Candy & Oak to strut their stuff at Kempton Candy Creek, bought to replace Chomba Womba, who has gone to stud, has her first start for Nicky Henderson in the E.B.F. 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle, the opener at Kempton at 12.20. A lovely looking mare who is reported to have summered particularly well, she won the mares' Listed bumper at Aintree when with John Kiely. The £200,000 purchase will be expected to get off on a winning note over flights under Tony McCoy in this two miler. On Borrowed Wings, a dual winner for Kevin O'Brien, has his first start in this contest for the Starluck connections of Andrew Wates, Alan Fleming and Timmy Murphy. You're The Top, for the Candy Creek connections of Henderson and McCoy, looks a strong challenger for his first chase start, half-an-hour later in the Chateau De Sours Novices' Chase. His trainer views the French-bred as potentially "very exciting." My Petra, who Barry Geraghty unfortunately took the wrong course on at Wetherby, goes for the Listed Starlight Children's Foundation Mares' Hurdle at 1.25. Whiteoak, the 2008 David Nicholson Mares Hurdle heroine, for the in-form Donald McCain team, will surely be difficult to beat in this three miler - a trip she is bred for. Cast Cada and Meanus Dandy (likely to appreciate this better ground) are two ex-Irish 'pointers' who should be right in the firing line for the 2.00.
