Bet of the day: Thursday’s racing

NAP and next best on the card at Wolves

Coral horse racing punters have UK and Irish meetings scheduled at Ludlow, Wolverhampton, Chepstow, Chelmsford and Cork on Thursday, and you can bet on all the action at the click of a button with us.

Have your say here at Coral, or read on as we run through our NAP and next best on the all-weather card at Wolverhampton.

Spirit Of Rome taken for revenge

We focus on Wolves where the action gets underway at 1.50pm with a five-furlong sprint handicap. In terms of our bet of the day, we keep our powder dry until the 3.25pm handicap, a one-mile four-furlongs contest, which has attracted a snappy nine-runner field.

Pick of the bunch for us, and one at a decent price too, is Spirit Of Rome. The James Bethell trained two-year-old filly is yet to get her head in front from four starts, but gave a good account of herself last time out around here. Ending third, in a race won by Bessemer Lady, she never got near the winner, but was an eye-catcher when seen staying on at the business end of proceedings, and I had her marked down as one to keep onside.

She goes back up against Bessemer Lady here, but Ralph Beckett’s rep has been hammered for that win, and that opens the door for our selection to strike. Last month’s effort came after a bit of a lay-off and I expect her to shape all the better for it. Traders can’t see it happening however, and offer up an attractive 9/2. There’s already been nibbles of support in the market, which is promising.

Bounty Pursuit makes a quick-fire return

Next best goes in the lucky last, where we throw our weight behind Bounty Pursuit. Michael Appleby and Silvestre De Sousa team up, and that will be to good effect. The five-year-old gelding won around here in February, and was last seen finishing runner-up behind Magic Mirror at Kempton on Monday.

Beaten a head that day, it’s telling that connections have him back in action so quickly, and I am happy to follow that lead. He is an improving sort, and today’s trip should be to his advantage. Let’s have him to improve a place.

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