Wolverhampton (AW), Monday 18 May 2026: Evening Tips

Wolverhampton (AW), Monday 18 May 2026: Evening Tips

A seven-race card at Wolves on a Monday evening, standard going on the Tapeta, and three races worth your attention. Novice form is notoriously tricky to unpack, but there are some clear angles here if you know where to look. The Gosden yard is firing at a solid 9/34 over the last fortnight, and Saeed bin Suroor’s runners have looked sharp lately at 2/4. Those two stats alone shape the card significantly.

6:30 — Cavani Menswear Style Novice Stakes (5f, GBB Race)

Selection: Agamemnon at 10/11 (Boyle Sports, Betfred)

Oisin Murphy takes the ride for Richard Hughes, and that combination alone commands respect. Agamemnon ran a sixth on debut but two-year-old debuts over five furlongs rarely tell the full story, and Hughes has been running at 6/30 over the past fortnight, a yard that clearly has horses ready to run. The market has him at odds-on and the price reflects confidence from connections.

Undercover Affair is the one to watch for the places. Two fourths from two runs, the Spotlight data notes he ran respectably both times and now switches to the Tapeta for the first time. David Evans runners on the all-weather can surprise, but the RPR of 82 is actually the highest in the field, which catches the eye. At 11/2, he might just edge out Bill The Bull for the runner-up spot.

American Psycho at 3/1 with Hollie Doyle is the obvious danger. A second on debut is solid and Archie Watson knows how to place juveniles. The gap between 10/11 and 3/1 feels about right though, and Agamemnon is the play at the top of the market.

7:00 — attheraces.com Restricted Novice Stakes (1m½f, GBB Race)

Selection: Mountain Cat at 4/9 (Boyle Sports, Betfred)

Yes, 4/9 is short. But Saeed bin Suroor’s yard is running at 2/4 over the last 14 days and that is a remarkable recent strike rate. Mountain Cat won on debut and Oisin Murphy keeps the ride, which tells you everything. When Murphy sticks around for a second outing, connections mean business.

Rogue Defence at 4/1 is the only credible danger. Also a winner on debut, trained by Jack Jones whose yard has been quiet at 0/11 recently. The Spotlight note on Roi De Coeur explicitly states that Rogue Defence holds Roi De Coeur on Lingfield form, so that lines up. The concern is whether Jones’s cold run in the last fortnight translates to this runner lacking fitness. Mountain Cat at the short price still looks the right call, even if a small stake is all the market warrants.

This is as close to a penalty kick as Monday evening Wolverhampton serves up.

7:30 — Sky Sports Fillies’ Handicap (1m½f)

Selection: City Queen Each-Way at 11/4 (Boyle Sports, Betfred)

Charlie Appleby’s yard is ticking over at 4/15 in the last 14 days, decent enough numbers for a yard that picks its spots carefully. City Queen has a form line of 5-221, meaning she has been progressive and won last time out. That recent winning run is crucial in a fillies’ handicap where improving three-year-olds hit the ground running at this time of year.

Symbol Of Majesty at 11/10 is the jolly, trained by Gosden and Robert Havlin in the saddle. Two wins from two runs, RPR of 92, and the yard is hot. You cannot dismiss her. But the market has priced City Queen at 11/4, and with the Gosden filly carrying 136lbs against City Queen’s 132lbs, that weight swing at this distance matters on Tapeta.

Morven at 13/2 is interesting for each-way backers. Ralph Beckett’s yard is running at 7/42, not a barn fire but not cold either. An RPR of 93 is actually the joint-highest in the field alongside City Queen’s 94. She was fifth, third, and first from her last three accessible form figures before a dash. She could make the places at a price.

City Queen each-way at 11/4, two places at 1/4 odds.

Today’s NAP