8.15pm Kempton Tips & Betting Preview 12/04/2017

This is a 7 furlong contest, see our betting tips and the full race preview below.

IN SUMMARY: This is a tricky little handicap and a chance is taken on Mike Murphy’s BOB HOPEFUL. He makes his handicap debut off a mark of 65 and he doesn’t need to be anything special to get involved off that mark. Light From Mars should be thereabouts off a workable mark whilst Higher Court is interesting if he can rekindle some of his earlier promise.

1 CHELWOOD GATE – Has been relatively lightly-raced this winter and he recorded a victory at Lingfield in a seller back in December. That came off a low weight over this trip and he’s struggled since in two claimers recently, although he hasn’t been beaten far on either occasion. Life will be tougher entered back into handicap company off top weight and others make slightly more appeal today. Yard have a 6% strike rate here.

2 PICKET LINE – Produced a good effort at the end of last month when only beaten 3/4 of a length in a similar handicap. He remains on a mark of 71 which is fair and he should be able to get competitive again having finished a neck second off 3lbs higher in June last year. He does only have two victories from 20 runs to his name and the yard only have a 6% strike rate here but he’s shown some consistency and should be thereabouts.

3 HIGHER COURT – Interesting profile having started life in America and he’s not won since August 2011 when racing at Saratoga. He’s slowly come to form of late with a decent one length defeat over 7 furlongs at Chelmsford last month and the handicapper has only raised him a pound. A claimer is replaced by Adam Kirby which leaves him effectively worse off at the weights but he’s starting to show some more promise. Losing run is off-putting and the horse has clearly had issues.

4 CHETAN – Has struggled since notching up a hat-trick of wins last summer over 6 furlongs which saw him rise from a mark of 56 right up to a mark of 75. He drops down another 2lbs here having been well-held in a Class 5 handicap last time out but he should show something more now slipping down to more viable marks. One to have on side but others look better handicapped.

5 GULLAND ROCK – Likes it around here with two handicap wins over C&D since September. He beat Light From Mars last time out by a neck and he’s now 2lbs worse off for that success which makes life more difficult here. He has a plumb draw in stall 1 and he’s shown some more progression of late to suggest this is still within his reach. Interesting for a yard with a 19% strike rate here.

6 FIRE DIAMOND – Nice sort for this yard who racked up an impressive four-timer across late December and early January this year. He’s risen from a mark of 52 to 76 and the handicapper has already dropped him 6lbs back to a mark of 70. That puts him with a chance here for a yard that have had a recent winner (14% strike rate, last fortnight) and the progression shouldn’t have finished yet.

7 PAPOU TONY – Won two races in his career which both came over a mile at Kempton. The drop back in trip is a small surprise given he’s looked to enjoy a stronger test of stamina and it’ll be interesting to see how he fares here for a yard that have been slightly quiet of late. The yard do have an 11% strike rate here so he’s not completely discounted. Interesting with a 4lb rise for his victory last time out.

8 LIGHT FROM MARS – Beaten a neck by Gulland Rock last time out and he’s better off at the weights today. He’s been a grand servant to the yard making his 113th start today and he’s not exactly open to improvement. He should give his running again and he is 5lbs lower than his last winning mark and looks on the right mark at this point. Stall 9 makes life trickier though and wouldn’t want to take a really short price.

9 BOB HOPEFUL – The only unexposed runner in this and he’s entered into handicaps for the first time today. He drops back in trip and the booking of Robert Winston catches the eye. Stall 4 is ideal and a mark of 65 could be taken advantage of given this will only be his fourth start. One of the likelier winners of this and one to watch very closely in the betting. Respected.