Michael Bell is looking forward to Rajeko’s comeback in the Always Gamble Responsibly At BetMGM Handicap (7.15pm), the class two feature over a mile at Southwell on Friday, October 31.
The three-year-old shoulders top weight as he returns from 240 days off, having been sidelined since chasing home Rebel’s Gamble in the Listed Spring Cup at Lingfield Park.
That performance formed part of a productive winter campaign for the son of Kameko, who also won a mile novice at Chelmsford and finished second in Qatar’s valuable Al Rayyan Mile in February.
Bell said: “Rajeko missed the summer with a small niggle, nothing serious, and it will be good to get him back on the track.
“To run off a rating of 100 against match-fit rivals is going to be tough – I think he would probably have to run to a mark of 105 to win it – but he has shown in the past that he is a very talented horse.
“He did a nice piece of work a fortnight ago with a horse of ours [Greek Order] who ran well in the Balmoral on Champions Day, so we think he is in good shape.”
Two of Rajeko’s rivals contested last season’s BetMGM All-Weather Championships Mile Handicap, with Nikovo finishing sixth for Michael Herrington and Fantastic Fox ninth for Roger Varian.
Dividend was fourth in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot and bids to maintain his 100 per cent record at Southwell for Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole, having won twice at the course in the spring.
Richard Hannon’s course scorer Al Arbeed is the only handicap debutant in the field and has his first start since finishing fourth behind Amiloc in a conditions race at Goodwood in May.
William Haggas is responsible for the other lightly raced contender First Principle, who looked promising on his first three starts before failing to land a blow in a 10-furlong handicap at Doncaster’s St Leger Festival.
Sir Paul Ramsey also returns to a mile for Charlie Johnston after finishing down the field in the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket, while the Ian Williams-trained Supido bids to recapture the form of his Britannia Stakes fifth.
Whitcombe Rockstar and Two Tempting, who both have good strike rates on the all-weather, complete the field for Keiran Burke and Jonathan Portman.
Elsewhere, Kempton Park stages the Listed Unibet Floodlit Stakes on Monday, November 3, which could see the return of G1 runner-up West Wind Blows for Simon & Ed Crisford.
A dual G3 winner in France, the six-year-old makes his first appearance for two years, having finished second to Melbourne Cup winners Gold Trip and Without A Fight in the Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup in 2023.
The opposition could include the Karl Burke-trained Aimeric, who finished second to Military Academy in this race last year, and lightly raced Juddmonte four-year-old Shader for John & Thady Gosden.
