Sky Sports Racing’s Mike Cattermole took a 6/1 bet on the main handicap at Wolverhampton on Thursday.
THE BASE WORK
class two BetUK Acca Club 5 Free Bet Handicap (7.15) over six furlongs at the Tapeta in Wolverhampton on Thursday night is a highlight on the card. Truth be told, it’s worth more than a reasonable £20,000 bag.
The majority of the field is made up of some well-known older sprinters, but the top three in the weights are three-year-olds who have been very proven in their careers and are perhaps now being released at a more realistic level. .
As for the beat, look out for early shows from Princess Shabnam, Tippy Toes, Bergerac, and Aberama Gold, while more will be put on by May Sonic, Spangled Mac, Strong Power, and Lequinto for luck as they arrive.
For Spangled Mac, being held off a big ride might be a little easier for him than Lequinto, who is just off the inside rail, and May Sonic in post two.
THE ALIGNMENT
princess shabnam
Booking claimant in 5lb form Adam Farragher is a big plus for this improving filly who won at Chelmsford in June (from 90, now 107) before following that up with some good efforts, including in the company listed in Pontefract in August.
However, his most recent run was in the Group Three Bengough Stakes at Ascot when he finished bottom of 13, which was disappointing, even though he had a 33/1 shot.
This is his debut on the Tapeta surface.
Hierarchy
A fairly intelligent juvenile who was placed in both the Sirenia and Mill Reef Stakes before a creditable sixth place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar.
He started the campaign with an excellent second place in the Group Three Pavilion Stakes at Ascot, but hasn’t quite started and his last run, on his handicap debut when the final 19 at Newmarket in July, was too bad to be true. . The fact that he has been away ever since suggests that all was not well that day.
On the plus side, he has winning form (on debut), plays cool, has good drawing and is tactically versatile. Also, his mark is down to 102 from 108 at the beginning of the year.
An intriguing contender, although Hugo Palmer’s stable has been fairly quiet on the winning front recently.
tiptoe
He wasn’t drawn as well as you might expect from 10th place, but he has an excellent all-weather record with four wins from five starts. All of those starts have been at Polytrack in Chelmsford, which is at least the same way as Dunstall Park.
She is only 3lbs taller than she was when she last succeeded in Essex in August, but although she has been heavily tested since then in a Group Three event in Germany and in Ayr, she dropped out fairly quickly at both events.
bergerac
Tough champion who has a good draw to make use of his natural speed. He has been largely consistent throughout the season, winning at Newmarket and York and then not being beaten far in the Ayr Gold Cup in sixth place.
However, he took a step back in York last time out and Kevin Ryan’s stable is going through an unusually quiet period.
Bergerac and Tom Eaves hold off all rivals to win the opening race at the Ebor meeting in York.
can be sonic
Enthusiastic guy who was in good shape at the end of last season but has been pretty dull compared to this campaign. He returned after five months when he last did well at Chelmsford, a course he has performed well before.
His mark has dropped from 104 to 97 and Charles Hills has been in great shape the past week or so.
mac with sequins
Drawn wide open, which is not good, but you won’t be in a hurry to advance early.
He was in splendid form this summer with four wins at Kempton, Yarmouth (twice) and Haydock and then took an excellent second place behind Adaay In Asia at Ascot.
His last two starts at York and Doncaster suggest perhaps that he just lost the boil when he makes his Tapeta debut.
Great power
He made big strides at the start of the year with three wins at Lingfield, all on the minimum trip.
His last two starts have been very respectable, especially when he chased the clever Misty Gray at Chelmsford from this very mark and got to the line well when he was fifth at Kempton last time in a similar Class Two company.
Established raider who will need things to work out, but his stable has been in good shape this week and I think he is a great player.
dubai station
He could easily be the blemish on the downside with his mark now at 93 after being at 106 at its peak. Actually he is closely paired with Strong Power at Chelmsford in July and he performed quite well here last time.
Tactically versatile, it’s hard to be optimistic given the woeful form of Robert Cowell’s stable, which hasn’t won for most of the past two months.
Lequinto
A tricky rider who grips hard, he tends to hang to the left at the end and needs to hone in on his races.
He started out as a sprinter, became a mile runner, and is now running again. He is doing well here with a record of three wins and two places from six starts and was in good order in the summer with two wins at Windsor.
He didn’t get the best of the races at Portland last time, but he could be in the clutches of the handicap now anyway.
aberama gold
Largely consistent and had deserved success at Ayr two starts ago, having run fairly well in the Silver Cup there the previous time. His last start was over seven furlongs and you can ignore it because he doesn’t stick around.
It has run well here before on this surface, but now it is completely exposed.
spring Flower
All three of his wins have come on the minimum trip, including two at Windsor in July, when he repeatedly swished his tail on the second occasion.
However, it remains six furlongs and has lately been driven a little more sparingly. Denied a clear streak two starts ago, his latest effort was a step in the wrong direction and this is his all-weather debut.
THE VERDICT
Simply wide open!
hierarchy it’s about to take a step back in an upward direction, though its stable form is of little concern. dubai stationThe chances of that should also be weighed knowing that the patio is stone cold right now, but treat it well.
I can see princess shabnam it’s going well but the vote goes for GREAT POWER who is not included, but her second to Misty Gray at Chelmsford reads well in this context and Alice Haynes has been on the mend of late.
However, you need a bit of luck to run.