Jamie Lynch’s Racing League week two preview

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In his week two preview, Jamie Lynch goes in search of winners ahead of a busy night of Racing League action from Wolverhampton.

5.45 Racing League Race 8 Handicap (Class 4) (3YO plus) 6f

Nobody knows Wolverhampton like Luke Morris. If you rode six races per day, it would take you two full years without a single break to match the Morris’ total of 4369 rides at Wolverhampton, for an astounding 506 winners at Dunstall Park alone. Two of his four rides in Week 2 of the Racing League are for the boss Sir Mark Prescott, starting with Scarboroughwarnin. She is something of a Wolves afficionado herself – having got gold, silver and bronze from her four starts here – but she has recently got into the bad habit of starting slowly, compromising her chance and draw in stall one.

David Evans has sent out more winners at Wolverhampton (421) than any other trainer, though Supreme King is zero from five here and a double-figure stall (11) makes life tough. Likewise, The Thames Boatman (12) and Coup De Force (13) – both course winners who’d have been on the shortlist otherwise. The probable pacesetter is Intervention from stall 2, for whom this will be his 104th race, 10 ahead of fellow veteran Aberama Gold, who was fourth in the equivalent event last year off a 9lb higher mark.

At the other end of the career curve, three-year-olds Chuti Manika and Noble Victory are sneaking in at the bottom of the weights, the former arriving on the front foot after clicking with Catterick for a second time, auguring well for him whizzing around Wolverhampton. Noble Victory is better drawn (in stall three) than he was at Chester on his return from a break, and the start before that he was third to one of the fastest horses we’ve seen this year in Hammer The Hammer.

James Tate is bolstering Yorkshire by also saddling Stanley Spencer, who “won” the race for best of the rest behind the rampant Crestofdistinction over course and distance last time, while the up-and-coming Jack Callan – who steered El Bodon into second last week – now takes off a valuable 7lb.

6.15 Racing League Race 9 Handicap (Class 4) (3YO only) 6f

On the face of it, Loving Apprentice is in pole position, as she’s carrying a 6lb penalty when the handicapper has reassessed her 9lb higher for her demolition job at Lingfield by five lengths, making her 3lb well-in here. However, whereas a high draw was a big help on Lingfield’s turf course (made all against the favoured rail), it’s a big hindrance here. Another front-runner done dirty by the draw is Hello Zaman, who was caught only by Leadenhall Street when he cleared the field from stall 11 at Kempton.

The stronger the gallop the better for Miraculous, whose in-built keenness was curbed by finding the pocket at Chester, a strategy which will serve him very well again here from stall five, and he has the profile and potential to rate higher still, out of Temple Stakes winner Priceless. Irish raider Dark Ace is cut from the same free-going cloth, hence why they’ve had to drop him back to five furlongs the last twice, but All-Weather racing suits him (successful twice at Dundalk).

This is a lesser handicap than Sudden Flight has faced so far, and he has run his best races on the All-Weather, including a defeat of none other than Hammer The Hammer at Southwell. Kamekist clearly likes it around here, with his form figures reading 2316 – the ‘6’ coming when hampered at the start – and he has the plum draw (stall one), as well as being put in first-time cheekpieces. Ace apprentice Mason Paetel on a Heather Main front-runner worked well in week one with Mister Bluebird, and Iconic Times has the right tools for that same trick – he has twice made all at Kempton.

6.45 Racing League Race 10 Handicap (Class 3) (3YO plus) 1m 6f

It’s a home fixture for Ireland, believe it or not, and this looks the right race for Fitzy to play his mandatory Joker, as Londonofficecallin and Chutzpal are both at the peak of their powers, representing the jumping giants of Gavin Cromwell and Henry de Bromhead, respectively.

After taking 25 goes to get off the mark, Londonofficecallin has become a win machine (successful on nine of his last 15 starts under both codes), and he’s intent on more from the way he strung out the field over this trip at Fairyhouse last time. He has never encountered the All-Weather but Chutzpal has (won at Dundalk in younger days), and he ran the race of his life last month when third in the Apprentice Derby at the Curragh on Irish Derby weekend.

The Joker will also be floating through the mind of Alex Steedman, manager of Team Scotland, who’ve got two big guns to fire in this spot. La Pulga is 2lb well-in after winning at Newcastle by six lengths, and he was third in this event in 2024 (Kitsune Power was fourth), while Charging Thunder was third in the Northumberland Plate two starts ago. They are the class acts in the race, which counts for plenty in a handicap with a 24lb weight range.

Diamond Bay won the equivalent race in 2023 from a 6lb higher mark than now, but he has lost his mojo lately. Great Bedwyn and Dancingwithmyself have the game for these races, but the pair look handicapped to the hilt based on their recent runs.

7.15 Racing League Race 11 Handicap (Class 2) (3YO plus) 6f

The best race of the night, befitting the added value, worth £75k. If you ranked the Racing League performances across its five years, Willem Twee’s success in this last year under 9-13 would be in the top three, and he has a little less to carry this time because of the presence of the 109-rated Al Shabab Storm – a Group 3 winner (in Germany) for Andrew Balding last season but absent since bringing up the rear in the Cammidge Trophy on his second start for new connections, having finished third in the Listed Lady Wulfruna here on his reappearance.

Out of the brilliant Cassandra Go, Change Sings has naturally found it tougher this year having rocketed up the handicap (with five wins along the way), but he exceeded expectations in the Group 3 Coral Charge last time and will appreciate the return to a handicap, as well as the All-Weather (4/7 on synthetics). The deployment of headgear says that the excellent Eve Johnson Houghton has targeted this.

Wolverhampton is a sharp six furlongs but even that may stretch three-year-olds Mr Lightside and Stormy Impact, who have both looked out-and-out speedballs, with the former sent off only 11/1 for the Palace Of Holyroodhouse at Royal Ascot and the latter successful in June in the three-year-old ‘Dash’ at Epsom. If there’s a speed war, then Barbapapa comes right into it. He normally races over further – finished sixth and second in last year’s Racing League, over the extended mile here and seven furlongs at Newcastle – but his two runs this season (one over 6f) says he’s raised his game yet again. Kieran O’Neill, who is lucky enough to get on both de Bromhead runners on the card, has ridden 105 winners at Wolverhampton.

7.45 Racing League Race 12 Handicap (Class 4) (3YO only) 1m ½f

The most wide-open race of the night for three-year-olds only, with some still developing and six having raced six times or fewer. The least exposed of all is handicap debutant Palio Di Siena, but he hasn’t been in hiding – second on all three starts – and he hasn’t exactly shaped as if another 362 yards is what he wants on his All-Weather debut. Outlandish, on the other hand, is crying out for this trip, following his closing fourth in his first handicap at 7f, and the Charlie Fellowes stable is turning a corner.

There’s plenty of pace signed on, which means that Double Parked won’t get his own way as he has for both wins so far, including defeating a Prescott favourite last time at Redcar, but he’s the horse in this race that is most clearly on the up. The projected strong gallop means that stall 13 may be less damaging for Love Is The Law, who is a hold-up horse anyway. The step up to 8f has given her added impetus the last twice, and the winners of both those races have subsequently gone in again since, suggesting that Love Is The Law is well handicapped off 75.

Danny Muscutt is always worth a few pounds around here (109 winners) and he gets on Penfolds Grange for the first time, a horse who goes well at Wolves (1st and 3rd in prior visits). Something was up at Redcar last time (maybe the cheekpieces, which are left off here), but before that he was an excellent third from the widest draw at Chester. Keep an eye in the market on Zowal, who can’t be as bad as he’s looked in handicaps so far, not from the way he started for the stable when winning a Musselburgh maiden after transferring from John-Claude Rouget in France.

8.15 Racing League Race 13 Handicap (Class 3) (3YO plus) 1m ½f

The East will be eyeing up this race for a points bonanza because Mr Swivell hasn’t been out of the first two this season and Believe The Storm hasn’t been out of the first two in his life. Mr Swivell is well drawn to attack (from stall three), just the way he likes it, and the pace map says he’ll have it all his own way. Believe The Storm is bringing a bagful of potential with him after just the four starts, and it’s extra encouraging that he was progressing at a time when his yard was struggling.

Following his fine third at Ascot on Saturday, Hickory is 2lb well-in being able to race off the same mark, but he’s best coming late and fast, which is easier said than done around here from stall one, especially when the pace forecast is “weak.” That probably doesn’t help Obelix either, who is normally dropped out (and has gate 11), but a 6lb rise doesn’t account for all he did at York when powering home after traffic and trouble over seven furlongs.

The only three-year-old in Tilted Kilt was runner-up in the Silver Bowl at Haydock in May, and he has a good All-Weather record, at least until last time when he looked laboured in seventh, hence the first-time visor here. Romieu was in too deep last time in the John Smith’s Cup, but the time before that he ran the race of his life – on his one and only go on the All-Weather – in a higher-band race than this at Newcastle, and that form gives him a big chance here in a race which maps out well for him.

8.45 Racing League Race 14 Handicap (Class 3) (3YO plus) 1m 1½f

Arise Sir Andaleep, Racing League royalty, and the only centurion in the history of the competition after his win at Yarmouth last week – on his seventh appearance at the Racing League – took him to 103 points, adding that success to three seconds and two fourths. One of those seconds was in this event last year behind Bint Al Daar, who returns only 1lb higher but starting out for a different yard, with her tongue tied for the first time.

But there is a bottom line with this race, namely Fox Avatar, who did something that’s very hard to do in overcoming trouble in running at Chelmsford, and therefore a 6lb rise is likely to be very lenient indeed, especially for a well-bred horse who’s just getting going in life – looked after in his younger days and making just his seventh start here.

I’ll be amazed if The East doesn’t play a Joker here given that, alongside Fox Avatar, they can also call upon Immediate Effect, the only three-year-old – powered by Prescott – and it’s an added advantage that Luke Morris is back aboard, with cheekpieces to give him an extra edge. There’ll be a late clue in the 7.45 as Double Parked was the only one to beat Immediate Effect last time.

Londoner might be the new Andaleep, given his resurgent form in his first season with the Kublers, and he got right in amongst some thriving three-year-olds at Ascot last time. Ado McGuinness has fired 14 arrows from Ireland that have hit the bullseye at Wolverhampton, and Dancing Steve produced a career best when he won at Navan last time, but this race is on another level for both standard and size of field.

JAMIE LYNCH’S WEEK 2 BEST BETS

6.15 SUDDEN FLIGHT – will appreciate the drop to a Class 4 and return to the All-Weather, on which he’s recorded his best efforts, including a defeat of Hammer The Hammer, and the race maps out perfectly for him from stall two.

7.15 BARBAPAPA – this race is likely to get very hot very quickly, given the speedsters in competition, and that’s music to the ears of the bang-in-form Barbapapa who mostly races over further.

8.45 FOX AVATAR – did very well to win at all at Chelmsford, let alone with something up his sleeve, with that victory just a springboard for him, destined for bigger and better handicaps than this.

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