Wednesday Racing Tips: Artisan Dancer can go one better

There are six cards set to take place across Britain and Ireland on a busy Wednesday, with afternoon meetings from Ayr, Ludlow, Lingfield and Newbury, while the evening all-weather cards feature racing on the Polytrack from Kempton and Dundalk.

We have a trio of selections that include an in-form Johnston runner in the hands and heels apprentice contest that kicks off the card at Lingfield. and two other bets from across the day’s action.

11:30 Lingfield - Artisan Dancer @ 6/4

Talented apprentices can be worth their weight in gold in apprentice races, particularly in “Hands and Heels” races and Archie Young has made a really bright start to his career with nine winners from 72 rides already this season. He rides Artisan Dancer for Charlie Johnston in Lingfield’s opener.

Artisan Dancer rattled off a hat-trick on a variety of all-weather surfaces earlier this year, including a course and distance success to end that sequence.

Now a stone higher than when he started that winning run, he’s clearly not as well handicapped as he was in August, but he’s been knocking on the door again in recent starts, beaten a length or less in each of his last three outings.

The latest of those came when beaten just under a length over course and distance and he did well to finish as close as he did, having raced keenly in the early stages of that race. He had excuses on his penultimate run too, when racing too wide around the tight turns of Wolverhampton.

He’s not usually keen in his races, so it’s probably worth forgiving that latest run and with plenty of pace in this contest with Alpine Stroll and Dark Mystery both out-and-out frontrunners, he should be able to drop in from the widest draw (7) and track the pace.

14:00 Newbury - Pink Legend @ 4/1

Over at Newbury, Pink Legend could be a viable alternative to short-priced favourite Galia Des Liteaux (4/6) in the Listed contest on the card.

She was admittedly disappointing on this season’s reappearance at Aintree earlier in the month, but she posted a similar effort last season before a much better run at Listed level at Doncaster.

The mare went on to win three times that season, including over a similar trip to this in Listed company at Perth at the end of the season, and she can get back on track stepping back up in trip in her bid for an eighth win over fences.

14:20 Lingfield - Waleyfa e/w @ 25/1

Later on the card at Lingfield, Waleyfa may be worth supporting at an each-way price.

She was a 15-race maiden when joining Alice Haynes at the beginning of the year, but made a highly encouraging start for her new yard, winning three of her first four outings, all of those coming on all-weather surfaces (including a course and distance success).

After a summer break, the mare came on from her return when beaten only a neck at Wolverhampton and she’s had excuses twice since, struggling to come off a slow pace over course and distance on her penultimate run, before having very little chance after the late removal of her blindfold at Wolverhampton last time out.

She’s now 1lb below her last winning mark and could go well with a hood fitted for the first time.