Nick Luck’s William Hill Blog: I’m playing my Joker at Kempton

Kempton, Saturday

JOKER DE MAI (13/2) looks a shade overpriced in the TV opener at Kempton (1.15pm). Although owner-ridden, he looked well ahead of the game under David Maxwell at Lingfield, and again even in defeat at Exeter, when he travelled notably well. The ground won’t be an issue, and the step up in trip looks the right idea.

PEKING OPERA (7/1) is a sporting alternative to the front two in the Adonis (1.50pm). Although he needs a step up on the bare form from Sandown, he jumped well and showed great enthusiasm for the job. In addition, that run should have taken the freshness out of him as he over raced a shade. We know he’s of a high ability level from his Flat exploits, and his trainer earmarked this en route to the Triumph hurdle a long way out.

ARCLIGHT (7/2) is the pick in the Pendil (2.27pm). She has a little to find on ratings, but the mares’ allowance helps a bit, and she might be a bit better than her mark anyway given her ready dispatch of Thursday’s winner Marsh Wren at Wincanton. Her best form is on tracks such as this with lots of juice in the ground.

FIERCELY PROUD (10/3) gets the nod in a tight Dovecote (3.00pm). There’s little between him and favourite Lump Sum on their Donny runs behind Jeriko du Reponet, but the selection should be better suited by this sharper, right-handed track, and the switch to Ben Jones – the hottest jockey around at the moment – might just bring a bit extra.

BOWTOGREATNESS (7/1) – for the same team – must have a squeak in the Coral Trophy (3.37pm). I’d like to guarantee he won’t make a mistake or two, but this smaller field and softer ground than usual should help in that regard. That aside, he’s just very well in on his best form from last year at Aintree behind Midnight River. He looked to be returning to form in a red-hot race over too short a trip last time, and the stable is flying.

Newcastle, Saturday

FENLAND TIGER (11/2) is the pick in the Eider (2.08pm). I love this horse – he’s super-game, has been brilliantly trained, and should have a good bit more to offer over this marathon trip in bottomless ground. This will be last-man-standing stuff, and he’ll keep going.

Southwell, Saturday

HIYA MAITE (10/1) is picked each-way in the Hever Sprint at Southwell (2.45pm). Granted, Clarendon House will be really tough to beat, but he’s been to Meydan and back since his romp here before Christmas, while Diligent Harry’s form is all at six furlongs and Thunderbear is off a layoff. The selection is in the form of his life, is a different animal round here, and could just make a bold fist of it from the front for a long way.

MILITARY ORDER (9/4) might be the answer to the Winter Derby (3.20pm). It’s fair to say he’s not quite matched pedigree or expectation, but he looked better for the Appleby gelding operation last time, and should be ridden aggressively to draw the stamina out of Lord North, whose connections won’t be wanting a hard race en route to a tilt at a fourth Dubai Turf.