Trainer Ed Vaughan is hoping that Dance And Dance can gain a belated first victory of 2013 in the extended nine-furlong £45,000 Coral Mobile Handicap (6.50pm), highlight of a seven-race card at Wolverhampton on Saturday, December 14.
The seven-year-old, fifth in the Grade One Woodbine Mile in 2012, has produced a string of excellent efforts in defeat this year, including sixth in the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket in October and a never-nearer fourth in the Bunbury Cup on Newmarket's July Course earlier in the season.
On his latest start at Newmarket on November 2, Dance And Dance was hampered leaving the stalls before coming home down the field in a mile handicap. Andrea Atzeni partners the son of Royal Applause for the first time.
Vaughan commented: "Dance And Dance had a little freshen-up after he ran at Newmarket and we wanted to keep him going over the winter because of the improved prize money on the All-Weather.
"He has broken slowly in the past but the application of a hood in the stalls has helped him break a bit quicker. We tried him in blinkers but they made no difference to him. Ideally, I would like him to break nicely and get a box seat at a course like Wolverhampton.
"He was slowly into stride and hampered at Newmarket last time but his run in the Cambridgeshire was very good. Seek Again, who was fifth, has gone on to win a Grade One in America.
"Dance And Dance is as good as ever - he had a little blow-out this morning and I couldn't be happier with him. He is a different horse compared to his All-Weather form earlier in his career and you would like to think he can run well off his mark of 92.
"We will be looking at keeping running him over the coming months. There are some good conditions races over the winter and then Finals Day, so we will keep bashing away."
An excellent field of 13 for the Coral Mobile Handicap also includes the 2011 Lincoln winner Sweet Lightning, who is set to make his first start for David O'Meara.
Modernism (David Simcock) and Epic Battle (William Haggas) are bidding for hat-tricks on the All-Weather, while Irish raider Star Links (Shane Donohoe) andSolar Deity (Marco Botti) both scored decisively at Wolverhampton recently.
Marshgate Lane (Mark Johnston) and Spirit Of The Law (Richard Fahey) also head to Wolverhampton on the back of All-Weather wins at Lingfield Park.
Horses qualify for the six championship contests on the £1-million All-Weather Championships Finals Day (Good Friday) by winning a specified "Fast Track Qualifier" or running in a minimum of three races at Britain's All-Weather tracks - three owned by ARC, Lingfield Park, Southwell and Wolverhampton, and The Jockey Club's Kempton Park - between October 26 and April 12.
£45,000 Race Not Lost
Following the abandonment of racing at Lingfield Park yesterday (Wednesday, December 11) because of fog, the feature race on the card, the £45,000 Compare Bookmakers At bookmakers.co.uk Handicap (Class 2), will be run at 2.00pm during Lingfield Park's fixture on Wednesday, December 18.
The original entries will NOT stand and horses have to be entered by noon tomorrow (Friday, December 13). Declarations to run must be made by 10am on Monday, December 16.
Racing starts at noon and concludes at 3.40pm on December 18.
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