The lowdown on Billy Loughnane's four rides at Kempton with the apprentice needing one winner to ride out his claim

Billy Loughnane's first winner came aboard his father Mark's Swiss Rowe at Wolverhampton in November and the apprentice returned to the same track to score on Koy Koy on Thursday to move within one winner of riding out his claim. Success in that Racing League handicap means that Loughnane, who had his first ride last October, could lose his claim just under six months before his 18th birthday.

Loughnane's 94 winners have come for 35 different trainers from 611 rides and he leads last year's champion apprentice, Benoit de la Sayette, by 11 winners in this year's championship despite missing three weeks of action when fracturing his thumb in July. We assess Loughnane's chances of sealing a landmark 95th career success from four rides at Kempton on Friday evening.

Mulciber

Recticel Insulation/British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes (6.30)  

Odds: 50-1

A 14-runner novice event with well-bred contenders owned by Juddmonte, Kirsten Rausing and Saeed Suhail is not the most straightforward of races for Mulciber to make his debut.

However, trainer Marco Botti did advertise some form with his two-year-olds when sending out a couple of juveniles to win at Chester and Chelmsford last Saturday and Loughnane has already ridden a winner for the Newmarket handler.

Spotlight comment: First foal; dam runner-up at 2m AW (RPR 54), closely related to 5f-1m4f winner Highland Chieftain (including 2yo/US Grade 1), half-sister to winners Tartan Chief (1m 2yo/1m6f Bahrain) and African (1m2f); tongue-tie is applied on debut and this looks a tough starting point.

Lambert

Filon Heritage Valley Trough/EBF Restricted Novice Stakes (7.00)

Odds: 4-7

Won a Newmarket seller and a Yarmouth novice by a combined 11 and a half lengths and Koy Koy's trainer George Boughey has booked Loughnane to ride Lambert for the first time ahead of his hat-trick bid.

The penalised son of Due Diligence has to concede weight to all eight of his rivals, including four newcomers, on his all-weather debut but Loughnane takes 3lb off and this is his best chance of a winner at tonight's meeting according to the bookmakers. 

Spotlight comment: Easily won Newmarket seller by over 7l last month and took rise in grade in his stride when following up with 4l success in Yarmouth novice (also 7f, good) 12 days ago; carries only a single penalty here and sets a useful standard, assuming his form transfers to this new trip and surface.

Ivory Madonna

NFRC/Irish EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes (7.30)

Odds: 12-1

Third in last year's Albany but Richard Spencer's three-year-old has not really built on that excellent 66-1 Royal Ascot effort and remains an eight-race maiden. The daughter of Dark Angel is clearly talented having made the frame in another Group 3 when fourth in the Sweet Solera Stakes, finishing ahead of subsequent Listed winner Novakai.

However, a switch to the all-weather for her last three starts has not yet yielded a victory with Ivory Madonna twice beaten at odds-on. She is difficult to rely on, especially given she is stepping up to a mile for the first time. Loughnane has also not ridden a winner for Spencer in eight rides for the trainer.

Spotlight comment: Close fourth in a Group 3 at Newmarket last August but she's taken four backward steps since and was a well-held fifth in a 7f novice here (blinkers added) three weeks ago; sets the standard on her peak effort but she's now 0-8 and has questions to answer at this new trip.

Bill Plumb

Raven Roofing Supplies Handicap (8.00)

Odds: 6-1

Improving sprinter who made it three wins from his last four starts when scoring by a neck under Loughnane at Wolverhampton last time. The Phil McEntee-trained four-year-old is rated 5lb higher than when successful over this track and trip in April but is only 2lb worse off than that win with Loughnane's claim.

The Wolverhampton form was boosted when the fifth, Sergeant Pep, won his next start and Bill Plumb still looks to be a winnable mark.

Spotlight comment: Lightly raced 4yo who has found plenty of improvement on AW this year and he made it three wins from his last four starts when scoring at Wolverhampton (6f, Tapeta) in July; that was a narrow success but he still looks feasibly treated off his revised mark and is a big player again.

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