Perfect Practice looks made to measure for Wolverhampton punters today as she bids to regain the winning thread in the Family Are Off To Pontin's Fillies' Handicap.

Trained by Clive Cox, this improving daughter of the top-class Medicean stands out in what looks a winnable race after running with great credit on her two most recent appearances.

Having won at Kempton near the start of the month, Perfect Practice went on to finish a close up third in a similar event, in which she finished strongly.

This slight step up in trip therefore looks ideal and a bold bid is in the offing.

The Horizons Restaurant Claiming Stakes is an unusually interesting and competitive event for the grade and the money can go the way of Harbour Blues.

While a solid case can be made for at least four of the field, this Tony Carroll-trained three-year-old gets the nod by virtue of his most impressive performance having come over course and distance.

Dickie Le Davoir is taken to land his third success in five starts in the Southwell-Racecourse.co.uk Claiming Stakes at the all-weather venue tomorrow.

Trained by Karl Burke, pictured, the four-year-old has been doing well at this level recently, bossing weaker opponents and showing a positive attitude when push comes to shove.

Having won over course and distance near the start of the month, Dickie Le Davoir was pitched back into handicap company but came up short behind some progressive horses in a much stronger event.

Burke has wisely dropped his money-spinning gelding back to claiming grade and another triumph looks on the cards on terms that give him every chance.

It is no secret how important course form at Southwell is, since some horses take instantly to the unique surface and achieve a good deal more on it than on any other.

Dado Mush has been a case in point, winning four straight races here and shooting up 24lb in the weights in less than two months.

With the winning run still uninterrupted, many will be loath to take on the five-year-old in the Southwell Racecourse For Conferences Handicap.

But fortune favours the brave, especially in the betting ring, and David Arbuthnot's Sophia Gardens is fancied to inflict an irregular defeat on Dado Mush.

The selection looked a potential sequence-builder herself when outpointing a solid yardstick on her first visit to the track in December.

Having stayed on powerfully over a furlong shorter last time, Sophia Gardens should love the one-mile trip and will be hard to beat in receipt of considerable weight from Dado Mush.

It was a weak event Hits Only Jude won over course and distance seven days ago, but Paul Blockley's charge is another open to stacks of improvement on this surface.

Carrying a penalty in a very competitive race will not be easy but it would be folly to overlook a recent ten-length winner, who seems sure to be hit hard in the ratings in the near future.


Racing selections

Wolverhampton (today)
2.10 Crimson Fern, 2.40 Harbour Blues, 3.10 Perfect Practice (NAP), 3.40 Machinate, 4.10 Methaaly, 4.40 Kibitzer, 5.10 Fenners.

Today's other meetings:
Kempton and Ludlow.

Southwell (tomorrow)
1.30 Hora, 2.00 Dickie Le Davoir (NAP), 2.30 Hits Only Jude, 3.00 Kanisorn, 3.30 Cerebus, 4.00 Benedict Spirit, 4.30 Sophia Gardens.

Tomorrow's other meetings:
Folkestone and Taunton.