Setting The Scene: A September Jumps Card Worth Your Time

Right, settle in and grab yourself something warm, because Wolverhampton is serving up a proper seven-race jumps card this Thursday afternoon and there's more to get stuck into here than you might first think. The going is Good with a Soil Moisture Measure of 52% — that's a lovely surface, neither too quick to rattle bones nor so soft that the plodders get away with murder. It's the kind of going that finds out your horse fair and square, and on a September afternoon in the West Midlands, you can't ask for much more than that.

There are novice chases, a bumper, hurdle maidens, handicap hurdles, and — the jewel in the crown — a Class 2 handicap chase worth £22,600 that has a cracking little field for this time of year. Check out the full Wolverhampton racecard before you have a penny on anything, because the non-runners are already shifting things around in that maiden hurdle. Right, let's get into it.

The Feature Race: FBC Manby Bowdler Handicap Chase (14:10, 2m 4f, Class 2)

This is the one that matters most today, and with five runners going to post over two miles and four furlongs, it's a race with genuine intrigue. The top weight is Glen To Glen — a four-year-old, if you don't mind, rated 132 and trained by Nick Scholfield with Kielan Woods in the saddle. Now, a four-year-old rated 132 in a Class 2 handicap chase in September is either a proper talent or a horse that's been found out. Given the course and distance form he carries — that [D] next to his name tells you he's already won at Wolverhampton — I'm inclined to think the former. He's the one they all have to beat.

But here's where it gets interesting. Crebilly, the nine-year-old trained by Jonjo and A.J. O'Neill and ridden by Harry Cobden, also holds course and distance form [D], and at a mark of 129, he's been around the block enough times to know what he's doing. Cobden is not the sort of jockey who wastes his Thursday afternoons on no-hopers. He's a 9lb lower mark than Glen To Glen, and on this Good ground — which should suit a horse with his profile — I wouldn't be writing him off for a second.

Snipe (127, Harry Skelton, Dan Skelton) is the one I'd be slightly wary of at the prices. The Skelton operation fires in winners everywhere, fair enough, but Snipe is nine years old and hasn't got the course form that Crebilly and Glen To Glen bring. Karnaval Point (125, Rian Corcoran, David Pipe) has both course and distance form [C,D] and is only six — there's potentially more to come from him, and Pipe knows how to place a horse. He's the each-way dart in here if the market lets you on at a price.

The Novice Chase Opener: Kenzo and the Bowen Factor (13:40, 2m 7f, Class 5)

The opening novice handicap chase over nearly three miles is a small field of six, and the top-rated horse is Kenzo des Bruyeres, a six-year-old rated 92 trained by Mickey Bowen and ridden by his son James Bowen. The Bowen family know their horses, and James is a jockey who rides with his head as much as his hands — he won't be making life difficult for a novice chaser who's still finding his feet over fences.

Right behind him in the weights is Swingforthefence (90, Jennie Candlish) with I. J. Power in the saddle — a jockey who's been quietly building a decent book of rides and is well worth following. Third in the betting order of ratings is Broadway Honey (88) with Sam Twiston-Davies riding for his father's yard. The Twiston-Davies operation knows how to get a novice chaser jumping, and on Good ground over this trip, don't dismiss Broadway Honey at all. The yard loves a Saturday winner but they'll take a Thursday one just as happily.

Gavin Sheehan takes the mount on Jo Arengeot Bey Aa for Donald McCain — rated just 82, but McCain's horses tend to show up ready and Sheehan is a jockey who can conjure something from a seemingly moderate rating. Keep an eye on the market moves here.

Ones To Watch Elsewhere On The Card

14:45 — The Bumper

Nine runners in the National Hunt Flat Race and, as ever with bumpers, it's a glorified guessing game. That said, Delulu (Harry Skelton, Dan Skelton) and Gilwen Georgia (Sean Bowen, David Rees) are the two I'd be keeping an eye on. The Skelton yard rarely saddles a bumper runner without a bit of confidence behind it, and Sean Bowen on Gilwen Georgia for a Welsh handler suggests there's been some homework done at home. Spanish Darling from Tom George's yard is also interesting — George is a trainer who takes bumpers seriously.

15:20 — The Maiden Hurdle

Fourteen declared, two non-runners already, and this is wide open. Lock Stock (rated 116, Charlie Hammond, Stuart Edmunds) is the only runner with an official rating of substance and has to be respected. Sytadel (Harry Skelton, Dan Skelton) and Action Replay (Harry Cobden, Charlie Longsdon) are the two I'd look to from the unrated brigade — both carry the weight of decent connections. Lee Edwards takes the ride on Troy Story for Dave Roberts, and while it's a long shot, Edwards is a jockey who punches above his weight on the right day.

15:55 — The Novice Handicap Hurdle

Crafty Gael (89, Sean Bowen, Olly Murphy) is the one I like most in this eleven-runner affair over two miles and seven furlongs. Murphy's horses are fit and ready, Bowen is a top-class jockey, and the trip on this Good ground should suit a staying type. Brionywells has course and distance form [C,D] which you can never ignore, but the rating of 89 and the jockey booking of Nick Slatter suggests connections aren't going overboard with confidence.

Tom's Best Bets Summary

  • NAP — Glen To Glen (14:10): Course winner, top-rated, and at just four years old there's every chance the handicapper hasn't fully caught him yet. Good ground suits. Kielan Woods is a fine judge of pace.
  • NEXT BEST — Crebilly (14:10): Course and distance winner with Harry Cobden up. Nine years old but still competitive at this level. A 9lb pull on the top weight is not to be sniffed at.
  • EACH WAY — Karnaval Point (14:10): Course and distance form, only six years old, and David Pipe doesn't travel horses for the craic. Could be the value in the feature.
  • WATCH — Crafty Gael (15:55): Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen — that's a combination that means business. Top-rated in the novice hurdle and should relish the trip.
  • BUMPER FLIER — Delulu (14:45): The name alone deserves a small each-way tickle, and Harry Skelton in a bumper usually means the homework's been done.

It's not Cheltenham, it won't be on the front page of the Racing Post, but there's a solid day's jumping to be had at Wolverhampton and the Good ground means we'll get a proper result. Back your fancy, enjoy the racing, and I'll see you on the other side. Good luck — you'll need some of it, as always.