Wednesday Wager: see our tips for this week's free game

A mark of 76 may well underestimate WILD DAHLIA and she can click on her debut in handicap company. She only scrambled home when odds-on to land a novice event at Chelmsford last time, but she did well to win at all as she pounced from off the pace in a race run at a crawl. 

Her debut effort behind Inis Mor (now rated 97) at Newmarket looks solid and her pedigree does point to the all-weather showing her in a better light. 

Previous is the obvious threat after a convincing win on her handicap bow at Southwell this month, but she’s been hiked up 9lb in the ratings. 

The old boy of the field, LOVE YOUR WORK, is closing in on 100 races and prize money of £100,000. However, he retains plenty of zest and someone had evidently “today’s the day” in his ear before his run here at the start of the month because he landed something of a gamble in good style. 

Love York Work has been pushed up 4lb in the ratings but remains lower than when scoring at Chelmsford in the spring. He’s got a good draw in stall 2 and, if in the same kind of form last time, can follow up. The early 11-2 on offer looks generous.

Waistcoat looks the main danger after his fast finishing second here 12 days ago, but he is habitually held up and that’s not for the first time he has got going a bit too late. 

This is competitive, even with the progressive filly Sky Safari having been scratched since the final declarations were made. 

LOCAL HERO’s record here stands close inspection, including when beaten a head by Sky Safari in the £80,000 London Mile Series Final Handicap here last time. 

He’s up 4lb for that effort but is still 1lb lower than when touched off by Mount Athos in another good race here at the end of March. I also like the fact that the trip course winner usually races handily, as there does seem a huge amount of pace signed up here. 

Cogitate indicated his turn was close when touched off here at the start of the month. Fingers got burnt that day and it will be interesting to see if more money arrives for him. 

My first instinct was to stick with Synergism, a typical Sir Mark Prescott improver who has soared 30lb in the ratings this year. Two of his five wins this term have come at this track and he was a creditable fifth in the Mallard at Doncaster last time, when looking for a return to this 2m trip. 

However, he’s disputing favouritism, whereas we can get a double-figure price about DUKE OF OXFORD. Those odds are too big to resist about a smart horse who boasts four wins over course and distance, plus is only 1lb higher than when last successful. 

He’s been well held on his past two starts, but we can put a line through his penultimate effort in the Chester Cup – he’s nowhere near so good on turf – and maybe he had an issue when disappointing in the Northumberland Plate under a 7lb claimer last time. Duke Of Oxford has since had a break and he has run well fresh in the past. If he’s back in the groove, he should make his presence felt. 

The race that may hold the key to this contest is the 7f handicap run here three weeks ago, when Kit Gabriel made all with Jersey Maverick (fourth) and King Of Ithaca (five) among the support cast. 

This trio meet again and strictly speaking, Kit Gabriel is weighted to come out again as he’s only 4lb higher in the weights. However, it may not be that straightforward as he’s not the most prolific and the cards fell his way that day. 

I’m going to take a chance on KING OF ITHICA turning the tables because he was returning from four months off and was far too fresh, pulling his jockeys arm out for the bulk of the journey. In the circumstances, he did well to stick on and be beaten under four lengths. 

Billy Loughnane now takes over on him and hopefully King Of Ithica will channel his energy better this time.