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All-Weather Angle betting tips: Wednesday February 14

1pt win Incrimination in 6.30 Kempton at 11/2 (General)

0.5pt e.w Portraitist in 8.30 Kempton at 16/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4 General)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

Looking ahead to the weekend and there are a couple of valuable handicaps at Wolverhampton on Saturday evening.

There are some familiar names among the entries in the 12 furlong contest including the progressive Vaguely Royal for the Gosdens; their stable looks to be going through the gears after a quiet start to 2024 which has seen them saddle two runners (one winner) with a handful more entered.

Wigmore Street is a less familiar name in the seven furlong handicap that follows. He has raced just once, winning a novice by five lengths in December 2022 for the Crisfords but the gelded son of American Pharoah now represents Joseph O'Brien. He won't be in action on Saturday as he's not yet qualified for a race of that nature but it will be fascinating to see how he fares wherever he turns up next.

Back to the present and the feature at Kempton Park this evening is a 0-105 sprint handicap; six are set to go to post and it looks a trappy affair.

The X O blotted his copybook at Lingfield, Home City has his first start since leaving Godolphin, Chipstead still has a little to prove over this trip as his C&D win didn't provide a full examination of his stamina, Fivethousandtoone has a poor strike rate and Blind Beggar looks handicapped to the hilt.

That could all point to Batal Dubai - who is a couple of pounds better off with Fivethousandtoone - stepping up on his encouraging return at Newcastle and providing Harry Charlton with his first winner as the sole name on the licence at Beckhampton House but I can leave him alone at the prices (circa 11/4).

However, in the preceding fillies' handicap I am keen to side with INCRIMINATION on her first start over a mile, a trip she promises to stay on paper and one she has looked in need of on the track.

A Dundalk debut winner for Ger Lyons, she raced only once more in Ireland before being purchased by Middleham Park and sent to Conrad Allen. She won second time up for the yard over six furlongs - six of her seven starts over that trip - and was only beaten half a length and a neck in two subsequent outings.

Incrimination's return earlier this month was her first start since April and respectable enough; she missed a beat at the start and lacked the pace to challenge. She's entitled to come on for the spin and is expected to relish this stiffer test in a race that's arguably a little less competitive.

Elsewhere on the card, Cue's Beau can step up up on her first run since May in the opener while Tejesueno may benefit from a first run at a mile with Tom Marquand a positive booking for Simon Dow; PORTRAITIST steps back up to a trip more in keeping with her pedigree in the last and, unlike the other two, may be underestimated by the market.

I'd like to have seen a little more at Wolverhampton but some early market encouragement after the opening show on Tuesday is enough to persuade me to take a chance in an open race.

There are two divisions of the maiden and both are worth tuning in for.

Native Approach will be expected to step up on his course debut in division one where he faces another Godolphin newcomer but the biggest threat may come from Calumet, a half-brother to the smart Giavellotto, who pushed a stablemate of Native Approach close last month with a debut that promised plenty.

Musical Dancer was fourth behind Calumet and looks to have most to fear from another Marco Botti-trained runner in King David, another who can progress from a promising beginning, although there was early money for Tom Clover's unraced Rogue Encore. A few of the other runners in both divisions look the part on paper but may be seen to better effect further down the line.

Godolphin have introduced some typically well-bred horses in recent weeks with King's Reign and Los Toldos stepping out at Wolverhampton where they proved no match for Forest Fairy, who produced a visually taking performance, pulling right away from that pair and a couple of others who have already shown a useful level of form; she could be useful.

King's Reign was sent off the 2/1 favourite and will always garner plenty of attention having cost 1,500,000 guineas and being a Dubawi out of Group 1 winner God Given and closely related to Postponed. Held-up in last, he didn't do anything very quickly but stayed on nicely for hands and heels close home. There was more obvious promise from stablemate Los Toldos (who only cost half as much), a Frankel colt out of dual Listed winner Eva Peron, a strapping individual who made plenty of ground up to pass the front-running and useful Torrent for second.

Fifth home (beaten nine and a half lengths) Carnival Day has been given an initial mark of 71 to provide a gauge to the levels achieved and he, himself, showed more than enough to believe that he can win a handicap or two.

Another pair of Godolphin runners contested a novice at the Midlands venue on Monday evening and, again, the least fancied of the pair came out on top with Endless Victory, related to a Melbourne Cup winner, showing an impressive turn of foot to beat another debutant in Ancient Myth.

The winner's stablemate, Cupid's Dream, didn't really build on a Kempton debut that is starting to work out satisfactorily; he may not have been suited by making the running having been held-up the first day and isn't one to give up on yet.

It's also too soon to give up on Bursinel for all that his tendency to race keenly was again in evidence. He's had three relatively quick runs now - the second was behind an impressive Godolphin winner in the second division of a maiden that saw Calumet contest division one - and this full-brother to the smart Rivet (who also raced for William Haggas) should be seen to better effect in handicaps but is unlikely to be missed given his high profile connections.

The well bred newcomers have not been confined to Godolphin with Roger Varian introducing Palace Pier half-brother My Cloud at Newcastle on Tuesday. His reputation preceded him to the track and he was put in at odds-on in a race lacking depth but including the 81 rated Welcome Dream.

My Cloud shaped well but his inexperience showed as he was narrowly denied by Quiet Resolve with the pair pulling nicely clear inside the final furlong. A maiden win looks a formality and the experience won't have been lost on him; it will be interesting to see how far he, and the other impressive, well-bred winners, can progress in the coming months.

It may not feel like it just now but the green shoots are appearing and spring is on the way with the promise of all it brings.

Published at 0925 GMT on 14/02/24

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