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Firework Performance Sees Kasperenko Capture The Listed Floodlit Stakes

Championship News
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05 November 2018

Kasperenko (Brendan Powell/Martin Harley, 16/1) put up a sensational performance to win the £50,000 Listed 32Red Floodlit Stakes (6.00pm) over a mile and a half on Polytrack at Kempton Park this evening, Monday, November 5.
 
The four-year-old, who races in the colours of Con Harrington, was detached at the rear as Mystic Meg (Hugo Palmer/Robert Havlin, 25/1) took the 10-strong field along.
 
As the runners entered the straight with three furlongs to race, Kasperenko began to make rapid headway down the outside and took the lead entering the final quarter-mile.
 
The son of Archipenko stayed on well and had a length and three quarters to spare over dual Classic runner-up Architecture (Hugo Palmer/Jason Watson, 9/2) at the finish, with Podemos (Ralph Beckett/Harry Bentley, 7/2) another four and a half lengths away in third. The 13/8 market leader Crowned Eagle (Marco Botti/Gerald Mosse) finished fifth.
 
The winning time was a fast 2m 29.02s, narrowly outside the course record of 2m 28.99s.
 
Tonight's victory was a second valuable success on Polytrack for Kasperenko, following his win in a £35,000 handicap over an extended 13 furlongs at Chelmsford City in August.
 
In-form trainer Brendan Powell is now contemplating a campaign over the winter months leading to the £1-million All-Weather Championships at Lingfield Park on Good Friday, April 19, 2019.
 
The Upper Lambourn handler said this evening: "We hadn't really thought about Good Friday before this evening as I didn't think he would be good enough to win this race, but I suppose we will have to think about it now.
 
"We ran in this race as we couldn't find a suitable handicap to run him in.
 
"He is definitely better on the All-Weather. We had him jumping in the winter which he didn't seem to like, but he definitely likes the All-Weather.
 
"He was rated 98 coming into this race. I thought if he ran a nice race this evening, we might even get dropped to 95 and could look for another nice handicap with him.
 
"He has finished up almost breaking the track record and so we will have to look at the All-Weather Championships programme now. I think he does need a trip."

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