Architect Tips Friday Racing Tips

VIRGINIA PLANE (best price 4-1) took a step forward from her unlucky seasonal debut runner-up effort at Ripon when beaten a neck - to win 17 days ago at Lingfield, albeit dead-heating with another rival and is fancied to continue her progression in the concluding race on the card. 

John Quinn’s filly has become very consistent during the past year in which she’s won twice and finished runner-up three times from her last six outings over five-furlongs. She ended last term with victory in a nursery and continued on the upgrade when collared late on at Ripon, where she split horses rated around 77 and was entitled to have needed the run. However, she utilised her assured fitness when going pillar-to-post at Lingfield in which she kicked clear at the furlong pole and looked like winning easily until the other horse she dead-heated with came with a late surge to draw upsides her at the wire. Nevertheless, that was an excellent performance and she goes well on softish ground, too, while the booking of Tom Marquand catches the eye. This is a tougher race than last time but her early gate speed is crucial and it will take a good horse to get past her if she can continue her rich vein of form. 

A case can be made for all of these but at the likely odds it could be worth siding with the in-form and recent Warwick winner, HAZZAAR (best price 2-1), who has taken well to this sphere, finishing runner-up on his first couple of spins before showing a tenacious attitude to open his account 18 days ago with the form of that race being upheld several times since.

He has gone up four-pounds for justifying favouritism that day but the runner-up, Statuario, provides clear indication that Tom Lacey’s charge is still well-treated given that horse was narrowly foiled earlier this week when just touched off in a hot Handicap Chase (higher graded affair) at Southwell behind a 126-rated individual. The seven-year-old should have no problem going back up in trip here and, given he jumps very neatly, he should have a lot of improvement in him and can make a bold bid to follow up here.

In the expectation that the ground doesn’t become too testing, GLAN Y GORS (best price 16-1) looks the most persuasive each-way option in the Every Race Live On Racing TV Handicap. 

This nine-year-old hasn’t won since last year but has posted some good efforts in defeat, including when second to a progressive type at Thirsk 20 days ago. He proved no match for the winner in the end but he finds himself five-pound below his last winning mark which came in a higher graded affair and he has proved he handles soft ground having hit the frame on the surface over hurdles in the past. It was this time last year that he rattled off a hat-trick of victories around today’s mark and it’s significant to note that Jason Hart has been booked to ride. His previous victory over this trip was when beating the 89-rated Charlie D and that form is paramount is the context of today’s easier assignment, so he’s certainly appealing from an each-way perspective.

Later on the card at Worcester, MISS HARRIETT (best price 5-1) looks set to build on her good second at Ludlow from an unchanged mark in this uninspiring contest with Johnny Burke maintaining the partnership.

The five-year-old has yet to get off the mark but arrives here in better form than most which gives her excellent claims of gaining a breakthrough success while the iron is hot. She came within a neck earlier this year at Taunton from a two-pound higher mark and has found her niche of late with two more placed efforts to her name. I think connections have found the mare a winnable opportunity this evening so, at the current prices, she looks great each-way value for a top-three finish at the very least.