Change in form at Wolverhampton

Named after a God in Roman Mythology I’m expecting Vertumnus to change his form in the 19.25 at Wolverhampton just like his namesake did.

A young 4yo foaled in May, Vertumnus is lightly raced and there are reasons to expect some improvement. In his last two runs he has looked green, pulling very hard at Lingfield, so much that it warranted a change in tactics at Kempton where he was sent on to make the running. That didn’t seem to do the trick either, he held his head very high and was lugging left in the straight. Despite all this he ran two fair races and wasn’t beaten that far.

The chances are he is a bit of a tricky customer but Nick Littmoden is a canny trainer and if he can straighten him out he could pick up a weak race such as this. Drawn out wide in stall 13 he can be dropped in to help him settle and like yesterday’s winning selection the jockey on board is an apprentice in form, Ryan Clark is 6-29 this January with a 21% strike rate.

Duke of Rainford and Bluebok are the dangers at the head of the market but the former will need another inspired ride to come from behind in stall 1 and the latter is an infrequent winner on the AW (2-42). At the prices both should be taken on.