Wednesday’s Horse Racing Tips: Tom Collins likes two runners in Kempton’s feature

Morning inspections are planned at all four of the British venues that are set to host racing on Wednesday, but I’m hoping that at least Kempton passes with flying colours.

That’s because I want to tackle the featured London Sprint Series Qualifier (4.35 Kempton), a £12,000 sprint that will be contested by a stack of improving and lightly raced three-year-olds.

At the time of writing the market is headed by Andrew Balding’s Celtic Champion, who made amends for a disappointing return to the track in January with a three-quarters-of-a-length success over this six-furlong trip at Lingfield last month.

There’s no denying that was a much improved performance from Celtic Champion - he ran to a mark 26lb higher than on his previous start - but he was sluggish from the stalls once again and clearly benefited from his two main dangers hanging to the middle of the track. He scooted up their inner and it was game over.

He’s only gone up 3lb for that win and is the mount of the in-form Oisin Murphy, so there are positives. However, he’s likely to be on the backfoot early and I want to oppose him with two others at the prices.

My main selection is The X O, a highly regarded son of Zoffany who looks to be on a sharp upward curve for trainer John Ryan. This colt lost his maiden tag with an impressive display at Southwell in a race that has produced three subsequent winners, before performing well when third in a Lingfield handicap that was run at a ferocious clip.

The X O duly bounced back to winning ways when last seen, and he was far more dominant than the winning margin suggests. A 7lb rise looks fair, he’s drawn nicely in stall two and this track should suit.

I’m also going to back Maharajas Express at a much bigger price. This flashy chestnut won first time up last season with a promising display over this course and distance, before being unsuited by a tactical battle at Chelmsford.

He broke last of the quartet that day and he was disadvantaged by the slow gallop. Eventual winner Galaxy Gazer kicked for home off the bend and Maharajas Express just couldn’t reel him in - track position proved his downfall. However, he galloped all the way to the line and the form has been given a boost as both the third and fourth have won since.

A bigger field will almost certainly help his cause, while the return to Kempton also ignites my interest. Providing he’s tuned up after a 79-day break, he can push The X O closest in this mouthwatering all-weather contest.

Wednesday’s Horse Racing Tips

The X O (4.35 Kempton) @ 4.4
Maharajas Express (4.35 Kempton) @ 10