Keeneland Thursday Preview: Kissable to star in Bewitch Stakes

Graeme North thinks that Kissable will prevail at Keeneland

Timeform's Graeme North previews the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland on Thursday...

Thursday's highlight at Keeneland is the G3 Bewitch Stakes (off 16:42 local time, 21:42 BST) over a mile and a half for older fillies and mares. A strong field of twelve go to post with Kissable heading our weight-adjusted ratings on 134 followed by Regalo Mia on 130 and Gathering and Angegreen on 126.

Regalo Mia and Angegreen met last time out in the G3 Orchid Stakes at Gulfstream over this same trip with Regalo Mia, who was trying this trip for the first time, emerging the better by two lengths and registering a career-best effort in the process. She meets the 2012 Italian Oaks runner-up Angegreen on the same terms here and ought to confirm the form but Kissable promises to be a very formidable opponent if she is fully wound up for her seasonal reappearance.

Kissable had probably had enough for the season when well held at Aqueduct in November when last seen, having been on the go since the opening day of the Irish Flat season at the Curragh, but several bits of her form in between, including a four-length win over 111-rated Starformer at Saratoga in August and a close fourth in the E.P. Taylor at Woodbine, where she was inconvenienced by the slow pace dropping back to a mile and a quarter, suggest she is the one to beat.

At the time of writing her Canadian-based trainer Roger Attfield is still looking for his first winner at this Keeneland meet, but five of his ten runners here so far have finished either second or third so there's every indication to expect a bold run. The former John Gosden trained Gathering is a very interesting runner as she made mincemeat of her rivals here earlier this month on her first US start, despite fluffing the start badly and having to weave her way through, but last year's Atalanta Stakes third was entitled to win that race with a fair bit in hand on her British form anyway and the Morning Line compilers may have overreacted slightly to that admittedly visually-impressive performance by installing her as 4 favourite.

Certainly, there was nothing remotely resembling the ability of Kissable or Regalo Mia in the field Gathering beat and at the forecast odds, not least she still has to prove her stamina never having run beyond a mile and a quarter before, Kissable, with top track rider Julien Leparoux up, has to be the bet at the forecast 7.
      
Recommended Bet:

Ipt win Kissable in the Bewitch

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