Friday Racing Tips: Tony Calvin says 5/1 and 10/1 are fair prices for Wolverhampton pair

• TC on four Friday races at Wolverhampton

• 5/16.00 Palace Boy may be a step ahead of assessor

• 10/111.00 is very fair for Beauty Choice

We lost Lingfield from ITV's Friday schedule earlier in the week, so things were already looking a touch lightweight before Thursday's noon inspection at Market Rasen.

And, perhaps inevitably after getting to as low as -8 overnight, that meeting has fallen by the wayside, too. So ITV have drafted in four races from Wolverhampton to fill the void.

I wouldn't be an all-weather punter, or indeed a watcher, so Wolverhampton's ITV's revised offering (which includes a mighty 0-53 handicap among their ranks) certainly doesn't get me all jiggy.

And I'll be 100 per cent honest and say that I probably won't be betting on the action here, so this column will hopefully just gently steer you to the best betting options if you want to get involved.

Wolverhampton Friday 13:40 - No bet

That said, I was surprised to see Palace Boy put in as big as 13/27.50 by one firm on Wednesday for 1m6f handicap at 13:40.

The only further shock was that price lasted until around 11.30am on Thursday, when he was cut into 5s. That is the general price now, and one that the Sportsbook (who offer four places for each-way punters) agree with.

Lightly-raced in Germany, when winning once over 1m3f from five starts, Palace Boy showed himself to be a fair hurdler in 2023 (he actually ran in the Supreme) and he landed an on-the-show 14/115.00 to 9/25.50 punt in commanding fashion, in a fair time, on his return to the level here last time.

He has gone up 10lb for that six-length defeat of Artisan Dancer (also goes in here) but he could still be a step ahead of the assessor. He is a fair enough price at 5s, and I'd have him as favourite over Educator.

Wolverhampton Friday 14:15 - No bet

I also thought the opening double-figure quotes about Beauty Choice were on the big side in the 7f handicap at 14:15, even though it is a very competitive.

He is 12s and 11s in places, and the Sportsbook currently offer 10/111.00. Again, very fair.

The main angle with him is that he has been slowly falling down the weights in spite of running very well over 6f of late, and the step up to 7f could see him in an even better light.

Some of his better career efforts a few years ago were over this trip and track and he has course form figures of 126143; he simply looks very solid and is the one to back if you want an interest. He is down to a mark of just 70 now and he has run respectably in defeat off a stone higher mark in the past.

Wolverhampton Friday 14:50 - No bet

I'm pretty sure I don't want to be betting in the aforementioned 0-53 handicap at 14:50, though the in-form Fieldsman has plenty going for him, as his Sportsbook price of 7/24.50 suggests, not least that he could get an uncontested lead for a 7lb claimer who won on him two starts ago.

Wolverhampton Friday 15:25 - No bet

The 10-runner 1m1f104yd filles' handicap at 15:25 is not that easy to narrow down, so I was hoping Soi Dao would be a bigger price than he is. He is 4s, though there is a point bigger out there in the wider marketplace.

Granted, my hope for tastier odds may have been a shade optimistic given he won very nicely here over an extended 1m last time and a 3lb rise was very fair. He is up to 65 now, but he was beaten only a length off 68 back in 2022 when also ridden by Gina Mangan.

In fact, Mangan is two from three on the horse and keeps the ride here.

However, the horse is unproven over this furlong-further trip. I think that is a genuine concern for a horse who has done most of his racing at under a mile. There are a few in here that I'd be worried about against him, including three handicap debutantes.

So, those are my thoughts. I make no apologies for not tipping. Loose bets tend to equal losing bets.

In truth, if this card was on a weekday I wouldn't even be studying it, or watching it, and we have better fare to come on ITV on Saturday and Sunday, even if Ascot and Haydock look firmly odds against to go ahead.

Back tomorrow.

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