Tips: Burning Thread difficult to beat at Kempton

David Elsworth saddles Burning Thread at Kempton. Picture: PA

The eight-year-old achieved a rating in excess of 100 in his prime when trained by Tim Etherington but, following a largely disappointing campaign in 2014, he changed hands for the relatively modest fee of just 19,000 guineas in October last year.

Results at the start of this season suggested David Elsworth had bought a horse on a downward spiral, but a runner-up finish at Nottingham in September was a huge step in the right direction and a couple of starts later he brought a lengthy losing streak to an end in good style at Bath.

The overdue victory clearly gave him a boost as, after a good effort at Lingfield, he showed a smart change of gear when winning readily here a fortnight ago and, while a 5lb rise makes life tougher, he remains nicely treated on his best form and looks in the mood to follow up.

Vroom is definitely worth a watch in the market ahead of his handicap debut in the betdaq.com – Serious About Sport Nursery.

The Charlie Fellowes-trained juvenile was unsurprisingly well beaten in a valuable sales race at Newmarket on his debut, while his first start on the all-weather at Wolverhampton did not  offer much encouragement either.

However, he fared much better on his third start at Lingfield and it would be no surprise to see him step up again off an opening perch of 70.

The National Hunt fare comes from Catterick, where smart mare Hester Flemen can beat the boys in the Come Racing New Year’s Day Beginners’ Chase.

Snapped up for £55,000 by Donald McCain after winning an Irish point-to-point by a distance, the seven-year-old could not have been more impressive on her debut under Rules in a Carlisle bumper a year ago.

Her jumping was not overly convincing and she was made to work hard to justify prohibitive odds on her her hurdling debut at Newcastle shortly after the turn of the year, but she got the job done and has since switched yards and joined Nicky Richards, who has his string in fine form. Given her background, she should be better over fences and, with the testing conditions not an issue, this looks a good opportunity for her to make a successful start to her chasing career.

CATTERICK

12.15 Jimmie Brown

12.45 Cosmic Statesman

1.15 Hester Flemen

1.45 Poulanassy

2.20 Freddies Portrait

2.50 Tomorrow’s Legend

3.20 Be Daring

KEMPTON

2.10 Putaringonit

2.40 Burning Thread(nap)

3.10 Vroom

3.40 Sudden Wish

4.10 Andaz

4.40 Pina

5.10 Miss Pimpernel

5.40 Bennelong

SOUTHWELL

12.30 Danish Duke

1.00 What Could She Be

1.30 Sacred Square

2.00 Champagne Duchess

2.30 Best Trip

3.00 Cornton Road

3.30 Llewellyn

DOUBLE

Burning Thread

2.40 Kempton

What Could She Be

1.00 Southwell