Hopes high progressive Contrast can reward Rosebery plan

The £50,000 Matchbook Rosebery Handicap (4.20) headlines Kempton's seven-race card and among a host of all-weather stalwarts is lightly raced improver Contrast, whose eyecatching profile is likely to make him popular with punters.

The four-year-old has raced just eight times and arrives on the back of a comfortable 1m2f success at Lingfield last month.

Harry Herbert, managing director of owners Highclere, said: "He's a lightly raced, progressive horse and this has been the plan for some time.

"It was a great effort to win last time and we think he'll stay. Richard [Hannon, trainer] reports him to be in good form and he's working well at home."

Watch Contrast win at Lingfield

Fire Fighting, who also arrives on the back of a win, is at the other end of the experience spectrum and will make his 75th start.

Charlie Johnston, assistant to Mark Johnston, trainer of Fire Fighting, said: "He'd been a bit out of sorts since coming back from injury and slid down the weights a fair bit. But he did well to win at Lingfield last time, where he came from quite far back off a slow pace.

"He was rated 113 at his peak and is a high-class horse on his day – hopefully he has a good chance."

Jim Goldie makes the journey south from Scotland with Testa Rossa and said: "He's in good form. The handicapper has forced our hand and we wouldn't usually venture as far south, but there's very little option left on the all-weather.

"He won by six lengths two starts ago and was then third off top weight, so he'd have a good each-way chance."

However, each-way punters were dealt a blow on Friday when Sputnik Planum was withdrawn, reducing the field to 15 and traditional place terms to three from four.

The chief supporting contest on the card is the Listed Magnolia Stakes (2.35), which features a fascinating clash between last year's Brigadier Gerard Stakes winner Autocratic and Fabricate, who was awarded a race at Glorious Goodwood last season before striking in a Group 3 at Windsor.

Autocratic has race fitness on his side having made his return in the Winter Derby at Lingfield last month, when he could never get competitive after meeting serious interference in the home straight.

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