Wednesday Kempton top racing tip: Far Horizon set to shine on all-weather
- Steve Jones
- 4 January 2023
From tonight's competitive Kempton card, Tipstrr horse racing expert Steve Jones has his eye on an in-form performer that has the potential to get his nose ahead of the market favourite.
Michael Scudamore is better-known as a jumps trainer, but he wins his fair share of handicaps on the Flat from limited runners in this sphere.
He sent just four runners to this venue last year, but he returned a winner and two seconds, and in 2021 he had a runner-up from just two runners here all year.
Jockey Aidan Keeley improved dramatically last year and is now very good value for his claim after a winner and a second from his two rides so far this year (both at Lingfield on Monday).
He will come here full of confidence for just one ride on the card, piloting Scudamore's lightly-raced five-year-old, Far Horizon, whom he already knows well after having ridden him the last twice.
19:30 (Kempton) Far Horizon
Those two runs comprised a win over a mile at Lingfield in November, beating 11 rivals to land a novices' stakes, followed by what looked to be an unlucky third of eight in a 10-furlong handicap at Chelmsford last month.
The form of Far Horizon's Lingfield win is hard to assess, but his effort certainly needs marking up because he had to come six-wide around the home turn before finishing very strongly to pass four rivals in the last half-furlong.
It was clear from that run that he needed more than a mile, and he was duly upped to 10 furlongs for his handicap debut at Chelmsford last month.
He was able to race prominently from his inside draw, but he appeared a little outpaced off the slower tempo as the leaders quickened for home three furlongs out.
He was still just behind the leaders turning for home, but he had to wait to get a run, which proved costly, and he also got buffeted as he tried for a gap halfway down the home straight.
Relegated to fifth place at the furlong pole, he rallied very gamely towards the often unfavoured far side and finished his race better than anything apart from the impressive winning favourite, who is now rated higher than any of today's opposition.
On balance, it looks fair to think that Scudamore's lightly-raced five-year-old (only four all-weather outings so far) has been given a very workable opening mark of 71, which remains unchanged today.
An extra furlong certainly looks like a good move, given how he finished off his race at Chelmsford, and this long, flat run-in will give him plenty of time to get into full stride this time (the outer loop is used over this distance, making for a longer home straight).
There is surely plenty more to come from Far Horizon in this sphere and he looks a good bet at the prices, especially with the favourite being withdrawn on the morning of the race.
