Architect Friday Racing Tips

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The action for us on Friday gets underway in the Bet At racingtv.com Handicap and the vote goes to the Jim Goldie-trained SOUNDS OF IONA (best price 6-1) who didn’t enjoy the rub-of-the-green when third at Hamilton seventeen days ago and is taken to gain compensation in the hope of a smoother passage under Amy Waugh, who claims a valuable five-pounds.

Her mount hasn’t won since September 2020, but has run much better than the beaten margins have indicated in her last five outings, including at Musselburgh twice and at Hamilton last time, where she might have won all three without being hampered and denied a clear run each time. She’s back up in grade here but, in addition, has been knocking on the door and with little to disprove the theory of her being well-handicapped here provided she gets a clear run, a repeat of any of the level of form she’s demonstrated this year may well suffice and see her gain compensation after a series of near-misses.

BUGLE MAJOR (best price 10-1) hasn’t reached the heights he scaled when trained in France but he still has time on his side and now returning to the scene of his eye-catching display when midfield in the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot, Richard Hughes’ talented six-year-old might be able to get his head in front now reunited with Pat Dobbs.

This is a challenging race with the likes of Love Is Golden and Recovery Run in the line-up but this Gelding by Mizzen Mast finds himself six-pound lower than when last sighted at the Berkshire venue in this easier event and given connections are adamant that he will be seen in even better light over this longer trip, he should be there or thereabouts at the business end of the outcome.

Fantastic Fox heads the betting on the back of a decisive victory when last spotted but I’m going to give one more chance to the very capable ROPEY GUEST (best price 18-1), who has the ammunition to win this event if his head is in the right frame of mind.

He had continued to run well without posing too much of a threat in big-field handicaps this season, including at Royal Ascot twice this year, finishing midfield in both the Buckingham Palace and Wokingham before a rare below-par effort in the International when last sighted here. He’s only tasted victory once in his career but has often saved his best for the Berkshire venue and is down to a career-low mark with this smaller-field scenario likely to aid his cause. He’s thrice placed in pattern-class company in the past so his ability can’t go unnoticed and, given most firms have quoted him up at a double-figure price, which is clearly based on his latest display, he’s definitely got the ability to, at least, go close in a race of this nature for connections so is worth a punt with just the seven-runners going to post

It’s hard to rule out most of these but there was plenty to like about LOUIE DE PALMA (best price 9-2) last time, who showed the fire still burns despite being a nine-year-old when returning to his best when seeing off a course-specialist at Windsor last time and can follow-up back at a track that he’s gone well at in the past.

He doesn’t have many miles on the clock for his age but has some top-class handicap form in the locker and his record around this venue over six-furlongs reads an impressive 1134, with that fourth place coming in the class-2 Silver Wokingham Handicap at last year's Royal meeting. That was from a mark of 95, while his earlier course-and-distance victory was off 89 in a class-3 so, in simple terms, he’s still very well-handicapped in this lesser-graded event on return to his favourite hunting ground from a mark of 79 despite carrying a penalty. His trainer, Clive Cox, has his team in very good form, while the same can be applied to Adam Kirby, too and, having taken a strict reading of his Windsor victory, he’s evidently back to something near his best. I’m surprised this most likeable sprinter is not trading shorter than the general 9-2 which is available as he surely holds a class edge over this field, who’s capable of top-class form at this course.

The Grant Thornton Ulster Cesarewitch Handicap, at Down Royal, looks an appealing contest from a betting perspective and as much as the race is littered with four in-form participants, I cannot resist the huge odds available about the top-weight WAKEA (best price 25-1) getting three places.

The ten-year-old was out of form over hurdles when last spotted but he was a very smart hurdler in his youth and his record around here, albeit on the hurdles course has resulted with a win, a second and a fourth in a Grade 2 behind Melon. He’s won twice following a three-month absence in the past and let’s not forget he was rated 94 when last spotted on the flat. That was five years ago, which isn’t ideal, but he’s fifteen pound below his last winning mark in this sphere (winner off 95) so his mark of 80 is really lenient on return to action. All of his best form has come on good ground so conditions will be in his favour and he’s also trainer Karl Thornton’s only runner on the card and he, himself, has his team in cracking form. The one that I fear most is Turnpike Trip who might be worth a saver but the top-weight is clearly better than these at his best and, although winning this might be pushing the boat out, he should find this drop in grade much to his liking as he makes more appeal than the recent form-book would indicate in this and is an each-way player in this wide-open contest.

The Charlie Hills-trained DREAM SHOW (best price 50-1) contested a very good race on debut at York, where conducted himself as well as he could despite being hampered throughout the final couple of furlongs and could be the each-way play in the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes.

Sent off 100/1, he was held-up in rear but looked to be making smooth progress and surely would have finished a lot closer with a clear run, as he looked to be making a potential serious challenge until getting badly squeezed for room at the two-furlong pole. He then tried to pick up again but, for the second time, was hampered and was basically left to come home in his own time, though finished strongly in the final stages of the race. On paper, he only finished twelfth of sixteen, but that didn’t vindicate the performance on a whole as he would have definitely finished in the first seven, or perhaps even better, without being hampered. This is a lot easier and, although there’s a strong favourite in the line-up, he has bundles of potential and ability based on his York effort and could easily exceed market expectations with improvement to come.

Many will know that I have been on both Son And Sannie and NOMADIC EMPIRE (best price 6-1) the last twice but preference is for the latter, who had no luck whatsoever at York when last spotted and is fancied to gain compensation now reunited with Jason Watson back in the saddle.

He was highly tried here as a two-year-old, in which he finished third on debut before filling the runner-up spot back here next time, albeit returning a beaten 1-2F chance. He then opened his account easily next time before running a creditable race when a close-up third in the Julia Graves Roses Stakes and, although winless since, his form has worked out strongly, including his half-a-length second to Winter Power in a listed event at Ayr, where he attempted to give her four-pounds in weight. The winner boosted the form by winning the Group 1 Nunthorpe at the same meeting at York and his form looks just about the strongest form on display on a line through his earlier seasonal efforts behind Bedford Flyer and Winter Power. He looks pretty well-handicapped on all that evidence and should go close to opening his account for the campaign.