lane is exactly the type who benefits from a searching gallop. The harder they go, the better he finishes. Two wins at Wolverhampton in March show the yard had him primed early in the season, and this mark is not insurmountable.
Prosperitas is on a career-high mark on his AW debut, and his two wins came on heavy ground in the autumn. Standard to Slow Polytrack is a completely different beast. I'm Workin On It has three C&D wins to his name but the form comment suggests he may have peaked at this level. Farasi Lane at 5/1 in a 14-runner handicap paying four places is the right each-way play.
- Farasi Lane: 5/1 each-way, 4 places at 1/5 odds
- Each-way saver: I'm Workin On It at 11/2 (Bet365)
Race 2 (7:00): Fillies' Restricted Novice Stakes (1m3f, 8 runners)
Selection: Brilliant Star at 2/9 (Bet365)
No each-way badge here. You are not backing Brilliant Star each-way at odds-on. You are backing her to win, which she should do with minimal fuss.
The breeding alone catches the eye. Half-sister to Star Of Light, and out of Star Catcher, a three-time Group 1 winner that includes the Irish Oaks. John and Thady Gosden have sent her out with Robert Havlin aboard, their trusted stable jockey for these mid-week evening assignments. The yard has had 9 winners from 39 runners in the past 14 days. That is a yard in form.
She won a Yarmouth novice on comeback in comfortable fashion after a slightly green debut on Tapeta. Going up in trip to 1m3f should bring further improvement, not less, given her pedigree screams staying filly. The rest of the field are either unraced, well beaten on debut, or need a significant step forward. Brilliant Star carries genuine potential and this race is a formality on paper.
- Brilliant Star: Win only at 2/9 (Bet365)
- Second string to watch: Golden Step (7/1 Bet365) if the market firms her up significantly before the off
Race 3 (7:30): Restricted Maiden Fillies' Stakes (7f, 14 runners)
Selection: Elshie Each-Way at 8/1 (Coral, Betfred, Boyle Sports)
Jane Chapple-Hyam has been running 2 winners from 14 in the past fortnight, a decent clip, and Elshie represents a stable that places horses thoughtfully. She ran on turf for her debut over 6f, showed signs of greenness, and was drawn away from the action. On a first-time hood tonight, stepping onto a surface that should suit a more straightforward galloping track, there is plenty of room for improvement.
Silvestre De Sousa rides. He is one of the sharpest judges of pace at Kempton and rarely gets into trouble on a 14-runner maiden. The first-time headgear is a big tick, the booking is a big tick, and 8/1 in a field where the form book is this thin offers genuine each-way value with three places paid.
Ronstadt is interesting for Ollie Sangster, who has hit 3 from 14 recently, and the market will tell you more. But at 9/2 on debut from stall 14, the price is too short to go each-way without knowing more. Elshie at 8/1 with a run under her belt is the smarter play.
- Elshie: 8/1 each-way, 3 places at 1/5 odds
- Market mover to watch: Ronstadt (Sangster/Kirrane) if she drifts to 6/1 or bigger
Today's NAP
Odds: 2/9 โ Bet365 (others: 1/4 William Hill, 1.24 Betfair Exchange)
Gosden yard in form at 9 winners from 39 in the last fortnight. Robert Havlin takes the ride. Half-sister to a Group 1-winning dam, steps up to 1m3f where her breeding will tell, and she won her Yarmouth comeback by a distance. The rest of the field cannot get near her on any reasonable reading of the form. Short, yes. But this is as near a certainty as Kempton AW serves up on a Wednesday evening.