Wolverhampton Preview: Glorious chance for Dancer

Glorious Dancer ran a cracker when runner-up on handicap debut and can go one better to open his account in the 7f contest the opens proceeding’s on today’s card at Wolverhampton (4.15).
The Ed Walker trained colt had three quick runs to get a qualifying mark and shaped with bags of promise on the last of those when fifth of eight to Bonfire Heart over 6f at Lingfield.

After being held up in the rear, the son of Royal Applause made good headway on the outside two from home and ran on strongly to be beaten 2 3/4 lengths without ever quite threatening to get to the leaders.

To me he finished with running left in him in a race which didn’t pan out ideally, and it was an effort which suggested he needed keeping onside when going handicapping.

That view was confirmed on his debut in that sphere last time out over 7f at Lingfield when Glorious Dancer finished second of 12 to Star Of The Stage off an opening mark of 64.

The three-year-old was forced to race wide and allowed the winner to get first run before staying on well to be beaten 1 3/4 lengths.

Glorious Dancer gets into this off an unchanged mark, and with further progress to come looks the one they all have to beat.

In the 1m 1f handicap (5.45), Kindlelight Storm can take advantage of a drop in the weights to land the spoils.

The Nick Littmoden trained gelding rattled up a four-timer at the track last year over today’s trip of 1m 1f on the old polytrack surface, and in the last of those successes beat Yourinthewill by a neck off a mark of 68 in a class 5 contest.

The five-year-old now gets into this lower grade class 6 affair off 4lb lower, having caught the eye in no uncertain fashion when a never nearer fourth of nine to Brave Decision in a claimer at Lingfield five days ago.

Kindlelight Storm was held-up well off the pace and after being forced to make a move out wide kept on under tender handling to be beaten just 1 1/2 lengths.

It was an effort which suggested his time was near, and the return to this venue where his handler has a 22.5% strike rate over the last 12 months looks sure to suit the son of Stormy Atlantic.