Timeform UK SmartPlays: Thursday January 17

Today's three bets are at Wolverhampton.

Wolverhampton's evening card features heavily in Thursday's SmartPlays, with all three selections running at Dunstall Park...

The Reg Hollinshead-trained Sewn Up sets a fair standard in the maiden at 17:30 but he has had plenty of chances, having taken to the track on seven occasions, and is yet to muster a win so we can feel fairly secure in taking him on. The once-raced pair of Black Rider and Iggy appear the ones to focus on with marginal preference for the latter, who made a promising start at this venue a fortnight ago when chasing home the John Hills-trained Testa Rossa, hitting the front a furlong out only to be run down inside the final 100 yards. The three-year-old is entitled to progress on the back of that and looks capable of taking this event. 

Wolverhampton's following contest sees our second selection, Misleading Promise, head to post in what looks a fairly weak race. The John Butler-trained three-year-old is arguably unfortunate not to have won by now as circumstances have transpired somewhat against him on his last two starts, having to weave his way through at Kempton in December before making his effort earlier than ideal at this venue later that month. He looks well up to winning this, despite having gone up 5 lb in the handicap for his latest outing, and really ought to get off the mark here. 

The 19:00 is a touch more competitive, with it actually being fairly difficult to rule anything out completely, but Knowe Head shaped well when finding only subsequent Sandstormers entrant Saoi too good over C&D a week ago and can atone for that reversal here. He lost nothing in defeat against an unexposed rival that day, catching the eye with a sharp turn of foot off a steady pace to go from last to first in the space of a furlong before being worn down, and he is of definite interest here racing from the same mark. 

Timeform SmartPlays
All at Wolverhampton
Back Iggy @ 4.1n/a in the 17:30
Back Misleading Promise @ 3.8514/5 in the 18:00
Back Knowe Head @ 5.14/1 in the 19:00

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