Wolverhampton 02/02

[RussP]

4.25.....Must Be Keen (RPF 7/1) Poor Cl 6 handicap in which only 2 of the 13 runners have won a race this season. 6f race in which we currently have a fav priced at 4/1, Mind Alert. Certainly the horse in form but placed on its last 5 outings (without winning), all in this class and off this mark, it's questionable whether this horse has the will to stick its head in front and anyone betting on this horse is taking that chance. Vying for favouritism is Dark Moon, a horse that has not shown much form until lto when 3rd over this trip. Stayed on that day rather than showing a turn of foot, and this makes me strongly think this horse needs at least another furlong. Grand View ran a creditable 4th lto over a trip too short, and has been dropped 1lb. Has a chance but the horse doesn't seem to have much improvement at it at the grand old age of 11, and has not won a handicap since its 3yo days. Teyaar is one of only 2 horses to win this season, that was in a banded event, and has since finished 3L behind one of todays rivals, Must Be Keen. Navigation, if back to its best, would be thereabouts but has shown nothing for a while and has been off the track for a while so treat with extreme caution. Nothing else catches my eye, so that leaves us with Must Be Keen, a horse I backed when winning at Kempton 2 starts ago. That was in a Classified Stakes (Cl 7) event so up in class today, but showed a decent turn of foot that day to suggest its capable of taking a race like this. Finished in front of both Teyaar and Dark Moon that day too. 4lb higher today, but showed enough lto in this class when just behind Grand View off this mark to put it in the mix today. It found 5f too short that day. Not an ideal draw in 10, but is a hold up horse so it shouldn't be a huge problem. Very good EW shot at around the 7/1 mark.

[Fatz]

Re: Wolverhampton 02/02 As per EW fancies thread :- Zalkani (1.40 Wolverhampton) RP f/c 8/1 Trainer has a good record in Amateur contests at the track and this hold-up horse well suited by the fast pace at which they are often run. Finished 2nd, 1st, 2nd in three Amateur races this winter before running down the field in last two races over inadequate trips.