Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on Friday.
Felix Gem looks to have been let in lightly
Felix Gem failed to make an impact on his debut at Lingfield in December but was denied by only a neck when second at Wolverhampton in January and then improved again to get off the mark at Chelmsford last month.
The progressive Felix Gem was ultimately nicely on top at Chelmsford last time, where he scored by a length and a quarter, but that effort looks even better now than it did at the time as the placed pair both won next time out.
Felix Gem now heads into handicap company at Lingfield on Friday - he contests the mile-and-a-quarter event for three-year-olds (14:42) - and his opening BHA mark of 77 looks lenient given the strength of that Chelmsford form. Indeed, Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings point to Felix Gem's clear chance on these terms as he is 5 lb clear of his closest rival.
He still has the Timeform 'small p' to denote that improvement is expected after only three starts, and his middle-distance pedigree suggests that stepping back up in trip here is unlikely to pose a problem.
Billy Loughnane a notable booking for Hint of Humour
Billy Loughnane enjoyed a remarkable campaign in 2025, when he set a new 21st century record for winners in a calendar year with a tally of 222. Loughnane also leads the way this year, with his 40 winners achieved at an impressive strike rate of 21.4%, and he has an eight-strong book of rides at Wolverhampton's Friday Night Live card.
Included among those rides is Hint of Humour, who Loughnane partners for the first time in the second division of the five-furlong handicap (16:55), a booking that has generated Timeform's Jockey Uplift Flag.
Hint of Humour enjoyed a productive time of things towards the back-end of 2025 and was first past the post four times in a row, though she lost one of those races in the stewards' room for causing interference.
She has remained in form since the last of her wins in November, finishing placed on three of her four starts, including when runner-up over this course and distance last time. Two of her wins last year, in addition to her demotion, also came over this course and distance, and she looks likely to give another good account under her new rider who is especially prolific around Wolverhampton. Loughnane has had 140 winners at Wolverhampton, which is 83 more than at any other track.
City of Poets boasts strong form
City of Poets looks a big player in the extended mile handicap at Wolverhampton (19:00) based on how well the form of his win over the same course and distance in November has worked out.
The runner-up, Zryan (who reopposes on Friday), has won twice since and is now 7 lb higher with the BHA, while the third home, Brasil Power, has added four wins to his tally and increased his official rating by 15 lb.
Others down the field have also won to back up the view that it's a very solid piece of form, so City of Poets still looks fairly treated after edging up only 3 lb with the BHA.
It's also worth highlighting that City of Poets is still unexposed after only three starts in handicaps and six in total. He's also had only three runs on the all-weather but has won two of them and finished a close-up second on the other occasion, so boasts a positive profile on artificial surfaces.
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