Progressive Discoverer can build on recent success
DISCOVERER can keep John Gosden’s winter team ticking over with another win at Kempton today.
The Sunbury venue boasts a distinctly average card but perhaps we should be thankful for any action in what has been a particularly testing few days for racing.
Discoverer should raise the temperature of his supporters a couple of degrees, though, as he tries to build on a recent success in the racingplus.co.uk Handicap.
Gosden gave this son of Bernardini plenty of time to find his feet, with the gelding not making his juvenile bow until the backend of December.
He acquitted himself well that day, dead-heating for second with a more experienced horse who has subsequently won since, as has the winner that day.
Discoverer was then sent off the 1-7 favourite to oblige on his next maiden start and while he prevailed at this track last month, it was certainly not the clear-cut verdict it appeared to be according to the market.
He had to battle hard to hold onto victory but that slightly lacklustre performance means he begins life in the handicap sphere off an attractive mark of 78.
Russian Bullet has been knocking on the door but his time can come in the Betdaq Multiples Handicap.
His wins-to-runs ratio would hardly set the world alight but he is nothing if not consistent, as evidenced by his two seconds on his last couple of starts.
The race did not quite pan out for him at Lingfield last month while he was perhaps a shade unlucky to run into an unexposed runner at Southwell the last time.
Russian Bullet was a clear second best there and while his string of fine efforts has seen him creep up the ratings, there might still be a little leeway there.
Dvinsky would be a popular winner of the second division of the race named in his honour, the skysports.com Dvinsky’s 200 Run Racing Handicap.
The 11-year-old joins an exclusive club as he notches up his double century of appearances and even at his advanced age, Dvinsky looks capable of winning this.
He has not got his head in front since last March, and despite some fair placed efforts, Dvinsky has been slowly falling down the ratings.This looks a good opportunity.
