Although Red Cape (14:20) comes from a yard amongst the winners and is Timeform top rated for today's seller at Wolverhampton, he has been below form in four outings this year and was well beaten in a course-and-distance claimer on the first of them. Whilst acknowledging he faces a drop in grade this afternoon and is receiving 6 lb from four of the other six runners, Red Cape's tame finish in a handicap at Ripon a week ago was worrying and with Catalyze, Chjimes and Steelcut all solid performers at today's level, Ruth Carr's nine-year-old should be taken on.
A seven-year-old who unseated in his first Flat start for nearly four years last month is hardly the ideal profile of a winner but Liberty Love (14:50) can buck the trend in the staying handicap on the same card 30 minutes later. County Donegal trainer Shaun Harley has been an intriguing visitor to these shores in recent years, achieving a 100% strike rate at both Lingfield and Musselburgh and registering three winners from eight runners at Hamilton, and Liberty Love can be his first winner at Dunstall Park after shaping with plenty of promise having been well backed at Kempton (clipped heels two furlongs out) last time. With chief market rival Carnac yet to prove he's as effective on polytrack as he is on fibresand, Liberty Love can triumph providing his mishap hasn't left its mark.
With David Barron's horses running really well at present, four-time track scorer Elijah Pepper (17:35) is given a chance to take advantage of being only 1 lb above his last winning mark in the closing apprentice handicap over an extended mile. A course-and-distance winner last October, Elijah Pepper shaped as if in reasonable form when a staying-on seventh at Redcar last time, has been placed three times from four goes under Luke McNiff and is drawn right on the inside, all of which point to a good run from the seven-year-old this afternoon.
Timeform SmartPlays
Lay Red Cape @ 2.89/5 in the 14:20 at Wolverhampton
Back Liberty Love @ 5.79/2 in the 14:50 at Wolverhampton
Back Elijah Pepper @ 5.24/1 in the 17:35 at Wolverhampton
