The Racing League roadshow moves across to the West Midlands for Week 2, live on Sky Sports Racing, with Wolverhampton being the host venue on the Tapeta track.
MINT MAN (5.45) looks an interesting runner for the ‘home team’ Ireland. The 3yo was sent off at big odds last time out at Naas last Wednesday and finished an excellent second. The son of Due Diligence has experience of the all-weather circuit at Dundalk where he has had a few near misses again usually at big prices. Ben Coen has experience of this track too, and hopefully he can produce Mint Man at the right time.
David Probert finally got his first Racing League win with Rathgar in the finale on Week 1 at huge odds. The Welshman teams up with his boss Andrew Balding for the London & The South with the maiden BERKSHIRE NUGGET (6.45) in the extended mile handicap. The Expert Eye gelding has put together some solid handicap form without winning but could break through on Thursday evening from a decent draw.
RED HAT EAGLE (7.15) was a tidy winner at Chelmsford City recently and can land some valuable points for The East. William Knight’s gelding has ran well again since at Newmarket and can land a fourth success on the artificial surfaces. He has a good-looking draw to get into a decent position early in the race before making his challenge early in the home straight.
MIGHTY NEBULA (7.45) might be another winner for The East in the extended 1m1f contest. Roger Varian’s 4yo should have got much closer to the winner Wadacre Gomez at Chelmsford in early July but was given too much to do. Hopefully Neil Callan can settle him just off the pace this evening as his finishing speed might be too much for the others. He looks fairly handicapped at present.
The pre-competition favourites Ireland have a strong chance in the penultimate race with INTELLOTTO (8.15) looking like their main hope. Joseph O’Brien’s gelding ran a highly creditable fourth in a deep looking Premier handicap at the Curragh at the end of June. That looks high end handicap form and this versatile son of Lope De Vega who is also a dual winning hurdler could be hard to beat if he handles this track.
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