Bet of the day: Monday’s Racing
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Keeping faith with the all-weather
Racing punters already have a reduced service ahead to start the week, which is a bit of a disappointment. But hey – it’s winter, it’s wet and cold. What are we going to do? Well, my plan is stick to the all-weather racing that was so good to us last week, with plenty of winners in the bag.
Today’s interest goes in the eight-race card at Wolverhampton, with a reliable day of action getting underway at 2.20pm sharp. The going is standard – as you may have guessed – and that is just what we like to hear, a track that pays no interest to the weather forecast.
Beat the Monday blues
The NAP of the day for me lines up in the 3.20pm maiden stakes, a short, sharp, shock over the five-furlong sprint distance. Of the 11 expected to contest, Blue Bahia will take all the beating home. Trainer Mark Johnston’s three-year-old filly has been nearing a debut win of late, and followed up a third-place effort at Lingfield in December with a runner-up spot around here last month, over this trip.
She found only race favourite Garam too good on that occasion, beaten a length, but was seen battling on gamely before being caught and passed in the final-furlong when making a push for home. She’s also been mixing it in much better company than opposes today, and that experience will pay-off against a modest-looking field.
If the race goes the way I expect it to, Blue Bahia, who arrives fit as a fiddle, will hit the front early on and look to drag the others out of their comfort zone from the start. I don’t see any of this lot being good enough to turn her over either.
Belle worth a bet
In the last race on the card we give preference to Canford Belle in the 5.50pm one-mile handicap. Jockey Patrick Vaughan rides the selection and the four-year-old filly arrives with confidence on side, having posted two solid runs in 2017 already, both at Newcastle.
She was seen competing there on Saturday when fourth in decent company and the fact connections have her back out so quickly strikes me as a real positive. She’s fit, has been pushing close of late, and if they can get an effort out of her like the one seen on Saturday, she wins this.
Wolverhampton Selections
2.20 – Captain Dion
2.50 – Berlusca
3.20 – Blue Bahia
3.50 – Pushkin Museum
4.20 – Cruise Tothelimit
4.50 – Come Back King
5.20 – Secret Bird
5.50 – Canford Belle
