SOMEWHAT surprisingly, as it's the heart of the National Hunt season, the second most valuable race of the day takes place on the Flat at Wolverhampton.

Eight runners line up for the extended nine-furlong £18,000 Betdirect Freephone Handicap, a contest in which two raiders from our region, Boo and Mizz Tee, could well fight out the finish.

According to the majority of available speed ratings there is precious little to choose between the pair, although I just give the nod to Mizz Tee (3.10) on account of her excellent rail draw in stall one.

Tim Easterby's representative is perfectly positioned on the inside to hit the gates running, a manoeuvre which will enable the filly to take maximum advantage of the fact that hers is the shortest route from A to B on the ultra-tight, oval-shaped, all-weather circuit.

Mizz Tee's form stacks up nicely in the context of this afternoon's encounter. She won well at Lingfield in November, then followed up shortly afterwards with an excellent third placing in better company over track and trip.

The daughter of Orpen also has the services of Duran Fentiman to do the steering, a highly-promising young apprentice with a tactically astute brain, plus a handy 5lbs allowance.

Potentially her main challenger, Boo, did nothing wrong for Middleham ace Karl Burke by landing a mini-gamble from 14s to 7-1 when collecting over course and distance exactly three weeks ago.

It was a cracking effort by Boo, a performance that merits the three-year-old worthy of an each-way saver in case Mizz Tee fluffs her lines.

* Ferdy Murphy does not expect Leading Man to cause an upset in a competitive renewal of the Unicoin Homes ''Dipper'' Novices' Chase at Cheltenham tomorrow.

Although the Middleham handler thinks a lot of the five-year-old gelding, he is well aware of the task facing him against six talented rivals, including Robert Alner's The Listener.

Leading Man was third on his chasing debut but easily despatched Julius Caesar at Wetherby over three miles and a furlong last month.

He steps back four furlongs in trip at Prestbury Park and Murphy said: ''He won very well at Wetherby the other day and probably wants further, although his owner would like to get some Cheltenham experience into him.

''He is a very nice horse. We are stepping him up in class for experience and I don't think he will be upsetting anyone here.''

The Listener is the likely favourite for the Grade Two event.

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