It’s a busy Saturday on Sky Sports Racing with live meetings from Wolverhampton and Hereford.
3.15 Wolverhampton – Cool Hoof Luke fancied for Lady Wulfruna
Cool Hoof Luke is the headline act in this renewal of the Listed BetMGM Lady Wulfruna Stakes at Wolverhampton. Andrew Balding’s four-year-old won the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at two and made an encouraging return when third in the Listed Kachy Stakes here last month. He should improve for that outing and looks the class act stepping up in trip under Oisin Murphy.
Ferrous makes a quick follow-up appearance after finishing a fast-finishing second on Trials Day last Friday; that was another solid effort and he can again make the frame as he heads up to seven furlongs, with Callum Rodriguez taking the ride from Tom Marquand. The best of the rest could be Marshman and Witch Hunter for Karl Burke and Richard Hannon respectively.
2.42 Wolverhampton – La Botte and Regal Ulixes in Lincoln Trial
An excellent edition of the BetMGM Lincoln Trial Handicap sees La Botte head a field of twelve. Harry Eustace’s charge has not been seen since finishing a neck second in the Britannia at Royal Ascot in June and tops the weights under Jamie Spencer. Lightly-raced, he has been mentioned as a possible Lincoln contender and this race could bring him to peak fitness for Town Moor later in the month.
Regal Ulixes ran out an impressive winner of a Lingfield handicap last week and is quickly back under PJ McDonald. The style of that victory was eye-catching and he must be respected from a 6lb higher mark. Two Tempting makes fair each-way appeal, while the progressive First Principle looks interesting for the Haggas yard despite having been beaten by Regal Ulixes at Kempton.
2.52 Hereford – Western General and Largy Belter clash
Recent winners Western General and Largy Belter are the pair to focus on in the Check Out Fairplay’s Cheltenham Offers Handicap Chase at Hereford. Joe Tizzard’s Western General took advantage of a second wind operation to score a fourth chase win at Chepstow last time and a similar performance would see him go close despite a 5lb rise in the weights.
Largy Belter arrives in good order after scoring on heavy ground at Leicester last month, that being his first success over larger obstacles, and he looks well placed to win more in this sphere. Uncle Phil and Homme d’Un Soir complete the quartet of likely protagonists.
Best of the rest
Back at Wolverhampton, Kullazain and Knebworth clash in the 2.05pm Make The Move To Midnite Handicap, with Knebworth arriving off a Chelmsford win and boosted by the booking of all-weather champion Billy Loughnane.
Sintra is an eyecatching entrant in the 3.50pm Win £250,000 With BetMGM’s Golden Goals Maiden Stakes after finishing third on debut; this Juddmonte-owned son of Kingman is bred to be a good prospect and should be well placed to break his maiden here.
At Hereford, Bective Abbey headlines the fairplaybet.co.uk Bet £20 Get £20 Free Novices’ Handicap Chase at 4.02pm. Nicky Henderson’s charge has finished runner-up on his last two starts but looks well positioned to carry top weight to victory.
Internationally, the Grade 1 Beholder Mile from Santa Anita (9.30pm) is another highlight, with Nafisa among six runners.