Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton is a University City in the West Midlands of England. It was founded as a town by Wulfrun in 985AD. The city became heavily industrialised during the Industrial Revolution and todays economy is still based on engineering industries. Wolverhampton also had a huge bicycle industry though this declined and eventually disappeared in the second half of 20th century.

Other sport in the city other than horse racing is dominated by football and notably Wolverhampton Wanderers FC who currently play in the top tier of English football. There is also a greyhound track at Monmore Green and an athletics stadium at Aldersley Leisure Village.

Wolverhampton has excellent transport links and is close to Birmingham. The motorways M5, M6 and M54 are all close by.

If staying in Wolverhampton, there are a few places worth a visit

Banks’s Park Brewery – http://www.bankssbeer.co.uk

Wightwick Manor and Gardens – https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wightwick-manor-and-gardens

Moseley Old Hall – https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/moseley-old-hall

The Racecourse

Wolverhampton racecourse hosts 0nly all-weather flat racing. The surface currently used is Tapeta.

Wolverhampton is a flat oval track of almost a mile in circuit with a straight of two furlongs. The bends are fairly tight and as such favour those who can lie handy.

There doesn’t appear to be any draw bias at Wolverhampton.

Clerk of the course: Fergus Cameron

Course telephone number: 01902 390020

Getting Here

Wolverhampton is about 140 miles from Central London, 17 miles from Birmingham, 98 miles from Bristol, 120 miles from Cardiff, 76 miles from Manchester and 275 miles from Edinburgh.

The course itself is located about a mile north of town off A449 Stafford Road.

The course post code is WV6 0PE.

Course parking is free.

The nearest railway station is Wolverhampton Station, about a mile away.

Racecourse facilities

Course website: https://www.wolverhampton-racecourse.co.uk/

Disabled access: https://www.wolverhampton-racecourse.co.uk/plan-your-visit/venue-accessibility/

The dress code at Wolverhampton is casual though if using any of the restaurants, ‘Smart Casual’ is expected. There are three restaurants, Horizons, EBC Technology Suite and On The Hoof Restaurant. Advance booking is advisable. There is also the Paddock Grill and a number of food stands and bars on the ground floor concourse.

The largest eating place is Horizons which is a tiered restaurant with a full view of the racecourse

The Holiday Inn Wolverhampton is also on site for racegoers wishing to stay the night. Again, advance booking is advised.

Aside from the tiered restaurant, viewing here is very good, partly due to the flatness  of the course and that it’s only a one mile circuit.

My Day

I was surprised at how quiet it was here tonight. I guess maybe because it’s midweek but on all the other occasions I’ve come here, and there’s been a few, it has been really busy. We went into the tiered restaurant and I really can’t fault the view. The food is fine though for me, it’s a little overpriced, though maybe not compared to restaurants at other courses….and most of those don’t have such a good view. I wouldn’t put anyone off it, it’s an individual thing.

Betting wise, it was another successful meeting with another four winner haul and just the one loser. Long may this continue as I have 7-8 meetings planned in the next fortnight all over the place!

Archie Watsons runners have been good to me for a while now as I’ve mentioned in previous blogs. He has done particularly well with his two year olds and in the first race tonight he had another winner and thankfully carrying my cash too. Capla Gilda was having her first run on an AW surface but had previously run well on both good and soft turf so I wasn’t too worried about that. She had won a month previous at Ffos Las, a similarly flat track and more recently at Catterick which although somewhat undulating has quite sharp bends as does here. Of the opposition, I felt  she only had Hatha to beat and so the 3/1 on offer during the day seemed more than reasonable. Although a maiden, Hatha had finished behind some decent sorts, particularly Pretty Pollyanna on debut, though to my eyes wasn’t particularly progressing. Hollie Doyle made all, sending Capla Gilda clear 2f out and she stayed on inside final furlong to win by a length and a quarter at an SP of 15/8.

Backing the first winner always does my attitude the world of good but backing the first two…………….!

I looked at the 2nd race, a 2yo maiden earlier in the day also. The race seemed to concerned just three of the runners, Madkhal, Extreme Force and Luxor. Extreme Force, Ryan Moore’s only ride of the day, had finished ahead of Luxor last time out and I couldn’t see a definite reason why the form would be reversed though at 5/1 I considered a small EW on Luxor in the possibility that he would improve past Ryan Moore’s mount. While reading the race I also saw on my twitter feed and analysis by @genuinetriers which essentially gave me every reason to believe that Luxor would indeed improve more that Extreme Force. Given my lack of conviction that Madkhal was a worthy favourite, my prospective small each way bet became a little bigger and was rewarded. Luxor duly won, just holding on by a neck from Madkhal and was returned 3/1.

For anyone reading this who have a twitter account, I do strongly suggest you looking at @genuinetriers account. He gives good honest analysis, no boasting, no lists of winners, just honest analysis. Based on that, it’s up to you to bet or not, no pressure. He’s certainly put me onto a few good winners, that’s for sure.

The fourth race provided my next bet in the shape of Dixieland Diva. Dropping back in trip in this Novice Stakes for fillies after running ok in a maiden at Nottingham. The Nottingham winner went in again a couple of days ago. Main market rival, Bubbly, had already run ok here on debut and again in slightly better company at Kempton Park last time out without showing too much improvement. In the race, Dixieland Diva sat behind the leader travelling well until 2f out when sent into the lead and once sent clear inside the final furlong, the result wasn’t in doubt, winning by four and a half lengths. Bubbly ran on for 2nd without ever having any chance with the winner.

I was confident enough that Let’s Be Happy would complete the hat-trick. She was up 10lb since the first win though had won them both well enough, particularly the first of them and they were both won here at Wolverhampton. I had figured Moiltor (later withdrawn) as the only real danger and confidently had a bet before heading to the track. I think that had I waited until close to post time, I wouldn’t have had a bet. She was a very uneasy favourite and the money came for another runner, Secratario. The market got it right and Secratario won by a comfortable looking one and a quarter lengths.

The final race on the card was a maiden for 3yo and 4yo and seemed to lie between the John Gosden trained Petit Palais and the Ralph Beckett trained Silver Crescent. The former had run very green on his racecourse introduction at Nottingham in November though had stayed on to good effect in the closing stages. Must have had some problems as this was his first run since. Silver Crescent had been made favourite in a slightly better race at Beverley last time out but never got in a blow. I was always confident that assuming he was over any problems that Petit Palais would know a lot more this time and would be difficult to beat and so it proved. They were both sent off as 5/4JF. John Gosdens charge was sent to the lead well over a mile out and went clear until 3f out. Once shaken up, he went clear again inside the final furlong to win comfortably by four and a half lengths.

So a very decent profit tonight again and we move on to the London tracks next week