Architect Saturday Racing Tips

Just the four runners go to post for the opener at Bath and I’m going to take a chance on top-weight HYDE PARK BARRACKS (best price 13-2) despite having plenty to prove on just his second start for the in-form Michael Wigham stable. 

He looks to have been totally dismissed by the layers judged on his odds but he’s lurking on a dangerous mark. He had shown useful form as a two-year-old, when trained by Aidan O’Brien,  including when highly-tried in the Windsor Castle Stakes, finishing midfield. Although yet to get himself in the winner’s enclosure at any stage of his career thus far, this son of Air Force Blue has performed far better than the literal beaten margins have indicated of late in some decent handicaps, including on stable debut last time where he held every chance at the furlong pole before weakening out of contention over six. He’s up against some in-form rivals but the drop back to five-furlongs and drop into this grade looks the positive action to take and, if allowed to dictate matters under Fran Norton, he might just take a bit of catching.

As ever, the Portland Handicap is ferociously competitive with a host in with chances, including BEYOND EQUAL (best price 25-1) who looks fair each-way value with four places generally available. 

He has been brought along nicely by connections this term and has yet to run a bad race in 2021, finishing no worse than fourth in the races he hasn’t come out on top. He fared really well in a pair of six-furlong handicaps before comfortably opening his account at Salisbury, where he demonstrated a good turn of foot to win by over two-lengths. He then went to Newmarket for the Moet & Chandon Handicap and, considering he carried top-weight of ten-stone, his strong finishing-surge was noticeable as he nearest the finish in third behind the well-regarded Twilight Calls, who was in receipt of chunks of weight. The six-year-old might have even finished a closer without being forced wide around the whole field. His fourth back there next time was another highly-respectable where, again, his late surge was firmly in evidence despite the race not being run to suit. His latest effort, when third in the Sky Bet Sunday Series Sprint Handicap, was another fine effort where he kept on strongly in the final furlong to only be beaten over a length when giving weight to the front pair. He has continuously knocked on the door of late but what this horse requires is an end-to-end and although he’ll need everything to fall into place, the price tag significantly underestimates his chances here.

The other one I really like claims of from an each-way perspective is one of my favourite handicapping sprinters in training, MONDAMMEJ (best price 6-1), who finally delivered in a valuable Handicap last weekend and can use that race as a springboard with another bold display with up to four places on offer. 

He had been threatening to win a pot for connections time after time this term having posted some sterling efforts in defers prior to last weekend’s success. He travelled powerfully as he often does before knuckling down well to catch pacesetter Copper Knight in the dying strides. The assessor has taken a light view of that victory by only raising him three-pounds and, with plenty of optimism that he will get another strong pace to aim at with a favourable high-draw in stall eleven, he looks set to make an impact again with plenty in his favour. 

Away from Bath and Doncaster, Chester host an excellent seven-race card and I have one bet lined-up for the tote+ Stand Cup Stakes in the form of WINTER REPRISE (best price 20-1) who ran with credit in Group 3/listed contests in the spring, and has threatened to win a valuable pot of this calibre for connections of late, while the booking of Jamie Spencer catches the eye, too. 

A lightly-raced six-year-old, who enjoyed a good spell when sent over to France, he’d acquitted himself to good effect in three pattern-class events this term, including in the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes, where he was only a length behind Hukum in fifth and the form has been extremely well advertised since. He caught the eye when travelling powerfully in the Old Newton Cup when last spotted and, despite only managing eighth of 20 in the end of the procedure, there were more than enough positives to glean from his performance on the whole. It’s interesting that connections bypassed a handicap with him a few weeks ago, presumably in favour of this slightly stiffer examination. Ultimately, he’ll need improvement to trouble the main protagonists but he should get a nice lead into proceedings and, in the expectation of seeing Jamie Spencer making an attempt to deliver him late into the argument, this unexposed four-year-old could prove troublesome to the likely market leaders at the business end of this listed event.

Shadwell Estate could hold the key to this small-field competitive Group 2 as Laneqash heads the betting and should have more to offer but DANYAH (best price 5-2) has thrived in top-class handicaps this season and looks capable of making his presence felt in pattern-class company for Owen Burrows. 

He has had a pretty light career for a four-year-old, but has made up for lost time this season, following up an excellent second at Royal Ascot in the Buckingham Palace Stakes with a very smart handicapping performance from the front in the International at the same track. Jim Crowley has opted for the former but that doesn’t decrease the interest. The selection might be upped in grade but he could be even better suited in this small-field scenario and gets the vote to prove his worth in pattern-class company for the first time for Dane O’Neill and Owen Burrows.

The feature race of the day, the St Leger Stakes, will see Irish Derby hero Hurricane Lane bid to make it six-from-seven. He was last seen dominating the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp by over six-lengths but surely the each-way bet is MOJO STAR (best price 15-2).

Let’s not forget, he is the only horse in this field to have finished in front of the favourite and can provide the most resistance now entering uncharted territory trip-wise which should be the making of him. He deservedly opened his account at Newbury last time and despite being beaten in his first toe races, he ran the race of his life when an excellent clear-second in the Derby. His performance can be upgraded because not only did Charlie Appleby’s charge lose two-front shoes, but this son of Sea The Stars was reported to have ‘struck into’ and if you watch the race back, he was pulling even further away from Hurricane Lane at the post. He was then sent to Ireland to contest the Irish equivalent which proved to be disastrous as he was badly impeded two furlongs out when going as well as the winner, Hurricane Lane. That said, stamina was certainly his forte as he hit the line very strongly and connections have had this race in mind for him ever since. He was beaten by Scope on debut but I think the winner’s speed caught him out as he wasn’t losing any ground in the latter stages. In conclusion, all of his performances thus far point to him being even more effective over this longer trip as he should be able to showcase his maximum qualities at the Doncaster venue so, in the hope he can navigate his way into a better passage than he did in Ireland, he may burst the market leaders collective bubble or, at the very least, hit the frame as his second in the Derby at Epsom is the second best piece of form on offer, while both Rossa and Richard are in flying form at present so confidence will be high in the camp. 

As most will know, I have followed a few of the Roger Fell team-members this term without reward as of yet, including Club Wexford, who I will now be passing over for the time being having become a “cliff” horse but despite IRON SHERIFF (best price 9-2) nearly fitting that criteria, too, he is given one more chance to finally deliver the goods for the first time from a career-low mark having had no luck in running whatsoever the last two times against higher-rated opponents. 

Although winless in fifteen outings, Roger Fell’s charge has been performing better than the recent form book has indicated. He has suffered a troubled passage in three of his last four at Beverley, including back there two weeks ago where he was travelling best when not getting a clear run a furlong out and pretty much finished fifth on the bridle. Implicitly, he’s far from reliable from a win point of view, given his hold-up style of running has often got him into all sorts of trouble, but he’s extremely well-handicapped on the account of his two runner-up efforts earlier in the term. The best of those was when there was juice in the ground and he will get identical ground here for the first time from a three-pound lower mark with Rowan Scott booked to ride. This is a huge drop in trip from last time but I can envisage a change to positive tactics and, taken into consideration this is the easiest opportunity he’s been granted, it seems only a matter of time before things finally fall into place for him and, hopefully, this is the day we have been waiting for with him.