Wolverhampton preview: Coillte Cailin can collect under Kirby

David Metcalf | November 10, 2015

Coillte Cailin is on a handy mark at presenet and looks the answer to the 1m 1f handicap on today’s twilight card at Wolverhampton now reunited with jockey Adam Kirby (17.10).

Coillte has credentials

The Mark Loughnane trained mare is a three-time course and distance winner, with the last of those successes coming back February where she ran on strongly to score by a length under Kirby off a mark of 73.

Coillte Cailin backed that up with a solid two length third over course and distance in a class 3 contest off 77, and is now able to race in this lower grade class 4 affair off 75. That gives the five-year-old every chance from a handicapping perspective, and the daughter of Oratario comes into the contest on the back of two eye-catching efforts.

In the first of those over course and distance when ridden by Kirby, Coiltte Calain got denied a clear run at a crucial stage when making headway from the rear to be beaten just 1 1/4 lengths into sixth behind Ambleside.

Granted a clear passage there is little doubt that she would have gone close to landing the spoils, and Coillte Cailin backed that with a staying on sixth over 1m 4f at this venue last time out in the hands of Franny Norton when unsuited by a slow early pace.

Bravo on perfect pick

Those runs suggest that Coillte Cailin’s time is near, and the drop back down in trip is sure to suit. Another plus is that Kirby is now back in the plate, and everything looks in place for a huge run. In the 1m 5f apprentice handicap that opens proceedings (16.10), El Bravo looks decent value to cash-in on a career-low mark and score an overdue success.