Kennedy Whip Ban

Will Kennedy and Swincombe Flame won yesterday's renewal of the Lanzarote hurdle at Kempton providing the same team with back to back wins in the race (won last year by James De Vassy). However it seems that the BHA have found another way to make themselves more 'important' than the race. Kennedy picked up a seven day ban for excessive use of the whip to get his mount up on the dying strides by a Nose. Kennedy was interviewed after the race and said these words "I either hit it two more times and win by a nostril or i dont and get beaten. Who can say i would have won without those two hits, its disappointing". He then went on to day "I'm not really one for hitting them but i missed the last and what do i tell the owners". Kennedy had to give up his £2500 prize money from the race. This comes in the same week as Robert Winston and Robert Cooper picked up their whip bans and shot the whip ban right back into the limelight after it had seemed to die down.

Onto today's racing and only Kempton on the all weather in the UK today after Kelso was abandoned, the National Hunt meeting at Navan still goes ahead where the talented So Young runs.

My tip of the day comes at Kempton however, LASER BLAZER goes in the 4:10 and after seeing his last run he would have entered many people's notebooks. Jim Crowley did relatively little on Jeremy Gask's gelding last time yet he still ran on to a more than respectable fifth at Lingfield. Adam Kirby gets the leg up today and the handicapper has dropped him a pound in the weights. The only doubt i could have in my mind is that he ventures into an unknown distance as he is stepped up a furlong in trip but his previous run suggests that he will relish the step up in trip. 10/1 looks a very generous price and is worth a very strong each way bet.

As always, Happy Punting