Hugh Taylor

Published 9.05, 9.11 - all selections online

FUSEBOARD looks just the type that his yard does well with and he looks by some way the most interesting runner, both from a short-term and long-term perspective, in the 5f classified event at Wolverhampton (5.40).

He didn’t show a great amount in his four qualifying starts over the winter (wasn’t given a mark after his third run), having been sent off at 250-1, and he was subsequently gelded and had wind surgery.

Making his reappearance and handicap debut over 7f at Lingfield in May and again unfancied in the market, he received a couple of bumps at the start, but soon led and went with plenty of zest. He was still two or three lengths clear turning for home before weakening into fourth.

He was beaten far enough for the handicapper to drop him a couple of pounds from his mark of 51, thus making him eligible for classified events. His profile reminds me a little of that of the stable’s prolific winner Law Of Average, who romped home on his handicap debut dropped to 5f having raced over 7f on his previous start, and down in trip and grade Fuseboard might prove a different proposition today.

KINGSTON SUNFLOWER is a nine-year-old now, but he might be another Wolverhampton winner for the Fergal O’Brien/Gina Mangan team in the 1m6f handicap tonight (8.40) after shaping with conspicuous promise on his previous start for the yard over the same course and distance last September.

Initially joining the O’Brien stable from France prior to the 2022 season, he didn’t run on the Flat that year, but recorded a hat-trick of hurdles before joining another yard.

He produced some creditable placed efforts on the Flat but was then off for 449 days before rejoining O’Brien prior to that latest Flat run here.

He was a bit keen in the early stages that day but made a sweeping move to lead 5f out, and she looked set to be a big player when still disputing the lead and going well 2f out, before weakening into sixth in the straight, her long absence perhaps taking its toll in terms of fitness.

He then reverted to hurdles, winning his next two starts, and he ran creditably at Market Rasen last time when a close last of four in a class 4 event on his second start back from a break.

He runs off the basement mark here, and although this looks a competitive event for the grade, with a couple of three-year-olds from good yards getting the weight-for-age allowance along with a couple of prolific all-weather performers amongst the older horses, Kingston Sunflower still looks an interesting runner as he bids to add to the O’Brien/Mangan combination’s record of six winners from 17 runners at Wolverhampton.

HUGH'S BEST BETS (scale 1-5 points)

5.40 WOLVERHAMPTON

2pts win FUSEBOARD (11-4 & 5-2 general)

8.40 WOLVERHAMPTON

1pt win KINGSTON SUNFLOWER (13-2 Betfred, Betfair Sportsbook, Paddy Power, 6-1 general)

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