LUCIFER LOOKS DEVILISHLY GOOD
 
There are some smart horses in the prestigious Racing Post Chase at Kempton on Saturday, don’t get me wrong, but it lacks strength in depth compared to recent renewals and Lucifer Bleu should prove extremely hard to beat.
 
The David Pipe-trained gelding, available at a top priced 10/3 with Coral, looks like a horse that’s going places judged on his two efforts subsequent to returning from an absence of almost three years, making all to win with tons in hand on both occasions.
 
The handicapper clobbered the eight-year-old with a 16lb rise for his comeback win at Hereford last month, but the son of Kadalko responded to that hike by slaughtering a couple of decent rivals by upwards of 11 lengths at Wincanton three weeks later.
 
As in the case of his win at Hereford, Lucifer Bleu made all at a frenetic pace and was eased considerably after the last when scoring at the Somerset venue. He has very few miles on the clock having had just four starts over fences, so it’s likely that there is a good deal more to come from the French import.
 
It would probably be unwise to read too much into the Wincanton form as four of the eight that went to post failed to complete. But it was hard not to be impressed with the way Lucifer Bleu burnt his rivals off and, given that he will be racing off a 24lb higher mark in future – thus he is effectively 21lb well-in on Saturday despite being 3lb out of the handicap – the gelding is a blot on the handicap if ever I saw one.
 
The track at Kempton will also suit his front-running style and on this flat course the step up to 3m (the Wincanton race was over 2m5f) shouldn’t be a problem in the slightest. The going is soft, conditions which the selection clearly relishes, and the relationship that 5lb claimer Andrew Glassonbury has quickly established with Lucifer Bleu makes for a partnership to follow.
 
Chief market rivals Limerick Boy and Alderburn, both winners of competitive heats last time, merit the utmost respect. The former didn’t shape with a great deal of promise in two spins over timber, but a return to fences appeared to revive his competitive streak at Haydock last time when running Royal Emperor and Royal Rosa into the ground. If he builds on that performance he ought to go well.
 
Alderburn, whose trainer, Henry Daly, took this race in 2001 with Young Spartacus, warmed up for this with a sterling effort over course and distance at the Christmas meeting in December, beating Yardbird by a length, for which he has been raised 6lb. The assessor’s verdict seems fair and the son of Alderbrook should have more races in him, and has strong each-way claims in this contest.
 
Lucifer Bleu’s stablemate Celtic Son has been something a market mover for this event and would come right into it if outing his best foot forward, but much has to be taken on trust with him. One that rates a greater danger to my mind is Reveillez, who was a promising novice last season, winning the competitive Jewson Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, and should not be omitted from calculations.
 
James Fanshawe’s charge fell on his reappearance and, like many, failed to land a blow behind Exotic Dancer in the boylesports.com Gold Cup at Cheltenham in his only subsequent outing during the current campaign. If the ground were quicker, I’d be backing him as well as Lucifer Bleu, but the prospect of soft going at the weekend doesn’t augur well for the eight-year-old.
 
Billyvoddan was impressive at Ascot last time and should make his presence felt, although I’d be surprised if he were good enough to lump top weight to victory in this, while Simon, Gallant Approach and Lacdoudal are no slouches, but that trio look weighed up to their best at present, therefore remain vulnerable to a horse on an upward curve, like Lucifer Bleu.