5:00 – Wolverhampton – ENJOY THE PUNTERS PACKAGE GROUP OFFER HANDICAP (DIV II) (CLASS 6) (4yo+ 0–60) Standard 1m 141y
With Uttoxeter already abandoned, a morning inspection at Beverley with more rain expected and Brighton’s going described as Soft, again with more rain to come it is probably best to concentrate on the all-weather meeting at Wolverhampton where the standard going can be guaranteed.
The horses with the best chance of the day would appear to be Russian Storm at 5:00pm. The four-year-old bay filly is lightly raced with today’s run being only her ninth career start. She only made her racecourse debut last September and in six attempts in Maidens and Handicaps between September and December she never finished better than seventh.
She was given a break between her last race of 2012 on 5th December and her next run on 30th March on the all-weather track at Lingfield. The break did her the world of good and under apprentice jockey Jemma Marshall who was claiming 5lbs, Russian Storm was produced just before the 1 furlong marker and stayed on well to get up near the line and win by a head.
She ran again at Lingfield on her last start 15 days ago and although she was up 4lbs she was again produced for her run entering the final furlong and soon went clear to win comfortably by 2 ¾ lengths. She also had Fergus Sweeney riding so in effect she was actually carrying 9lbs more than her previous win.
She has not run at Wolverhampton before but both of her wins have come at Lingfield which is also a left handed track. Her record on the all weather polytrack surface is now 2 wins from 6 runs.
Russian Storm is running over 1 mile and half a furlong this afternoon which should be ideal as both of her wins have come over 1 mile 2 furlongs and 1 mile respectively. Her last run was over 1 mile and this might be her best trip based on the emphatic way she travelled and won last time out.
She is up another 7lbs for that win, but she is bringing the best form on offer into the race and on the evidence of her last run the extra weight looks unlikely to stop her. As she started off such a low handicap mark she is still able to run in a Class 6 contest today, whereas if she wins or finishes close to the winner she will most certainly be up into Class 5 for her next start.
TONY WARD
"I live in the North of Cumbria near the Solway Coast. My wife and I own a smallholding where we keep our horses. I have been involved in racing for over 20 years – the highlight being when a 2yo I owned won first time out at Hamilton Park. I work full-time in the racing game spending my time writing, researching and on course as a paddock judge – you can learn more about a horse’s chances watching them in the pre-parade and parade rings than you might imagine."
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