Masters of manipulation: Michael Easterby and Ralph Beckett

With top rated Storm Lightning and Burren View Lady winning at 8-1 and 9-2 respectively on Wednesdays Wolverhampton card, it's a pity that the percentage call went to UNEX MICHELANGELO whom I was keen to back after the fascicle victory earlier in the week.

So keen was I to get the best price, I sat from 5:30 the evening before refreshing the odds in my browser which showed SP until 6:15. I even took the unprecedented step of going on 'Chat' at 6:00 to ask why prices for a handicap that were usually published at 5:30 had failed to materialised. At 6:15 I was rewarded at 2-1.

My one fear was whether the step back in trip was to be UNEX MICHELANGELO's undoing and sure enough the selection had difficulty in holding its position and was being scrubbed along until coming around the home turn where it made stealthy headway and started to grind down those ahead.

Unfortunately Quintet was doing the same. As the two well handicapped horses pulled away from the remainder of the field I couldn't help but feel there was some irony in Quintet prevailing.

Michael Easterby had manipulated UNEX MICHELANGELO's official rating down from 99 to 59 running it over a variety of trips in company it didn't belong in. Ralph Beckett had manipulated Quintet's official rating by equally measure. 3 maiden runs over 7f in Class 4 and Class 5, beaten 11.5 lengths, 4.25 lengths and 21 lengths. Given an official rating of 63, it sprouts wings first time up in a Handicap.

It will be interesting to see what the Handicapper now makes of the pair of them!