ON a Tuesday limited to all-weather racing, STEELCUT (Wolverhampton, 2.00) leads the way in the opener at Wolverhampton.

Only seven have been declared for the 5f dash but there is plenty of course form on show, with the selection a four-time winner at the west Midlands venue. All of those victories came during 2011, the latest achieved just after Christmas when he posted a career best effort on the artificial surface, finishing his race with a flourish to mug Griffin Point on the line. The time posted was decent for the grade and the fact they went a true gallop, teed things up nicely for the improving eight-year-old. He races off 68 today but was a winner at Chester last May off a higher mark, ran well in claimer on Thursday and is top-rated on my calculations.

CANADIAN DANEHILL's (Wolverhampton, 2.20) losing run stretches back to July of 2009 but he has been in excellent shape recently and can claim a deserved sevententh victory on Monday.

The winner of nearly £110,000 in prize money over a 10-year career finds himself seriously well handicapped on a mark of 50 and has been beaten a combined distance of just two and a half lengths on his last three outings. Short-headed at Southwell two runs ago when the line came just too soon, he made what looked like a winning move late on at Wolverhampton last time, only to be overhauled by a rampant Avonvalley. The veteran is clearly not the force of old but the eyeshields have rejuvenated his enthusiasm and he can see off an in-form Argentine.

FINGERS crossed that Sunday racing at Kempton avoids the snowy fate that befell Wolverhampton yesterday afternoon and EMERALD ROYAL (Kempton 2.05) gets his chance in a competitive opener.

The lightly-raced four-year-old is hardly a world beater but is finding his feet in 2012 and quickened in style for the grade over course and distance on Wednesday. He has previously bumped into on on-fire Daniel Thomas, slammed by seven lengths but showing a determined attitude to hold on to second place. He is going in the right direction and can hold his own in this slightly higher class.

GABRIAL'S BOUNTY (Kempton, 2.35) is another on an upward curve and clocked well when winning here 18 days ago. Franny Norton had to get serious with Mick Channon-trained inmate but when the response came, the result was never in doubt.

WITH the prospect of any jumps racing taking place on Saturday increasingly unlikely, I have generated speed figures for the all-weather with MCCOOL BANNANAS (Wolverhampton, 5.15) rated a bet in the day's finale.

The Shropshire-based four-year-old hasn't managed a win in 12 starts but can be counted unlucky not to have obliged at least once, particularly when short-headed here before Christmas. A little keen early on, he soon settled down and showed a fine change of gears when flying through a late gap only to be nabbed in the shadow of the post. The third home, Vanilla Rum, bolted up by six lengths next time and the selection again went close on Monday, hurtling home after trouble in running. He failed by a rapidly diminishing half-length.

FRESH from victory yesterday, PIPERS PIPING (Wolverhampton, 2.10) reappears in less than 24 hours and can make it a quick-fire brace on Friday.

The six-year-old has certainly been in good form on Fibresand of late and despite falling out of the stalls on Thursday, quickened up nicely to track the leaders and did the same again to ease away for a four-length trouncing of the field. Good as that effort was, he is an even better horse on Polytrack and is a five-time Wolverhampton scorer, the latest back in November. Given a fine ride by Tom Queally that day, he pounced late and mugged the favourite Aerodynamic on the line. He looks booked to make it win number six at the west Midlands venue.

They also race on the all-weather at Lingfield, where SUPER FRANK (Lingfield, 2.25) and SIRCOZY (Lingfield, 4.35) can give good accounts of themselves.

WITH the cold snap continuing to bite, I'll remain on the artificial surface again for all three Wednesday picks with DICKIE LE DAVOIR (Southwell, 4.00) my sole selection running on Fibresand.

Richard Guest runs two in the 6f sprint but his topweight has a superior speed figure and is already a course and distance winner this year in a busy start to the new campaign. The selection had a fine time of it early in 2011 scoring five times, taking in turf, Fibresand and Polytrack, culminating in his best run for four years when winning a Haydock handicap off a mark of 82. That was a top performance for the grade and the speed rating posted was notable. Unfortunately that was it until popping up in a Southwell claimer last month, again clocking well in beating old favourite Ingleby Arch in a strongly-run race.