Placepot Pointers: Ballycallan Fame looks the banker at Warwick on Wednesday

The weather may have threatened to scupper Wednesday’s card at Warwick but we have the go ahead with the Listed Lady Protectoress Chase the feature of the day.

That comes up fifth on the card, but for those playing the Placepot, they’ll have to solve the puzzles that precede it to win a share of the pot.

Thankfully, anyone who only makes it as far as the first leg has Tote’s Placepot Insurance to look forward to with, money back, up to £10, if your bet goes down in the first race! T&Cs apply.

Read on for the pointers you need for Warwick’s card.

Chester Williams has certainly made his trips to Warwick worthwhile this season, with three wins and a place from his four rides at the track. He makes the journey on Wednesday, for a solitary ride today aboard ADMIRAL BALKO in the opener (12:55).

He takes on a trio of previous winners, but because of that, he gets 6lb from them, plus Williams’ 5lb claim. That puts him in a pretty good spot, based on his encouraging second on debut behind a subsequent handicap winner. With the expected progress here, he could threaten the top three getting plenty of weight.

With Tote’s Placepot Insurance, should he fail to do that, players can sit back safe in the knowledge that they’ll get their stake back and have plenty of time to get involved again in the Quadpot starting at 14:00.

Nicky Henderson’s newcomer My Whirlwind (Leg 3 - 14:00) will be popular thanks to her lofty price tag and the fact that it was JP McManus that snapped her up. However, she’s not raced since her point to point victory nearly two years ago, so it remains to be seen what sort of level she is.

BALLYCAllAN FAME was a huge price when winning on her first start for Nick Kent, but there doesn’t look to be a fluke about it, with the horse 38 lengths in third winning next time out. She must carry a penalty for that win, but Charlie Hammond’s 3lb claim negotiates some of that. She drew clear impressively that day at Wetherby, and if in the same mood on Wednesday might be hard to beat.

If they all stand their ground in the second race of the day (13:30), there will be four places up for grabs for Placepot players. Laura Morgan’s OVERWORKEDUNDERPAID is a solid chance to take one of those spot, but for those favouring a more speculative approach, FLIGHT TO NOWHERE is worth considering.

She showed modest form over hurdles, but a drop in her rating for a switch to fences seems to have brought about a bit of improvement. Mixing it against the likes of Eldorado Allen and Le Patriote was always going to be beyond her, but she plugged on well for second here on her next start over fences. Off the same mark of 85, if handling the step up in trip, she could be a dark horse to make the frame.

The feature race of the day (Leg 5 - 15:05) looks a tight little affair with a chance given to all five mares lining up in the Lady Protectoress Chase. Annie Mc bounced back to form with a victory last time out and is yet to be defeated over fences against her own sex. It remains to be seen whether she can back that up here though.

Happy Diva is another who has done well in this kind of contests, and this race in particular, although she has been a little below par in her three runs this season.

A chance is taken on Nigel Twiston Davies’ ZAMBELLA who has thrived for a switch to fences, winning three on the bounce. She has work to do with Annie Mc on a line through Cut The Mustard and Midnightreferendum, but is clearly on the up and has the benefit of a course and distance success to her name. If she squeaks into the first two, we’ll be losing a good chunk of the pool.

Leg 1: Admiral Balko

Leg 2: Overworkedunderpaid, Flight To Nowhere

Leg 3: Ballycadam Flame

Leg 4: Volcano, Another Emotion

Leg 5: Zambella

Leg 6: Undersupervision, Shah An Shah

1 x 2 x 1 x 2 x 1 x 2 = 8 lines