Architect Sunday Racing Tips

The draw could prove crucial in the opener as low-drawn numbers seem to do best in this race reflecting on past history and, although this will require a new personal best, the top-weight MASTER MATT (best price 20-1) has an excellent each-way chance with the five places on offer. He’s probably more effective over the minimum trip, but has loads of experience in large-field handicaps and did extremely well to win a listed event last time, where Sam Ewing was unable to claim his valuable five-pounds. His mount is nine-pound higher than when second in the Rockingham but has a good draw to attack from an early stage and ran well over track and trip in a listed race earlier in the season when only headed in the final 150 yards. This will certainly test his metal as he bids to take down twenty-seven other participants, but he looks a serious each-way player.

DRAGON SYMBOL (best price 7-2) has a small bit of work to do to turn around the latest form (two-lengths) with Winter Power but this track should play more to his strengths and his consistency can’t be knocked, either. He’s been unlucky to not have collected a Group 1 this season, including when losing one of them in the stewards’ room and since winning his first four starts, he’s finished second in a pair of Group 2’s, a pair of Group 1’s and when third in a Group 1 last time. Archie Watson does well at this track, as demonstrated with Glen Shiel, and with champion jockey Oisin Murphy coming over to Ireland to stay loyal in the saddle, the pair could be finally set for top honours. 

An excellent renewal of the feature race of the day but I’m surprised Twilight Payment is shorter in the market than dual winner of the race - SEARCH FOR A SONG (best price 9-2) who has already beaten the former every time the pair have clashed and is fancied to do so again by winning this race for the third consecutive year. Dermot Weld’s brilliant stayer has already beaten Twilight Payment twice in this race, one of them being off worse weights then today and, having shaped encouragingly in the Tattersalls Gold Cup here in May, over a trip short of her best, she gets a confident vote to run another huge race, while the lack of a prep-run isn’t of concern as she won this twelve months ago following a two-month absence. 

BARBADOS (best price 40-1) certainly wouldn’t fit the mould as your typical Group 1 winner but last year’s fourth is massively overpriced and it’s interesting that Shane Foley has opted to ride him rather than the unexposed Barrington Court. It’s disappointing that he’s only won one of his nineteen outings, but he should have won last time when beaten a neck and ran well to finish fourth in this twelve months ago when coming from so far back to be never-nearer. His win ratio is off-putting, to say the least, but Jessie Harrington has targeted him at this event again and having placed on all three starts over track and trip, there’s a possibility this five-year-old will improve on last year’s effort if ridden closer to the pace. This son of Galileo might just have the star quality as some of the others, but he stays well, will give his all and looks fair each-way value with four places on offer, including SkyBet who are offering five. 

ST ANDREW’S CASTLE (best price 9-1) defied inexperience to make a winning debut at Ayr when hitting the line strongly and fared best of those held-up when coming home like a steam train to finish fourth of 16 when last spotted. He may well have won in another half-a-furlong so this step up to seven-furlongs should suit. Although this opening mark is pretty stiff, he is going the right way and makes plenty of each-way appeal with four places generally available and Paul Mulrennan booked to ride. 

A wide-open staying handicap to conclude Irish Champions weekend and I like the claims of a couple of participants in the shape of STAR HARBOUR (best price 12-1) and CRYSTAL BLACK (best price 16-1) with five places on offer. 

The former, STAR HARBOUR, has already won twice this term and produced a career-best when fifth of 27 in the Irish Cambridgeshire here last month when beaten only four-lengths. He’s been strong at the finish in all of his efforts and has always saved his best for a sound surface. He looks tailor-made for a return to this longer trip and has, surprisingly, been dropped a pound for that latest excellent display. Colin Keane is an interesting jockey booking and this son of Sea The Stars is fancied to continue his good worth ethic on return to this track with a bold display. 

As for the latter, CRYSTAL BLACK, he was unsuited to six-furlongs here on his penultimate outing but got back on track when catching the eye to finish sixth of 27 in the Irish Cambridgeshire and has been dropped a pound by the assessor. This three-year-old looks to have been laid out for this race by Dermot Weld and should be well-suited to this one-mile, two-furlong contest on the evidence of his strong-finishing efforts thus far and given his lightly-raced profile, a mark of 90 is seemingly eminently workable and he could be very competitive here.