Spring Of Fame, easy winner of his last two starts, steps up in class at Kempton tomorrow evening when he tackles the £80,000 Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes.

But the classy three-year-old, trained at Newmarket by Mikael Magnusson, is napped to show the way home to his 13 rivals, including a potentially useful pair of North Yorkshire raiders trained by Mark Johnston.

Spring Of Fame won by five lengths at Lingfield on the second of his two juvenile starts and he confirmed that good impression by bolting home three lengths clear at Wolverhampton recently on his seasonal debut.

Clearly fit and well and with the benefit of a recent race under his belt, Spring Of Fame is fancied to come out on top of a smart looking field, which includes Johnston duo Haashed and Mastery, both of whom, however, lack a preparatory outing.

On a classy card at Kempton, the £40,000 digibet Dragonfly Stakes also includes a couple of Johnston raiders – Luberon and Love Galore – but, much as the pair deserve respect, my vote goes to Scintillo, trained by Richard Hannon.

Beaten only a length into third place by Re Barolo in the Winter Derby Trial on his latest outing, Scintillo would hardly need to improve much on that display to come out on top here under Richard Hughes.

Mark Johnston has another good chance of getting his name on the scoreboard, courtesy of Royal Society in the digibet Sports Betting Handicap.

Making his handicap bow, Royal Society, who has shown ability in maiden company, is open to improvement as he steps up to a mile and a half for the first time.

What Katie Did (6.50), a recent course winner who will have the assistance of Jamie Spencer, and the well regarded Peninsular War (7.20), trained at Middleham by Karl Burke and returning to action after being turned over at long odds-on at Ayr last May, are two other interesting horses on show.

The afternoon all-weather action takes place at Lingfield, where Desperate Dan appears to have good prospects of recording a hat-trick of wins.

The sprinter has bounced back to form with a vengeance lately, gaining back-to-back successes at Wolverhampton.

He is, though, a previous winner over this course and distance, so the switch to Lingfield should not inconvenience him.

Silidan returned to winning ways on this course on his latest outing.

Now he has got his head in front once more, Gary Moore’s gelding ought to remain competitive in the Marsh Green Handicap.

Andy Turnell’s ultra consistent Interactive should go well in the Newchapel Selling Stakes, while Head Down, placed in all four of his starts thus far, deserves one more chance to open his account in the Happy Birthday Abbi Flatt Maiden Stakes.

* Today’s nap is Elliwan in the 3.30 at Southwell.


Racing selections

Lingfield
2.00 Very Well Red, 2.30 Interactive, 3.00 Head Down, 3.35 Desperate Dan, 4.10 Thorny Mandate, 4.45 Zero Cool, 5.20 Old Romney, 5.50 Silidan.

Kempton
6.50 What Katie Did, 7.20 Peninsular War, 7.50 Spring Of Fame (NAP), 8.20 Scintillo, 8.50 Royal Society, 9.20 Caprio.

Tomorrow’s other meetings:
Chepstow and Warwick.

Today’s meetings:
Exeter, Kempton and Southwell.