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A drop from stakes grade to midweek company and a step up in distance should see Kent tough to beat at Canterbury today.
Kent lines up for the second run of his spring campaign in Race 6, the Ranvet’s Salkavite Benchmark 72 Handicap over 1550m.
A progressive three-year-old from the John O’Shea yard, Kent will find today’s restricted company much easier than his resuming run in the Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m).On that occasion Kent was far from disgraced went working to the line solidly to finish 3.6 lengths from the winner and the first three home in that race – Divine Prophet, Derryn and Thronum – all go around in Saturday’s Group 1 Golden Rose.
Kent produced a career best rating Timeform rating in that race, one that holds up well in this line up and he looks open to further improvement at just his fifth career run.Kent can be expected to be fitter with a run under his belt having won at his only previous second up attempt, which came at this course and distance in June so expect the 1550m journey to suit today.
All four of Kent’s career runs have been on soft going so he is at home in today’s conditions and with James McDonald going back aboard today should secure a cushy run in transit from barrier two.Stakes winner Cellarman is an interesting rival.
He progressed through his two-year-old campaign to land the Listed Wintergarden Stakes over 1400m at Eagle Farm in June.He couldn’t get warm when resuming in the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m) when beaten 6.8 lengths by Astern but this is a much easier assignment.
He will strip fitter today having placed second up last campaign and gets Hugh Bowman back aboard but the quick step up 350m in distance is a query.His Chris Waller-trained stablemate Spiritos should be at peak fitness fourth up from a spell.
He struggled on heavy going two runs back but improved plenty at Warwick Farm last time when third, beaten less than a length.Spiritos has won at this course and distance and a repeat of his latest Timeform figure would bring him right into the finish in this.
Wings hasn’t won for two years but ran her best race for some time when a 1.3 length second to Antonio Giuseppe at this track last time.That horse has franked the form since by winning in Saturday grade and Wings will be comfortable on the soft going.