The Racing Horse offers our KEMPTON AW (Polytrack) RACECOURSE TEMPLATE for Wednesday 26 August 2026. There is a 6-race card containing 2 Novice Races and 4 Handicaps. The going is expected to ride as standard.

Key Factors

WINNING FAVOURITES (5 years)
Non-handicap                    Handicap
2yo   117-269	43%   -23.10	37-85	  44%	  +8.65
3yo   152-300	51%   -12.39	151-452	  33%	 -24.92
4yo+   35-84	42%    -7.96	239-759   31%	 -59.34
TOTAL 304-653	47%   -43.45	427-1296  33%	 -75.60

TOP 5 TRAINERS at KEMPTON AW 5 years            +/-   R
Andrew Balding (16%)  90-557   16%   -146.69    +0%   3  
Charlie Appleby (30%) 77-203   38%    -19.12    +8%   1 
J & T Gosden (22%)    62-295   21%    -60.89    -1%   1
Roger Varian (19%)    55-248   22%    -60.85    +3%   3  
Ralph Beckett (18%)   49-280   18%    -67.16    +0%   2

TOP 5 JOCKEYS at KEMPTON AW 5 years             +/-   R
Oisin Murphy (21%)   114-512  23%    -92.80     +2%   0
Danny Muscutt (13%)   87-595  15%   -150.94     +2%   2
Rossa Ryan (17%)      80-536  15%    -78.90     -2%   3
William Buick (24%)   73-238  31%    -35.21     +7%   4
Billy Loughnane (16%) 65-411  16%    -51.18     +0%   0  

TOP 5 OWNERS at KEMPTON AW 5 years              +/-   E
Godolphin (27%)	     92-300  31%   -62.24       +4%   1  
Juddmonte (23%)      24-83   29%    -6.69       +6%   0         
Opulence Thoro (18%) 17-66   26%    +1.48       +8%   0          
King Power (13%)     17-98   17%   -13.92       +4%   0      
Shadwell Est (23%)   15-65   23%   -11.97       +0%   0

FIXTURES:
Wednesday 26 August 2026
Wednesday 2 September 2026
Friday 4 September 2026
Saturday 5 September 2026
Wednesday 9 September 2026

WHAT are RACECOURSE TEMPLATES?

UNDERSTANDING NATIONAL AVERAGES

CONFIGURATION: Kempton switched to an all-weather track in 2006 and the surface in use is Polytrack. Kempton is a flat, oval-shaped course with two loops. The inner circuit, used for races over five, nine and ten furlongs is sharp and has a finishing straight of just under two furlongs, favouring the speedy, handy type, particularly over the minimum trip. The turn on the outer course is more sweeping and the straight is almost three furlongs, making for a more straightforward test. Over both five and six furlongs, there is a relatively short run to the first bend.

THE DRAW: The way the track is prepared at Kempton can play a massive part in whether it suits front-runners or horses coming from behind. Most of the time, the going is officially rated ‘standard’ but I know, from having ridden in America, that all artificial surfaces are dependent on weather conditions. An inside draw is a big advantage on the round course, as you don’t want to be running wide, and there’s a tendency for jockeys to get going a long from home. My preference would be to use patient tactics - Jason Weaver

FAVOURITES: Our Kempton Racecourse Template offers a substantial sample size, giving the figures substantial weight. Over the past five years, favourites have won 731-1949 for 37.51%, which sits almost 5% above the national average. In non‑handicaps, winning favourites return 304-653 for 47%, while in handicaps they record 427-1296 for 33%, a notable differential of 14%. The strongest category is 3yo favourites in non‑handicaps, scoring 152-300 for a big 51%, whereas the weakest is 4yos and upwards in handicaps, returning 239-759 for 31% and a differential of 20%.

TRAINERS: The meeting may be light on numbers, but it is heavy with influence. The top trainers collectively field 10 runners, creating a natural and highly informative starting point for race assessment. With the possible exception of Ralph Beckett, whose recent figures sit at 6-37 for 16% against a national average of 18%, the leading yards arrive in notably strong form.

Given the shape and balance of the six races, the evidence points toward these five major players asserting clear dominance. On current form and race composition, it is entirely reasonable to expect them to win at least 3 of the 6 races, and potentially more. Based on the mathematics, TRH will play a form of 'STOP AT A WINNER' and expect to bank a profit. The runners include: AL WATHBA, WYKEHURST PARK & CITES 6.20, KAINDY 6.51, SHUSHU & AFRAJ 7.21, SEACOLE 7.51, WEZZEEL 8.21, RELENTLESS HERO, LORD MAYOR 8.51.

Charlie Appleby’s runners at Kempton always demand serious consideration. His five‑year record at the track is exceptional, returning 77 winners from 203 runners, a strike‑rate of 38%. The depth of his consistency is even clearer when second places are included: with 36 runners‑up, Appleby has produced 113 first or second‑place finishes from 203, an impressive 56% in the top 2. Incredibly, Appleby has a national average of 30% yet scores 38% on the Kempton AW.

The Racing Horse has operated a system built around these Kempton figures for many years, and there has been no sign of decline or fatigue in the data. Appleby’s performance across the 6 UK all‑weather racecourses this year reinforces the point, offering a reminder of just how potent his string is on synthetic surfaces.

CHARLIE APPLEBY AW UK for CURRENT YEAR:
Chelmsford: 0-1 for 0% (-1.00)
Kempton: 6-8 for 75% (+5.45)
Lingfield: 1-2 for 50% (+1.75)
Newcastle: 0-3 for 0% (-3.00)
Southwell: 4-12 for 33% (-3.56)
Wolverhampton: 2-6 for 30% (-2.40)
Total: 13-32 for 41% (-2.36)

His only runner for this meeting is the twice-raced colt AL WATHBA 6.20 who is a €900,000 Y; second foal; half-brother to 1m winner Empirical (RPR 78); dam 6f AW winner (81), sister to 7f Group 3 winner Lily's Angel, half-sister to 1m Listed winner Zurigha, out of unraced half-sister to 10.5f Group 3 winner/good broodmare In Clover; shaped well on debut when runner-up over 7f on good to firm in a Newmarket maiden renowned for producing classy types in July 2026 but turned over at a short price at Leicester. the following month. It is likely Buick has come to Kempton especially to rides this Wooton Bassett colt

JOCKEYS: William Buick (24%), Rossa Ryan (17%) and Danny Muscutt (13%) have rides and all will be seen to good effect, though we expect Buick to claim the winning honours for this meeting.

OWNERS: Godolphin (27%) reign supreme at this racecourse and record more winners than the next 20 owners combined. They have just the 1 runner trained by Charlie Appleby for this meeting.

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