Wolverhampton Preview: The time is right for Ninety Minutes

Trainer John Best has his team in good form and the well-treated Ninety Minutes can provide him with another winner in 1m 1f handicap at Wolverhampton today (5.10).
The gelding had some useful for to his name as a juvenile, finishing fifth of 16 to subsequent Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up Shifting Power on debut before going on to land a 7f maiden at Kempton in good style.

Ninety Minutes was allotted an opening handicap mark of 76 on the back of those runs, and went on to post a couple of solid efforts last year when fourth off ratings of 71 and 69.
The four-year-old’s form then tailed off, but his mark has fallen as a result and Ninety Mintues is now able to race off a career-low of just 57.

That’s gives the son of Oratorio a huge chance at the weights, and Ninety Minutes comes into the contest on the back of an eye-catching run last time out when staying on from an uncompromising position to finish fifth of 11 to Attain at Lingfield.

That effort suggested he was coming back to form, and if Ninety Minutes can build on it he looks weighted to take all the beating in the hands of Kieron Fox for a yard that has had three winners and three placed from its last 10 runners.

Rocket Ronnie is another that has become dangerously well-treated and can take advantage to land the 7f handicap earlier on the card (3.40).

The gelding was a three-time winner in 2013 when trained by Dandy Nicholls, with the last of those successes coming at Beverley when trouncing Red Charmer by seven lengths off a mark of 74.
The five-year-old got put up to 84 for that runaway success, and failed to trouble the judged in his next eight starts.

However, that resulted in Rocket Ronnie’s mark falling and the is now able to race in this off 70.

That is 4lb lower than when last successful and gives Rocket Ronnie, who is now in the care of Ed McMahon, a massive chance from a handicapping perspective.

Selections:
2.40: Smidgen
3.10: Dark Side Dream
3.40: Rocket Ronnie (NB)
4.10: Dialogue
4.40: Belle Dormant
5.10: Ninety Minutes (NAP)
5.40: Subcontinent