4.55pm Wolverhampton Tips & Betting Preview 30/03/2017

This is a tricky handicap over an extended mile, see our betting tips and the full race preview below.

IN SUMMARY: This is a competitive affair and CASTILO DEL DIABLO can finally take advantage of a falling mark and return to winning ways. His trainer does well here and the 1m 4f test should be ideal for him off this mark and he gets the vote. Ravens Quest should run another good race off a fair mark whilst Viewpoint is one to watch out for in the betting off a long break.

1 PRECISION FIVE – Completed a double over hurdles in August last year so it’s a small surprise to see her brought back to the flat under her new trainer, Nick Lampard. She was pulled up last time out in a weaker contest than this back in February and it’s difficult to imagine a huge reversal in form off the same mark today. Best watched in this off top-weight.

2 CASTILO DEL DIABLO – He remains on a long losing run and you need to go back to March 2014 for his last victory. However, the handicapper has finally begun to show some leniency in recent months and he’s finally falling to a more workable mark and Jamie Spencer retakes the ride which is an eye-catching booking for a yard with an excellent 18% strike rate here. He could be well-weighted to win this and the trip should be ideal.

3 VIEWPOINT – Returns off a 242-day break following some below par efforts on the turf towards the middle of last summer. He is now 4lbs lower than his last winning mark but that came in a seller and his overall profile suggests he’s got to produce something of a career best to win this. He’s drawn in stall 2 which is ideal but he may just need this although any market support would be positive.

4 LEXINGTON LAW – Alan King sent out a handicap winner on the flat earlier this week and he runs a very lightly-raced 4yo here. He’s without a win in six starts but he’s got some good placed efforts to his name in turf maidens over this trip and slightly shorter. His fitness will be much better today than it was on his first run back when sent over hurdles back in February and he’s one to watch closely here. Interesting.

5 BYRES ROAD – Steps up in grade today following several defeats in Class 4 company. His last victory came in Class 5 company when he exploited a falling mark and the handicapper has been unrelenting since, handing him a mark of 81 today. He’s only scored twice in 16 races and others make much more appeal although his trainer is in red hot form of late (21% strike rate).

6 RENFREW STREET – Second runner in this for Mark Johnston and this filly struggled badly in handicaps at the back end of last year. She was last of 8 at Newcastle in October and returns to action here off just 2lbs lower which leaves her 6lbs higher than her last winning mark. She should progress again this season but she’s probably one for back on the turf in a lower grade.

7 THE GAY CAVALIER – Hasn’t been in the same vein of form since beginning his winter campaign with several defeats in much weaker company than this. He looked sluggish in a claimer last time out at Lingfield and he could never get in contention so it’s difficult to imagine he’ll be competitive here given he’s wrong at the weights with a few of these. Connections use the aid of a 7lb claimer to try and ease some of that burden.

8 RAVENS QUEST – Second runner for John Ryan here and he won a similar contest to this over C&D in a weaker grade in February. He won that quite comfortably although he couldn’t defy a 5lb rise and the extra distance on his next start earlier this month. He should be more suited by today’s 1m 4f and he receives the weight-for-age allowance which should help him. Respected in this and he could be well-treated.

9 SHAMASH – Trainer has a 25% strike rate here (3 winners from 12 runners) and he recorded one of those victories with this runner last Friday. He took advantage of a low mark but he couldn’t follow that up on Tuesday when just outgunned by Monjeni in a small-runner event over 1m 6f. He’ll be bettered suited by this drop back in trip but this is a much tougher race than anything he’s faced to date at Wolverhampton and he looks up against it. Paul Hanagan does have an excellent 26% strike rate at Wolverhampton though.