A timely clue, unearthed at Wetherby earlier this month, may prove valuable in unearthing the winner of tomorrow’s £100,000 Racing Post Chase at Kempton.

Crescent Island, one of trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies’ two runners in the day’s showpiece event, is napped to take the spoils in the hands of Tom Molloy.

One run, one win is Crescent Island’s record this season, the gelding having returned from a lengthy absence to win a handicap at Wetherby in fine style from Regal Heights three weeks ago.

That was a very polished and encouraging display, given that it was his first outing since April 2009.

A horse who was good enough to finish third in the Jewson Handicap Chase at Cheltenham as a novice, Crescent Island is a useful performer and he makes more appeal in this three-miler than stable mate Razor Royale, winner of this race last year.

Fistral Beach, the mount of Tony McCoy, and Nacarat, winner of the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby earlier this season, are two others with major chances in a wide open race. But Crescent Island ticks all the right boxes and he can provide Molloy, who rode him so confidently at Wetherby, with the biggest success of his career.

Nicky Henderson can do little wrong at present and the Lambourn trainer has strong claims in the opening Grade 2 Adonis Hurdle with talented French recuit Celtus.

Henderson has won three of the last four runnings of this prestigious race and Celtus, a winner at Pau last month, has a big reputation in advance of his British debut.

In the Racing Post Weekender Pendil Novices’ Chase, also a Grade 2 event, Captain Chris makes plenty of appeal on behalf of Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson.

Despite finishing second in all his four starts this season over fences, Captain Chris has some smart form to his credit, not least at Sandown last time when he was beaten just a length by Medermit. A reproduction of that form would surely be good enough to see him step up to the number one slot tomorrow.

On the Flat at Lingfield, Thirsk trainer David Barron is strongly represented in the featured Listed sprint, the Blue Square Cleves Stakes with Hitchens and Waveband, who figure at the top and bottom of the weights.

Both horses have solid chances, but preference is for Hitchens, a York winner last September, who went on to finish third in the Ayr Gold Cup before finishing off his campaign with a Listed win on this course in November.

Recent course and distance winner Layla’s Dancer (1.35) makes appeal in the opening handicap, while Qadar (2.10) figures firmly on the short-list in the Blue Square Series Sprint Final.

Alan McCabe’s new recruit may be nine-years-old, but he won in some style over this course and distance last week and can follow up under Shane Kelly.


Racing selections

Kempton (Selected TV races)
1.55 Celtus, 2.25 Captain Chris, 3.00 Crescent Island (NAP).

Lingfield
1.35 Layla’s Dancer, 2.10 Qadar, 2.40 Riot Police, 3.10 Hitchens, 3.45 Sir Geoffrey, 4.20 Layline, 4.55 April Fool.

Tomorrow’s other meetings:
Chepstow and Newcastle.

Today’s meetings:
Lingfield, Sandown, Warwick and Wolverhampton.