'The jumps boys are trying to buy him' - Harry Redknapp's Moktasaab in demand

Harry Redknapp has received offers from jumps connections for the ex-Shadwell owned Moktasaab, who has won twice for the former football manager.

The four-year-old gelding - bought for 500,000gns as a yearling by Shadwell - landed a 20-runner Newbury handicap in April on his first start for Redknapp and Newmarket trainer William Knight, before quickly following up at Goodwood in the same month.

Moktasaab was narrowly denied a third win for the former Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham manager back at Newbury last Friday and could be seen over hurdles in time. Redknapp, 75, was at Warwick on Tuesday for the Midlands track’s first meeting of the autumn courtesy of Poundland, along with other celebrities such as Colin Jackson and Chris Hughes.

“I don’t go racing as much as I used to,” said Redknapp. “I sort of pick and choose my meetings a little bit now but I went to Newbury on Friday and had a fantastic day.

“I had a runner Moktasaab who ran very well. He should have won Friday, we only got beaten a neck in the end. We just got outstayed by Ralph Beckett’s Sam Cooke who had won over a mile and six but was stepping back to a mile and a half.

“We were cantering all over it a furlong out still and Sam Cooke just came back to us right on the line. All the jumps boys are trying to buy him off me.”

'Bowtogreatness (3) is going to be a really good horse this year'Credit: Shaun Botterill

Asked if he had any preference for Flat or jumps racing Redknapp said: “I love it all. I’ve got Flat horses with William Knight and Gary Moore. Jumps horses with Gary, Fergal [O’Brien] and Ben Pauling I’ve got a couple of good jumpers with.”

Redknapp’s horses in the care of Pauling include last year’s Tolworth Hurdle runner-up Shakem Up'Arry, who won once over fences last season before ending his campaign with a decent third in the Red Rum Handicap Chase at the Grand National meeting.

Bowtogreatness also ended his season at Aintree finishing 11th in the Grade 1 Sefton Novice Hurdle, but there are hopes the two-time hurdle winner can kick on this term.

“Shakem Up'Arry’s a nice horse but I think the other horse Ben has got, Bowtogreatness, is going to be a really good horse this year,” he said.

Redknapp has also made a more long-term investment by buying a horse with Paul Nicholls’ former assistant trainer Harry Derham, who has been growing his string with the assistance of bloodstock agent Ed Bailey at the sales ahead of saddling his first runners in 2023.

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