2.10pm Wolverhampton Tips & Betting Preview 05/04/2017

This is an interesting 5f sprint at Wolverhampton, see our betting tips and the full race preview below.

IN SUMMARY: This is an interesting Class 5 sprint and BAHANGO gets the vote to go in here. He’s better off at the weights with what could prove to be his main market rival in Powerful Dream and he should go well again off this mark with Lewis Edmunds on board. Any strong market support for the lightly-raced Monsieur Paddy would be of interest.

1 BAHANGO – Relatively successful runner for Patrick Morris with 3 wins and a few placed effort to his name with this yard. He was beaten 1/2 a length by Powerful Dream over C&D on his last start and that form looks sold enough off what is a stiff enough mark for him. Lewis Edmunds takes over today which leaves him better off at the weights and a good run is expected from stall 1.

2 COMPTON RIVER – Went through a spell of excellent form last summer notching up several victories and placed efforts and he’s struggled a little of late now rated in the 70’s bracket. He’s not been disgraced in two strong looking races than this and he’s dropped 2lbs for his last run so he could return to form here. 5lbs higher than his last winning mark but his yard have a 12% strike rate here and he can’t be discounted. Stall 8 makes life very difficult.

3 POWERFUL DREAM – Has been in good heart recently with a victory and a second in her last two starts. She’s only been put up 2lbs for her latest effort and that still leaves her well-treated based on old form. The cheekpieces are clearly bringing out lots of improvement in her and they’re left on again today. Yard have been slightly out of form of late but she’s likely to be popular in the betting.

4 CHINA EXCELS – Oldest runner in the field and Mandy Rowland’s gelding looks up against it here. He completed a double early last year which included a victory over C&D but he paid a heavy price for those successes and arrives here 2lbs higher than his last winning mark. That’s left him on a near-career high mark and others make more appeal here.

5 TEMPLE ROAD – Has held his form well of late with a string of competitive efforts in this grade. He’s paid the price for his consistency and he remains on a mark of 67 which leaves him 7lbs higher than his last success. Should run well again and use of a 7lb claimer will help but others make more appeal.

6 VALE OF FLIGHT – Unexposed sort and she’s been dropped 3lbs for a poor effort at Kempton over 6 furlongs last time out. That was in a weaker grade than this and she will certainly find this tougher but she did win off just 3lbs lower last September. Drop down in trip is a positive but others make more appeal now facing better opponents.

7 GROUNDWORKER – Sole success in the past year came at Newcastle over 5 furlongs in Class 6 company and he’s 4lbs higher than that mark here. There has been plenty of money around for him on his last couple of starts and he wasn’t beaten that far off a seasonal break at Newcastle last time out so he has claims. This is a step up to Class 5 company and others are more appealing here. Trainer has a very poor 3% strike rate here.

8 MONSIEUR PADDY – Lightly-raced 4yo who only makes his fifth start today for the Tony Carroll yard. He won a maiden at Newcastle over 5 furlongs and he showed good speed that day and had progressed a big amount. He’s run to a fair level in two handicaps and was only 2 1/2 lengths behind Compton Prince which isn’t terrible form. He steps up in grade here but is dropped 2lbs which should make life slightly easier.