Daryl Carter's Tips: 11/4 Cox's speedster will prove hard to catch at Kempton

• Handicap debut

• Good draw for a front-running speedster

• Likes Kempton and is the form horse

19:00 Kempton - Back Engineer @ 11/43.75 1pt

Engineer - 11/43.75 on the Betfair Sportsbook - could not match a potentially brilliant rival over course and distance 49 days ago but was a clear second best. That race clocked a smart time figure, and an opening handicap mark of 80 could easily underestimate him.

He looks like the form horse in this race, having seen his latest second boosted by the nine-length fourth winning next time out, then finishing 1 1/2 lengths behind today's rival Bulldog Drummond at Newcastle. At the same time, the 11-length sixth went within 1/2 a length of another of today's rivals, Ippotheos, before scoring.

It may turn out that Engineer had an impossible task at Kempton in November under a penalty when attempting to give seven pounds to Kevin Phillippart De Foy's well-bred son of Blue Point, Mukaafah, from a wide draw in stall nine.

Today, the selection is birthed much better on handicap debut in stall two to adopt his front-running tactics, and he should prove very tough to beat with a repeat effort.

His debut run here in September saw him a big eye-catcher from behind Godolphin runner Olympic Candle, rated 88, and Jungle Mac, rated 79.
The latter chased home Al Shabab Storm (86) at Goodwood next time, who was subsequently then beaten five lengths by Ballymount Boy in a Listed Doncaster event.

The collateral form looks good, along with the time figure, and he is a straightforward, unexposed, speedy customer who could be very tough to peg back with optimal conditions.

The Sportsbook make him the favourite for this at 11/43.75, so that price or any bigger is acceptable.

Read Cheltenham Focus Week 8 Here.