Architect Tuesday Racing Tips

The conditions and ease in grade to a class 6 for the first time on the turf should see ASCRAEUS (best price 9-2) heavily involved in the outcome of this weak event and is my each-way choice under Nicola Currie. 

This four-year-old returned a winner at Salisbury from only a pound lower mark in June in a higher-graded affair and hasn’t disgraced himself in subsequent starts, including when sixth of twelve when last spotted. The assessor has dropped him a couple of pounds for that effort and he’s yet to run a bad race on rain-softened ground. He even managed to finish second at Windsor this time last year on heavy ground in a class 4 event from a mark of 66 so being rated eleven-pound lower back on a favourable surface certainly gives him a fighting chance, especially with quite a few of his rivals having question marks against them. 

FORZA ORTA (best price 3-1) duly obliged when opening his account at the fifth time of asking at Hamilton five weeks ago having finished runner-up on his first four starts and, with the possibility of this longer trip bringing about even further improvement, Kevin Ryan’s charge is fancied to strike again from a fair mark back in handicap company. 

He had previously kept finding one too good, in no uncertain terms, but the form of his second at both Carlisle and Leicester could hardly have worked out any better as he mixed it with horses who are now rated 91+ who have won since. The step up in trip to 1m3f worked wonders last time, though, as he travelled powerfully before quickening up in good style to win by over four-lengths. I think the handicapper has been far from harsh on his mark as 79 looks more than exploitable on the evidence and now that he’s evidently finding his range, another good run looks assured. 

An informative beginners’ chase on show here where the Grade 1-placed hurdler GABYNAKO (best price 9-2) merits consideration to advance his smart hurdles form with a good account on debut in this sphere. 

His trainer isn’t known for having the best of records at this venue, only 4-85 in the last five years, but his participant was a smart novice hurdler last season. He finished third to Bob Olinger in a Grade 1 at Naas and finished a good fifth of 24 in an ultra-competitive handicap hurdle at the Punchestown festival when last sighted. He’s likely to be ridden handy here which should prove beneficial as it will allow him to get into a nice rhythm and learn his trade and being as he’s already proven deep enough ground alongside the only runner to have established himself at the highest level, he rates the most intriguing runner in the line-up and looks set to run a big race. 

Some Nightmare takes a drop in class after scoring for the third time in four starts last time but an opening mark of 69 for the Rae Guest-trained CAPE COLUMBUS (best price 7-2) looks fairly generous having finished third in three consecutive maiden/novice events and he’s taken to strike under Callum Shepherd. 

The conditions are set to be testing this afternoon and this son of Acclamation ran a big race to finish third on debut on soft ground and that form looks the best on offer given the first and second are now rated 90. The winner, Dark Shift, scored at Ascot recently from a mark of 89, while the second ran well to finish third in the listed Close Brothers Hopeful Stakes when last spotted. He wasn’t ideally placed at Newcastle last time but this race looks easier in general and, having proven to go on underfoot conditions, a repeat of his third at Nottingham may well suffice on handicap debut.