Zio Gianni should prove a gilt-edged bet in a five-runner Maiden Stakes over twelve furlongs of Wolverhampton Tapeta today, if he stays an extra half mile!
On the time-handicap this Lemon Drop Kid colt, a late May foal, is clear ‘best-in’ but unlikely to be favourite because Michael Bell-trained Kaisan will surely be a popular choice, mount of Jamie Spencer; it’s THE perfect situation, second leg of my each-way double with so many boxes ticked.
Top jockey Timmy Murphy rides Zio Gianni, odds-on when third and hampered last time out, eleven weeks ago, and there is a deal of confidence behind Jamie Osborne’s charge.
Kaisan can’t be completely discounted but one of my best systems is to lay all short-priced runners trained by ‘Ding Dong’ and the plus column speaks volumes; by the same token any once-raced fancy from the yard of David Simcock has to be respected, he saddles West Coast Flyer, a never dangerous fifth to Byres Road at Chelmsford last month.
West Coast could be anything and so, if possible, we’ll have a dual forecast saver with Zio Gianni in the hope of winning twice! Greed brings need, eh?
If you are prepared to forgive a recent lapse by Archie Stevens by all means have a decent punt in the five-runner Classified Selling Stakes over six furlongs; on official ratings and my time-handicap he’s ‘different gravy’ to the rest.
I’m not a fan of classified races and wary of sellers but always prepared to take a chance when it concerns a fancy trained by David Evans whose swashbuckling, idiosyncratic, approach to placing horses is a breath of fresh air; bet he wouldn’t know what the word conventional means!
Many reckon David just ‘throws mud at the wall and hopes it sticks’ but there is more to him than that, believe me. Krystallite is on a lenient mark for the £9000 3-y-o handicap over five furlongs, don’t oppose, napped!
Selections:
11.30 Archie Stevens
12.35 Krystallite (nap)
1.10 Zio Gianni