11th-May-2017

This is a really competitive three-year-olds’ seven-furlong handicap, but I thought that Mutawatheb should have been clear favourite, and I am backing him at 5/1.

Richard Hannon’s horse was nicely progressive last season as a juvenile, he progressed with racing through the season and he showed a really good attitude, despite still showing signs of greenness, to battle back to win a decent nursery at Doncaster on his final run of the term off a mark of 92.  The form of that race has been enhanced this season already by the three horses who finished immediately behind him, Society Red, Aardwolf and Soldier’s Girl.

Mutawatheb himself was beaten on his only run since, his three-year-old debut at Chelmsford in March, when he did well to finish second to Mailshot after getting fairly badly hampered on the inside on the run to the final furlong.

The handicapper raised him 1lb for that run, which was fair, he probably would have raised him by more had he won, which he possibly would have had he not been hampered.  He should exact his revenge on Mailshot today.  It leaves him on a mark of 96, which is just 4lb higher than the mark off which he won that nursery last season as a juvenile.  He has the potential to go a fair way beyond that mark.

Several of his rivals today also have the potential to go well beyond their handicap marks, but Mutawatheb could have more in hand of his handicap rating than most, and he has enough experience to be able to cope with the demands of Chester.

Also, he likes to go forward, which is a style of racing that is well suited to the Roodee, and he is fairly well drawn in stall five.  Most of his main dangers are drawn outside him.

MUTAWATHEB WON (ADV 5/1, SP 7/2)