BBOTD Wednesday 24th August

[Lars]

18:40 Wolverhampton DYNAMIC IDOL has been hinting that he’d prefer a stiffer test of stamina when running at trips around 1m4f and he gets that today at his first attempt at 1m6f. He’s obviously a frustrating sort for connections as he often travels wonderfully before not finding a great deal. Even so, he’s currently a fantastic each-way price and should improve from a disappointing effort at Doncaster with the reversion back to the all-weather. The 4 year old colt, trained by Mikael Magnusson is still a maiden after seven starts. He’s finished third twice however including in a maiden last year and on his penultimate start. Interestingly, they were both on the all-weather. The first of these efforts was in a maiden at Kempton over 12f and undoubtedly he was unlucky not to finish 2^nd (hampered, short of room in the closing stages). He ended up two lengths behind future Yorkshire Oaks runner-up Vita Nova, although that’s form not to get too carried away with; the eventual runner-up has gone on to be a half-decent hurdler so it obviously wasn’t a bad race. Allotted a mark of 75 for his first foray into handicaps as a four year old, he’s struggled to land a blow on his two turf starts since but has showed promise on his only start handicap run on an artificial surface when 3^rd over 1m4f here off his current mark. He had blinkers on that day which are discarded today and I think their removal is a big positive as he was often too free in the early stages with them applied. This, alongside no real sort of pace in his past two starts has meant he’s struggled to land a serious blow at the business end of the race. With the blinkers removed and a quicker gallop more likely (pacesetters include See The Smile and Cloudy Bay) it will help him to settle. The extra 2f he encounters today is a step into the unknown but I think he’ll stay. He’s been keeping on well in a couple of his 1m4f efforts including when running here on his penultimate start when behind Lemon Drop Red, who re-opposes today. Back to his favoured all-weather surface, he’s overpriced at 16/1 I feel as I had him at around a 8/1 chance on his all-weather form. Mikael Magnusson is a shrewd trainer and it is unlike him to persevere with a horse that is useless, so he must think that there is something to work with. Although extremely unlikely to ever repay his $250,000 price tag, he should be able to be competitive off this mark of 75 and at this trip I think there are a few lbs of improvement still to be unearthed. George Baker has a 19% record when riding for the stable and he of course is a master of riding Wolverhampton (17% here). He faces a few unexposed sorts today including Moment Juste and Mazagee, as well as re-opposing Lemon Drop Red, who all have claims but are priced in single-figures. The likely favourite in Sennockian Storm hacked up at Southwell last time but she has never been the most consistent and it isn’t impossible for her to finish pulled-up here. Even with a couple of big dangers, DYNAMIC IDOL is priced up as he is due to his poor turf start last time. He’s never really run well on grass, which cannot be said for his runs on the all-weather and he should be half the price he is on the basis of that form. He should go well and I’ll be surprised if a price anything like the 16/1 is on offer by post time. Fairly confident each-way bet. DYNAMIC IDOL; EW @ 16/1 Bet365 (bog)

[cpo]

Re: BBOTD Wednesday 24th August 3.50 Catterick Maverick 8/1 Bet365 Fast shot beat Maverick last time they met but is 7lbs worse off now. Also this is over a furlong further which I believe will help Maverick bridge the gap. The form of that race has been well advertised last week by both York Glory and Shesastar winning at York. Maverick will handle the softer conditions and should be helped by the step up to 7f. I expect him to turn the form around with Fast Shot which leaves Roninski as the main danger.