Architect Saturday Racing Tips

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SOLO (best price 7-1) endured a disappointing last campaign having once looked an exciting prospect for Paul Nicholls but he’s subsequently undergone wind surgery, will benefit from the switch to chasing and takes a drop down in grade, so I can see him taking a bit of beating in the opener. 

He looked a top-class juvenile in the making when winning the Grade 2 Adonis Juvenile Hurdle last February but could only manage eighth in the Triumph Hurdle next time in which he was sent off just 4/1 co-third favourite. That said, he did shape a lot better than the beaten margins indicated last season, which included when fourth in the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle, twice off top-weight in a pair listed handicaps and also when fourth in the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso off a mark of 141. That form is probably the best individual piece of form alone as it was littered with subsequent winners including Cheltenham Festival winner, The Shunter. He was below form when last spotted but fences should be the making of this five-year-old and an opening handicap chase debut mark of 135 looks extremely lenient, while Lorcan Williams claims a valuable three-pounds, too, so he’s fancied to emerge on top on his first go in this sphere hailing from a yard who have made a great start to the campaign. 

A competitive bet365 Mares' Hurdle event where it is feasible to make a case for all seven participants, but the Alan King-trained HER INDOORS (best price 6-1) warmed up for this assignment with an excellent third on the flat when last sighted at Nottingham and, having already established herself to be more than a capable filly at this level or higher, she rates a solid each-way proposition at a track that should play to her strengths. 

She enjoyed a productive last campaign in which she won a Grade 3 at Cheltenham impressively the last time she competed over hurdles having won a listed event on soft ground at Doncaster alongside other creditable runner-up efforts. Her form figures in this sphere besides her midfield finish in the Boodles at the Cheltenham Festival reads an impressive 2211. She will appreciate the ease in grade, has race fitness on her side and her trainer is in excellent form so there’s plenty to like about her chances and she looks set to pose a serious threat in a bid to add another valuable pot to her already impressive-looking CV in this discipline for connections. 

This listed handicap hurdle doesn’t look as competitive as the numbers suggest and last year’s Betfair Hurdle winner SOARING GLORY (best price 5-1) is the standout choice to enhance his unblemished first-time-out record which is currently two-from-two. 

Jonjo O’Neill’s charge returned an impressive winner of the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury in February, beating no fewer than SIX subsequent winners with the list including Annual Invictus, Buzz, Gumball, Guard Your Dreams, Milkwood and Glory And Fortune, who subsequently landed the Welsh Champion Hurdle. The experiment of headgear backfired in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle but he still ran with credit to finish fourth. His earlier defeat of Bravemansgame at Chepstow is another top-class piece of form and he’s performed well in all three visits to this track, too. The unbeaten Boothill is a fascinating contender, but he’ll need to be very special to beat Soaring Glory here following a 324 day absence and preference is for the former who undoubtedly brings the strongest form lines into the race and on the assumption he'll get a good pace to aim at on Saturday, I can see him going close or at least placing on his reappearance with four places on offer. 

Things haven’t been plain-sailing for ESKYLANE (best price 5-1) since winning on hurdles debut but his mark of 134 is more than within his capabilities and, on the evidence of his latest run when fourth in a highly-competitive affair at Listowel, he offers plenty of value at the prices for the in-form Gordon Elliott team.

A smart bumper horse, who ran an eye-catching race to finish fifth in the 2019 Champion Bumper, he made a smooth transition to hurdling when he beat the 138-rated Gabynako at Punchestown around this time last year and, despite failing to fulfil his true potential afterwards, the seven-year-old shaped with plenty of promise when last spotted. At first glance, others might appear to be more persuasive, particularly from a win point of view, but he goes well fresh, has some of the strongest form on display and it’s difficult to not see him putting up a good show under Davy Russell with four places widely on offer. 

The other one that I quite like at a double-figure price is the top-weight CHARLI PARCS (best price 18-1), who should be spot on for this following an encouraging fifth of 14 on his flat debut ten days ago and isn’t out of this by any means, especially if reproducing the sort of form that saw him easily beat the 142-rated Jetz last year. 

A repeat of that form would certainly bring this former Champion Hurdle participant into the equation as he’s effectively six-pound lower in the handicap here. His midfield effort in the Galway Hurdle which was the last time he competed over timber wasn’t a bad effort, either. Simon Torrens has been booked for the ride and, if this formerly classy eight-year-old can utilise his match fitness and produce the form that saw him winning comfortably on his penultimate outing, he looks great each-way value at the morning odds with most bookmakers paying up to five places.

The Charlie Hall Chase is the feature at Wetherby and has attracted a really strong field of seven, including last year’s winner Cyrname but I’m going to put my neck on the line and stick with Christian William’s KITTY’s LIGHT (best price 16-1) who enjoyed a productive first season over fences last term and gets the vote to cause a mini upset in his first endeavour in graded company. 

This consistent chaser landed a good-quality handicap at Kelso before being most unlucky when a short-head second in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown where he was badly hampered twice at a crucial part of the race including towards the finish, yet still forced a photo in the final stride. The same sort of situation applied in the Badger Beers Silver Trophy Handicap Chase where, again, he was hampered in the mid-part of the race before staying on strongly to steal third place. Notably, his form figures over fences now reads an excellent 12113122 and, whilst this demands a career-best, his seasonal pipe-opener when just touched off at Chepstow should have put him spot on for his toughest task to date. It’s interesting connections have pitched him into a quality race if this nature being only a five-year-old but he’s fitter than most, has more potential than these, is ground-versatile, stays well, jumps well and should get a good pace to aim at he’s proven he stays further so, in truth, he makes a lot of each-way appeal with more to offer this campaign as he’s sure to be doing all of his best work in the latter stages which might be enough for him to throw himself into the picture against the two big guns. 

The Tim Vaughan-trained CLEMENCIA (best price 28-1) is a bit of a speculative selection in the bet365 Handicap Hurdle having fallen at the first at Cheltenham eight days ago, but there are potentially a lot of things in his favour including his much-reduced mark so he’s worth an each-way interest at the forecast odds.

Highly tried when trained in Ireland, the five-year-old finished fourth in a Grade 2 behind Aspire Tower before filling the same spot in the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle. He then changed hands to Tim Vaughan and ran a massive race in last year’s Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival, staying on powerfully to finish fifth of twenty-two, beaten less than four lengths. He then fell when in contention back there next-time-out in another highly-competitive handicap before putting that firmly behind him when finishing fourth of sixteen at Cheltenham in December. The only caveat, though, is the fact that he’s returning from a long absence but his mark is appealing now that he’s six-pound lower than when spotted at the Cheltenham Festival and, assuming he’s absolutely fine from his latest fall, hence why he’s turned out so quickly, he might represent a bit of each-way value with several bookmakers paying five places being his trainers only runner of the day and Alan Johns only ride of the day. 

Trainer Donald McCain is continuing in a rich vein of form at present and, with that in mind, MACKENBERG (best price 11-2), has to come under strong consideration here, who’s opening handicap mark looks generous on the evidence of last season’s form and holds rock-solid each-way credentials with even more to come this term under Theo Gillard with the four places available. 

This progressive/unexposed six-year-old impressed when scoring on hurdles debut and has posted some good efforts since, including at this track when beaten half-a-length by a 130 plus rated individual. He also ran well to finish fourth in a Grade 2 and was last seen winning by twenty-nine lengths. His yard’s good form is another plus on his chances, while Theo takes off five-pounds to reduce his already lenient mark and, given his first-time-out record which has yielded two victories from two starts, connections are sure to have him fully tuned for this assignment and he can strike on handicap debut. 

Tamar Bridge was impressive when scoring with loads in hand at Ayr in March but the one who appeals most is the Amy Murphy-trained KALMOOR (best price 6-1), who created a favourable impression when runner-up on debut in March and being bred to advance his form in this sphere, this gelding by Kalanisi looks capable of at least causing the market leader one or two problems. 

Being a a three-parts brother to Grade 1 winner, Kalashnikov, who was also trained by Amy Murphy and carried these silks, he displayed a lot of inexperience on debut as expected but every time Jack Quinlan asked him to respond, the response was immediate as he kept on trying his best a fair way out from the finish having got outpaced. Eventually, he got himself into a winning challenge behind the eventual winner but was tentatively handled in the final furlong and has been saved for a hurdles campaign since. He left the impression that there would be a ton more to come and the price tag significantly underestimates his chances here.