Racing commentator Simon Holt previews Sunday's action
Racing commentator Simon Holt previews Sunday's action

Simon Holt's free horse racing betting preview and tips


Racing commentator Simon Holt has three selections for Sunday's action at Chelmsford, including Silver Line who can cope with a drop in trip.

Recommended bets

1pt win Oh This Is Us in 2.20 Chelmsford at 5/1

1pt win Woven in 2.55 Chelmsford at 3/1

1pt win Silver Line in 3.25 Chelmsford at 7/1

While the Curragh stages some magnificent racing on the second day of the Irish Champions Weekend on Sunday, ITV3 supplement their coverage with three valuable 0-105 handicaps from Chelmsford where the talented SILVER LINE can defy top weight in the betfred.com Handicap.

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor had several entries in this race earlier in the week and relies upon this six-year-old who, having his first run of the year, bids to repeat his rampant six-length win on his seasonal debut at Nottingham last season.

Silver Line is now 10lb higher in the weights but a later run at Sandown where he finished third to King Of Change and Turgenev (both rated well above him) in a Listed race suggests he may be up to defying his mark.

In front two furlongs from home over the mile that day, he should have enough speed to cope with seven furlongs here.

Cry Havoc, at the opposite end of the weights, looks the danger after a victory and a running-on second here in her last two starts, though this is a rise in class and she is 4lb out of the handicap.

However, apprentice George Rooke takes off 5lb and trainer Rae Guest is in good form.

Earlier, Jamie Spencer is taken to deliver WOVEN with a well-timed run in the TML Handicap.

David Simcock's charge has struggled to get really competitive, albeit running creditably, in some tough handicaps on turf this season since winning at Meydan in February (now 2lb lower), but he ran well last time at Goodwood when chasing home the progressive Atalanta's Boy despite getting away slowly.

Woven has a fair bit of experience round Chelmsford - he was third here off 95 here a year ago (now running off 91) - and Spencer steered him to victory at York a couple of years ago.

Raucous, another who acts on the course, was dropped 3lb by the handicapper after his recent reappearance at Newmarket but that run may have been needed and he could be the danger with Ray Dawson taking off 5lb.

Finally, I will give another chance to OH THIS IS US who, despite carrying top weight in the Betfred Nifty Fifty Draw Handicap, is becoming well handicapped.

Richard Hannon's grand stable servant hasn't been quite at his best in recent starts but the switch to the all-weather (a winner here on his only previous visit and also very effective at Lingfield) could see him in a better light after being dropped another 2lb since his latest run at Ascot.

Hannon has booked 7lb claimer Luke Catton which brings Oh This Is Us down to a theoretical rating of 94 here (though you have to take the rider's inexperience into account) whereas he was rated 113 at the time of his success at Lingfield's All-Weather Finals Day early last year.

Posted at 1700 BST on 12/09/20

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