Thoughts on Socrates at Kempton Park this evening

Socrates looks to put a fairly dismal season thus far behind him in the 8.45 at Kempton Park. George Downing is in the saddle for the six furlong handicap. We’ve taken a few measures to try and get some of the promise hinted at in his homework and two year old maiden runs to manifest itself on course. Firstly we’ve returned him to the all weather and Kempton where two of those runs came. Secondly we’ve dropped him right back to six furlongs as on his last couple of starts he has travelled well but failed to finish off his races. Ideally we would have gone to seven rather than six but there wasn’t quite the right race – at least if he stays on strongly at the end we know where to go next time. Thirdly we’ve applied some blinkers to keep him focused – more of a hail Mary effort than he particularly looks to need them based on his races so far, but it is time he showed something more on the racecourse. Frustratingly we’ve been given a tough draw out in 10 of the 12 runners, meaning we have two options from a tactic perspective to try and overcome being hung out very wide, go forward aggressively or take back and hope for some luck in running – tune in tonight to find out which we go for.

The race is an open one and plenty of these have a mix of decent and lessor efforts to their names and one suspects any number could take a hand in proceedings. Double Spin has probably the best individual piece of form on an all weather but has lost his way to a degree since that, but sporting cheek pieces for the first time and down in grade may see him in a better light. Lesanti will be another who ought to take a hand.