Free horse racing tips for Monday: Andy Stephens' best bets

Andy Stephens has a couple of selections at Kempton plus other fancies at Musselburgh and Windsor.

4.10 Musselburgh: Mubhijah

A mark of 78 may well underestimate Mubhijah, who switches to handicap ranks after bolting up against inferior rivals in a maiden over this trip at Carlisle last time, when having her first start for Ed Walker.

She was not winning out of turn that day, having suffered a string of agonising near-misses for Roger Varian (beaten in six of her seven races after trading at Evens or shorter in-running) at up to a mile.

Her penultimate effort, when caught close home by English Oak in a novice event at Thirsk with Laoisman more than three lengths adrift in third, points to her being on a favourable mark. The winner was touched off by Rohaan in a 16-runner handicap at Ascot last time, off a mark of 89, while Laoismanwas was an easy winner off 76 on his latest start.

Several of Mubhija’s rivals have been plying the trade over shorter and she is the nap selection to outstay them.

4.15 Windsor: Warhol

Testing ground seems to suit Warhol and, only 3lb higher than when wining here in the spring, he looks overpriced at double-figure digits. He followed up that success with a near-miss in an 18-runner handicap at Newbury.

It’s easy enough to overlook his past two below-par efforts in races for amateur riders, especially last time when not getting home over 1m 6f at Chelmsford.

He drops back half a mile in trip here, with Ben Curts taking over in the saddle, and his form on soft or heavy going reads 3123.

Four of his rivals arrive here on the back of a win in what looks a competitive heat but it could be that Croeso Cymraeg, who races off the same mark as when going close on his past two starts, provides the main threat.

7.00 Kempton: Elzaam Blue

A 6lb rise in the weights may not be enough to halt Elzaam Blue, who performed wonders to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat over course and distance 12 days ago.

Last of the 13 runners with two furlongs to go, he flew home to get up on the line despite the race not being run at end-to-end gallop. It was anything but a race falling in his lap.

He was faster than all his rivals in each of the last three furlongs, finishing off his race in an impressive 34.33sec.

Elzaam Blue had also gone close at Kempton on his previous start, when again doing all his best work at the finish. He finished half-a-length ahead of Follow Your Heart that night and can confirm the form, despite the latter being weighted to turn the tables.

7.30 Kempton: Celtic Champion

Triple champion jockey Oisin Murphy has been unable to keep tabs with William Buick in the Jockeys’ Championship this season but he’s on course to win a good scrap for second spot from Tom Marquand and Rossa Ryan.

He can nudge another winner ahead of that pair with the help of Celtic Champion, who is just 1lb higher than when winning at Lingfield in February.

The grey was absent six months and gelded after that success but has shaped well in each of his three subsequent starts, being beaten just half a length in a bunched finish at Newmarket last time. That form looks solid enough – the winner has since gone close to following up at Ripon – and Murphy, on board him for the first time, should be able to get a handy early position from a favourable draw. Well-backed Bath winner Buccabay is feared most.

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