15:55 Wolverhampton

Thursday 26 December 2019

All13:4014:1514:5015:2515:5516:2516:55

Betway Handicap

Off time: 15:55 | Winning time: 1m 58.87s

(5)

Pactolus^h,t²²

Age: 8| Weight: 9-12| J: R Kingscote| T: S C Williams| OR: 101| CD

5/4

Highly effective at this course and bids for back-to-back wins in this race from just a 2lb higher mark than last year. The gelding arrives in great heart and the return to this track could the ingredient that's been missing of late. Good chance.

Form: 642332

(6)

Star Of Southwold²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: George Rooke⁽⁷⁾| T: M Appleby| OR: 95

9/4

Best form has been posted at Chelmsford but he's also gone well at this course before now and doesn't have much to find to be involved in the action at the business end. Can make the running and has gone well under a claimer for most of this year.

Form: 214187

(1)

Nonios^h¹⁴¹

Age: 7| Weight: 9-4| J: Dylan Hogan⁽⁵⁾| T: D M Simcock| OR: 93| CD

14/1

Capable when things go his way but was no match for Pactolus in this race last year and the fact he's been off since August is an off-putting footnote. To counter, the gelding is on a handy mark, but he needs others to under perform.

Form: 463733

(3)

Borodin¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: Cam Hardie| T: S England| OR: 92

33/1

Back on the Flat after an inauspicious stable/hurdles debut at Doncaster earlier this month. Acts with give underfoot on turf but this surface is an unknown as yet; probably best just watched this time.

Form: 471879

(7)

Smile A Mile²⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: J F Egan| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 91

8/1

Ahead of Star Of Southwold at Chelmsford last month but had previously finished down the field in the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket. This is a lot easier than some of his assignments but the 3-Y-O might be feeling the effects of a busy 2019 campaign.

Form: 523005

(2)

Lunar Jet¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 8-13| J: Toby Eley⁽⁵⁾| T: J Mackie| OR: 88

20/1

Form has dipped since the summer and the gelding needs to atone for a poor effort last time out; feasible he can bounce back but he's yet to convince this course and surface suits him ideally.

Form: 206678

(4)

Felix^t⁹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-11| J: David Probert| T: M Botti| OR: 88

6/1

Won his with a bit more in hand than the winning margin suggested on final start for Sir Michael Stoute (had wind surgery); and probably still more to come. The market can guide but he'll be a player if he takes to the surface on his Tapeta debut.

Form: 12-4841

Forecasts

Pactolus (5/4), Star Of Southwold (9/4), Felix (6/1), Smile A Mile (8/1), Nonios (14/1), Lunar Jet (20/1), Borodin (33/1)

Last year's winner PACTOLUS raises his game at this course and can confirm superiority over Nonios, who was no match for the selection in the 2018 renewal. This is a tougher race and this time more of a threat might be posed by Felix, who having won for both Luca Cumani and Sir Michael Stoute, now starts out for another stable at a realistic level. He will be a big threat if he takes to the Tapeta surface. Smile A Mile, who was ahead of Star Of Southwold last time out, is suggested as the next best.