Wolverhampton races preview and tips - November 16
Wolverhampton Racecourse hosts its latest all-weather racecard under the floodlights on Saturday evening with a competitive nine-race offering.
The action gets underway with a class six handicap contest for amateur jockeys at 4.30pm before the meeting comes to a close four hours later at 8.30pm with another handicap, this time in class five.
The opening race of the evening sees a field of 12 head to the stalls for the class six amateur jockeys’ handicap (4.30). Diffident Spirit looks to be the play in the opener for trainer Terry Kent, a winner at Nottingham recently that has been penalised 4lb in the weights for that success but it is one he can shoulder back on the all-weather surface. Saved Lizzie is a lightly-raced maiden on the Flat but was a good second at Chelmsford just over a fortnight ago so rates as the next best and pick up a first win.
A small field of four will take on the class five novice stakes at 5.00 to mark the second race of the evening and Cardar, trained by George Boughey, is the clear one to beat having offered plenty of promise when last seen on Flat debut at Newcastle last month, finishing second of nine and is stepping up in trip at Wolverhampton which should suit.
Rogue Bullet got back on track for trainer Jack Jones when finishing second on his last spin at Kempton 24 days ago and providing he can avoid a slow start, looks the be a big player on synthetic debut here in race three (5.30) while the fourth race of the day (6.00) can go the way of Bulletin, a proven performer on the all weather with a fourth and a second under his belt which is by far the best form on offer.
Quick Quodos makes plenty of appeal on paper in race five of Wolverhampton’s Saturday card (6.30) as ten runners tackle the mile maiden stakes. The Marco Botti-trained two-year-old was a very hefty 200,000 Guineas purchase as a yearling and is a half-brother to several winners, including the very useful USA Grade 3 winner Demarchelier and makes his racecourse debut here. Of his rivals, Minelone does have some racecourse experience, last seen when third at Southwell so rates the next best on that form.
A class six handicap contest over the short seven furlong trip marks race six of the evening (7.00). Overnight Oats got off the mark when winning here last week and can follow-up under a 5lb penalty for trainer James Owen, while race seven on the card (7.30) can go the way of Willolarupi, who landed a career-best when scoring in an 11-runner handicap race at Southwell just 12 days ago in remarkably comfortable fashion so is taken to go in again here.
The penultimate race of the day at Wolverhampton on Saturday is the 12-runner handicap in class four (8.00) with preference heading the way of King’s Code, a previous course and distance winner that caught they eye despite hitting trouble in running when fifth at Kempton and has been eased in the weights here by the handicapper, while the finale (8.30) can go to the Alan King-trained Star Time, who made it third time lucky when scoring in a six-runner maiden at Yarmouth on his last run back in Aust with plenty of progress expected here off the back of that fine victory.
Wolverhampton selections - Saturday
4.30 - Diffident Spirit
5.00 - Cardar
5.30 - Rogue Bullet
6.00 - Bulletin
6.30 - Quick Quodos
7.00 - Overnight Oats
7.30 - Willolarupi
8.00 - King’s Code
8.30 - Star Time
