8.10pm Chelmsford Tips & Betting Preview 21/06/2017

With an age range of four to eight and twenty pounds covering them according to the official ratings this should be an intriguing contest with the obligatory luck in running needed in a medium sized field. 9/2 chance Gentlemen won this last season for trainer Phil McEntee and jockey Josephine Gordon, read on for our tip for 2017 along with our full race preview.

IN SUMMARY: Not the easiest sprint to work out, made even a little harder by the withdrawal of the fancied Hoof It. David O’Meara also pulled one of his chances Out Do, a chance is taken on his other charge Watchable. Patrick Vaughan takes off the 7lbs and given the consistent way the Pivotal gelding has been running it looks like his turn could be very near.

1 OUT DO – NON RUNNER.

2 HOOFALONG – NON RUNNER.

3 WATCHABLE – Ten runs already in 2017 without a win so far. That said, Patrick Vaughan does take a very useful seven pounds off the back of the son of Pivotal who has won two of his thirty-five starts, but is yet to win on the all-weather from three attempts. On the bright side, he has placed in much better races with a second to The Tin Man in a Listed race at Windsor and a second to Astaire in the Group Three Abernant Stakes and if he can repeat either of those efforts now he has to have every chance at these weights.

4 OUTER SPACE – Finished behind Out Do at Newmarket last time out and meets that rival on two pounds worse terms leaving him with a lot of work to do to make up the two and a half lengths tonight though to be fair, he was hampered. Trainer Jamie Osborne is a very shrewd cookie and has a 14% strike rate at present thanks to two wins from his last fourteen runners, but he will need to conjure something special from the six-year-old who races off a mark three pounds higher than his career best victory.

5 MAZZINI – One of the youngsters in this field at the age of four and he put in a decent enough effort in his final race last season when winning at Kempton over this trip by a couple of lengths. Put up seven pounds for that the son of Exceed And Excel has struggled this year at both Ascot and Goodwood without being beaten too far, and may well be a lot happier back on the all-weather this evening. Dropped another pound for a four and a quarter length eighth in a better race at Goodwood he is one to at least consider here for Newmarket trainer James Fanshawe.

6 UDONTDODOU – The Richard Guest trained gelding has a 100% win record at this track after scoring over course and distance in April but is another who has failed to reproduce that since with two losses on turf at York and Windsor. Whether it was the added four pounds from the handicapper or a switch to grass is open to question but either way he has a bit to find here off his current mark.

7 TOP BOY – Amazingly his last twenty-three races have all been over the minimum trip of five furlongs as have all bar seven of his sixty-nine career starts, with his six career wins over the same trip, five of the on the all-weather. Trying six furlongs for the first time since October 2015 when he weakened late on there is no real reason to think this trip will suit and with plenty of early pace he looks outgunned here.

8 PORTA ROSA – Trainer Mohamed Moubarak is very underrated and you ignore his horses at your peril. More than capable of winning with them if given the right ammunition, this ex Godolphin gelding could be the dark horse here. His last win was in the care of Charlie Appleby when scoring over this trip very easily at Kempton in December before he changed stables. Two runs since off his higher mark have been over seven furlongs with a fall and a weakening sixth, both at Kempton, but dropped back in trip today he could well run a huge race at a price with John Egan in the saddle.

9 MENELIK – One of the more in-form runners thanks to three wins and four places in 2017, though he has been on the go on the all-weather over the winter as well. An adaptable sort, he has won twice over course and distance this season as well as over a mile and a quarter at Lingfield so he has stamina and speed though he has been put up another three pounds for a recent second at Lingfield over five furlongs and may well find things a lot tougher now.

10 SONG OF SHADOWS – An interesting option for trainer Michael Wigham as the ex Godophin gelding has his third run for new connections after a Wolverhampton maiden win over this trip and a weakening fifth of seven when tried over a seventh furlong on the Yarmouth turf. Returning to the all-weather tonight he could do better for a stable with two winners from four recent runners and has to be on the each-way short list.

11 KINGSLEY KLARION – Fifteen winners from their last eighty-three runners gives the Mark Johnston yard an 18% strike rate, but more importantly shows they are in good sorts and are winning plenty of races. Silvestre De Sousa teams up with the stable once again to ride this four-year-old who has won four of his twenty-six starts but not in sixteen races now. Last time out he finished last of eight over seven furlongs to Showcasing at Catterick and although dropped to this trip for the first time in over a year, his recent form leaves him with plenty to find.

12 DARK SIDE DREAM – The only last time out winner in the twelve horse field after scoring by half a length from Kingsley Klarion here over seven furlongs in May. Although he meets that rival on two pounds worse terms here jockey Milly Naseb takes her seven pounds off so he is effectively better off at the weights. Now a five-year-old he runs off a rating of 77 today but has won off of 80 and is not as out of this as bottom weight may imply.