Wedge eager to make up for lost time at Southwell

Adam Wedge returns to the saddle at Southwell on Monday having been forced to sit out the last three weeks after receiving a ban for erroneously bypassing a fence at Exeter on New Year’s Day.

Wedge was “devastated” after steering odds-on favourite Report To Base around the third-last fence, having mistakenly thought it was not to be jumped on a day several obstacles had been omitted, and was banned for 21-days by the stewards.

He returns on Monbeg Oscar (3.00) and Golden Whisky (3.35), who are trained by boss Evan Williams for owners William and Angela Rucker, the same connections as Report To Base.

“I’m very eager to get going again,” Wedge said on Sunday. “I’ve been riding out, keeping my head down and working away. We’re in the middle of the season so I wanted to keep riding out and keep my contacts in place.”

Wedge, who has ridden 18 winners this season, received plenty of support after his mistake and is looking forward to returning to the course on Monday.

He said: “I’ve had a lot of support and the support people gave me at the start helped a lot, as that’s when you really beat yourself up. It’s not something I want to be doing again and you’re learning all the time in this job, but it was just one of those things that happens.

“They’re two nice horses I’m riding at Southwell, so we’ll see how we go. Mr and Mrs Rucker are great owners and I appreciate them sticking with me.”

Arcanada bids to book Good Friday place

Tom Dascombe is looking to bolster his team for All-Weather Championships finals day with Arcanada taking his next step towards Good Friday at Wolverhampton's twilight fixture.

A winner at Lingfield on his last two starts, Arcanada will qualify for the March 30 showpiece with a third outing of the season in the four-runner sunbets.co.uk Conditions Stakes (6.15).

Dascombe, who saw leading fancy Kachy book his place for the Betway Sprint Final with victory in the Listed fast-track qualifier at Lingfield on Saturday, has found a good opportunity for Arcanada to enhance his excellent record on the all-weather.

Arcanada, pictured scoring at York in 2016, bids for a hat-trick at Lingfield

"We decided to go for this race rather than the Winter Derby Trial and it has cut up," he said. "Mr Simcock's horse [Mr Owen] looks to be the main danger but he's got to give us 3lb, which will help.

"It's 100 yards further than he has run over before but that shouldn't be a problem, and although Wolverhampton is a hugely different track to Lingfield, I don't see any reason why he can't handle it. We've got to get through this race but the Mile on finals day would be the plan."

The penalised Mr Owen comes into the 1m½f contest, worth £19,000, off the back of victory in a Listed race at Deauville in December.

Richard Fahey stable stalwart Gabrial, who has finished behind Arcanada on his last two starts, and the first-time gelded First Selection complete the quartet.

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