Chelmsford best bet: Moktasaab nicely prepped for all-weather success
- Steve Jones
- 8 June 2023
With recent winners at 8/1 and 3/1 under his belt, Steve Jones (CD Systems on Tipstrr) is looking for more of the same when his selection returns to synthetic track at Chelmsford on Thursday evening.
20:20 Chelmsford: Weatherbys Digital Solutions Handicap
Moktasaab has raced only once on synthetics, but he did split a pair of very useful rivals in what now looks a very strong heat over today's 10-furlong trip at Newcastle in 2021.
In more recent turf runs, Moktasaab has developed into a very useful Class 2 handicapper, running within 1.5 lengths of the winner of a big Class 2 handicap at York when last seen in May.
His previous 10-furlong handicap on turf had seen him finish third of 18 in the valuable Chesterfield Cup at Goodwood last summer, a race in which he ran off 95 (a pound lower than today).
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This will be the five-year-old's Polytrack debut, so it is extremely encouraging to hear reports that he was spotted performing impressively when wearing a first-time visor (retained today) in a spin around the Cambridge Road Polytrack just a few days ago, no doubt in preparation for this race.
From a handy stall 4, he looks set for a big run under the in-form Neil Callan, who won on his last two rides at Newbury on Wednesday.
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Suggested bet:
Moktasaab in the 20:20 at Chelmsford
Of the others,
Howth could easily out-run his big early prices given how highly regarded his trainer is at improving the older horses he acquires from other yards.
On his most recent all-weather run, Howth finished a close-up second of 10 in a Class 2 handicap over today's course and distance, since when he finished in midfield in a Class 2 handicap at Newmarket on his seasonal turf debut (after 179 days off) before racing far too keenly in a small-field event back there two weeks later.
Now back on the all-weather, and three pounds below the mark he had when going close on his last all-weather outing (and with Billy Loughnane taking a further three pounds off), the four-year-old could go very well despite a wide draw.
