Wolverhampton Racecourse will host a nine-race Flat card on the all-weather track on Friday, October 2, with racing scheduled from 1:31 PM to 5:55 PM. The programme features contests across distances from five furlongs to one mile and four furlongs, with races for horses aged two years and upwards.
The opening race at 1:31 PM is a Class 6 Apprentice Handicap Stakes over one mile, four furlongs and 51 yards. The contest is for three-year-olds and upwards and carries a total prize of £6,200, with horses rated between 46 and 55. The race will begin the afternoon’s programme with a test over the longer distance.
At 2:06 PM, two-year-olds will line up for the Rockspur CIC EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes, a Class 5 contest over five furlongs and 21 yards. The race carries £8,000 in prize money and is restricted to horses in Bands C and D, while also serving as an EBF Restricted Race Qualifier. The contest will provide an opportunity for the younger runners to gain experience over the short all-weather trip.
The third race at 2:41 PM is the Fillies’ Novice Stakes, a Class 4 contest for three-year-olds and upwards. The race will be run over six furlongs and 20 yards and carries a total prize of £10,000. The field will feature fillies competing over a sprint distance, with the contest offering another opportunity for runners to progress through the novice ranks.
The first division of the Franklin Hodge Handicap Stakes will take place at 3:16 PM. This Class 5 race covers six furlongs and 20 yards and is open to horses aged three years and upwards. The contest carries £7,600 and is for horses rated between 51 and 70. The second division will follow at 3:51 PM under the same conditions, with another field competing over the same six-furlong distance for the same £7,600 prize.
The 4:25 PM race is the Nuvo Audit Handicap Stakes, a Class 4 contest over one mile, four furlongs and 51 yards. Open to three-year-olds and upwards rated between 66 and 85, the race carries £10,000 in total prize money. The longer distance will provide a different test from the sprint contests earlier on the card.
At 4:55 PM, the Appleby Mall Accountants Handicap Stakes will be contested over seven furlongs and 36 yards. The Class 5 race is for horses aged four years and upwards and carries £7,600 in prize money, with runners rated between 56 and 75. The field will face another tactical test around the Wolverhampton all-weather circuit.
The eighth race at 5:25 PM is the Fillies’ Handicap Stakes, a Class 4 contest over one mile and 142 yards. Open to three-year-olds and upwards rated between 66 and 85, the race carries a total prize of £10,000. The extended mile distance will test the runners’ ability to maintain their pace through the closing stages.
The day’s programme will conclude at 5:55 PM with the Position Payout Handicap Stakes, a Class 6 contest over five furlongs and 21 yards. The race is open to three-year-olds and upwards rated between 46 and 55 and carries £6,200 in prize money. The final sprint will bring the nine-race Wolverhampton card to a close.
The October 2 programme offers a varied all-weather schedule, with sprint, middle-distance and staying contests spread across nine races. The card also includes separate divisions of the Franklin Hodge Handicap Stakes and several races carrying £10,000 in prize money.
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