Kempton (AW) Tips: Thursday 2 July 2026

Kempton (AW) Tips: Thursday 2 July 2026

A midweek Kempton card under the lights, with Standard to Slow going on the Polytrack and sunny skies overhead. Three handicaps at a mile or further make up the meat of the evening, and there is genuine value to be found if you know where to look. The going description is important tonight: Standard to Slow favours horses who travel through the ground rather than those who need it lively underfoot.

Ralph Beckett fires in at 18% here and Simon and Ed Crisford lead the trainers for quality, while Billy Loughnane (16%, A/E 1.04) is the jockey to follow at this venue on tonight’s card. That positive A/E figure matters; it means he delivers at a fair price rather than just winning on odds-on shots.

6:33 — Unibet More Extra Place Races Handicap (Div 1) (1m, Kempton AW)

Selection: Blue Prince — 11/4 Boyle Sports / Betfred

David Evans has had two winners from 20 runners in the last fortnight, which is not a yard flying, but Blue Prince brings his own credentials that make him worth backing regardless. He won his last start by two lengths off a mark 6lb lower than tonight’s, and while the handicapper has had his say, the manner of that victory suggested a horse in top form. He tops the form figures for this division, handles the mile on Polytrack well, and Rossa Ryan is a strong booking.

The 3 places at 1/5 odds terms give some protection in a field of ten, but at 11/4 he looks like a win-only play. He is the standout on paper and the price is fair rather than generous.

Each-Way Consideration: Zabeel Alkabeir Each-Way — 4/1 Boyle Sports / Betfred

James Tate’s colt is interesting at the price. Two wins from three starts, the last of which saw him pull clear by four lengths in October, suggests ability well above his current mark. Nine months off the track is the obvious concern, and the wide draw in stall ten on a one-mile AW track will not help. But Tate is at 15% here at Kempton and James Doyle is in the saddle, a combination that demands respect. At 4/1 in a 10-runner handicap with three places paid, backing him each-way gives you solid cover if he needs the run and still runs into a place fresh.

7:08 — Unibet More Extra Place Races Handicap (1m, Kempton AW)

Selection: Zatsgood — 11/4 Boyle Sports / LiveScore Bet

George Boughey has had five winners from 29 runners in the last 14 days, a solid enough strike rate, and he saddles Zatsgood here with a clear angle. This horse won at Lingfield off a mark 4lb lower than tonight’s, then ran over ten furlongs last time and failed to stay; the drop back to a mile is an obvious positive and connections know it, adding a first-time tongue-tie to sharpen him up. Billy Loughnane takes the ride, and with that positive A/E figure at Kempton, this is exactly the sort of combination you want to be on.

Helm Rock is respected at 7/1 given he won here in April and the form figures rate him highest in the race. But Zatsgood’s pace and Loughnane’s record at this track make him the preferred play at a slightly shorter price.

Each-Way Shout: Helm Rock Each-Way — 7/1 Boyle Sports

Won here in April off a mark 4lb lower and rates as the top-figure horse in the race according to the data. The last run was a touch below his usual level but first-time tongue-tie and blinkers can sharpen up an eight-year-old who knows this track well. Daniel and Claire Kubler sit at 15% here at Kempton with a positive A/E of 1.03. At 7/1 with three places paid, he is a solid each-way alternative.

7:43 — Unibet 40,000+ Live Streamed Events Handicap (1m4f, Kempton AW)

Selection: Bulletin — 3/1 Boyle Sports / Betfred

Jonathan Portman’s yard is at 1/15 in the last fortnight, which is quiet, but Bulletin tops the form figures for this race and has been running consistently throughout. He went well on soft last time out, which is a slightly surprising surface for an AW specialist, and the switch back to Polytrack should suit him more. Consistent, versatile, and rated the one to beat in the race, 3/1 is a workable price in a field of only seven.

Each-Way Alternative: Master Vintner — 5/2 Boyle Sports

Ralph Beckett’s gelding was runner-up here last time by a length and a quarter off a mark 3lb lower. He returns on a slightly eased weight, handles the trip and the surface, and Beckett fires at 18% at this course. At 5/2 in a seven-runner race with just two places paid, the each-way terms are not generous enough to recommend a split stake. He is a valid win alternative to Bulletin if you think the handicapper has been kind enough.

Today’s NAP

Zatsgood — Unibet More Extra Place Races Handicap (7:08, Kempton AW)
Odds: 11/4 — Boyle Sports (others: 11/4 LiveScore Bet)

The case is clean and repeatable. Zatsgood won over this course and distance at Lingfield off a mark 4lb lower, then ran in trip over ten furlongs and failed to stay, which explains the below-par run without damaging his overall profile. Back to a mile tonight with a first-time tongue-tie fitted, and Billy Loughnane booked by a Kempton-savvy trainer in George Boughey, this is a horse in the right race at the right time. At 11/4, there is genuine value here for a horse who looks well-treated relative to his best form.