Horse Racing tips: The top trainers & jockeys to note at Kempton on Tuesday

Trainer Archie Watson (below) is a name to note at Kempton as last year he tied with John Gosden in terms of winners, both men saddling 19 victors.

However Watson saddled-up more runners with 83 opposed to 77, meaning strike rates of 23 per cent for him and 25 per cent for Gosden.

Kempton is a happy hunting ground for Watson as his first big race win came here courtesy of Absolute Blast in the Listed Magnolia Stakes in 2017.

If Gosden’s strike rate was impressive last year, it was phenomenal this term before the shutdown, at a mighty 57 per cent, as he saddled seven runners with four prevailing.

Newmarket handler Roger Varian (below) also posted impressive numbers in 2019, entering the winners enclosure 16 times from 72 runners at a strike rate of 22 per cent, while Andrew Balding’s Kingsclere base produced 14 winners from 83 runners for 17 per cent strike rate.

It is noteworthy though that Balding upped that strike rate to 31 per cent this calendar year with five victories from 16 contestants before lockdown.

When the season resumes on Monday June 01, it would be wise to note any Tony Carroll or Stuart Williams-trained runners. This deadly duo are widely-regarded in the industry as being shrewd placers of their horses and that’s borne out at Kempton.

Carroll has saddled seven winners from 39 runners for an 18 per cent strike rate at the Sunbury-on-Thames track, while Williams’ five winners from 22 runners, equates to a 23 per cent strike rate.

As far as jockeys go champion jockey Oisin Murphy is the king here having ridden the most winners over the last five years, prevailing on 89 of 520 mounts at a strike rate of 17 per cent.

The Irishman’s rate was slightly higher in 2019, scoring on 30 of 147 rides at a rate of roughly one in five – or 20 per cent.

It’s a similar picture with Adam Kirby, the second-best pilot over that five-year period, who has ridden 77 winners (from 582 mounts) equating to a strike rate of 13 per cent. That increased to 15 per cent  last season when he partnered 23 victories from 150 rides.

However, 2016 Champion Flat jockey Jim Crowley outguns both rivals when it comes to strike rate at Kempton – registering a marvellous 25 per cent of winners to rides ratio with 21 horses striking from 85 mounts.

That high water mark has dipped over the past five campaigns – but still hovers at a very respectable 19 per cent as he’s booted home 75 winners from 405 mounts.

From The Horse’s Mouth podcast star PJ McDonald also highlighted his horsemanship before the break nursing home five winners at the venue from 18 rides to post a 28 per cent strike rate,

In recent seasons, female jockey Hollie Doyle has exhibited her talents in the plate and she enjoyed a highly fruitful year in 2019, when coming home first on 20 occasions from 141 rides at a rate of 14 per cent.

But she really got into top gear before the lockdown, more than doubling last year’s rate and even outdoing Crowley with an absolutely astonishing strike rate of 32 per cent with 10 wins from 31 mounts.

That’s practically a winner for every three mounts.