Architect Saturday Racing Tips

The Kim Bailey-trained NEWTIDE (best price 14-1) isn’t seen all that often given his lightly-raced profile for his age but has a lot in his favour here and has an excellent each-way chance on his return with the soft ground right up his street. The nine-year-old won his first three starts over fences, including a Grade Two, but it’s his easy victory over Welsh Grand National winner Secret Reprieve that makes him dangerously well-handicapped. For instance, the runner-up is now rated 140 so his current mark of 137 is lenient and after taking that one's measure, he then went onto land a Grade Two, albeit with a bit of fortune. 

His only start to date at Cheltenham came in the 2020 National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Riders' Novices' Chase when tackling 3m5f for the first time. He failed to stay but still managed to finish sixth and he returned with a good run in a strong Haydock handicap last season to finish third, which has worked out strongly, maintaining his fine record fresh. He wasn’t at his best last time at Ascot when strongly-supported into 4/1 for a highly-competitive event but connections have clearly saved him for this event given his best form is first-time-out and, assuming he’s back on song, he definitely has the ammunition to make a serious impact in this grade with four places across the board. 

An opening-looking renewal of the Grade Two Paddy Power Novices' Chase and, although far from ideal arriving here on the back of a non-completion, MILLERS BANK (best price 13-2) is the highest-rated of these and makes a lot of each-way appeal with three places on offer. 

I’m inclined to believe he would have won last-time-out without Pic D’Orhy crashing out when still in front as he was closing the gap on the Paul Nicholls-trained front-runner before his rival departed. His only previous try over this trip, resulted with an excellent third in the Grade One Aintree Hurdle, which is the standout piece of form by some distance and eight-year-old has won both his starts on ground soft or worse. This Grade 1-placed hurdler, who surely has more to come, can hopefully make amends here but, at the very least, looks a great each-way price getting three-pounds from L’’Homme Presse, who has yet to prove himself in graded company and under these conditions.

The Paddy Power Handicap Hurdle has a really open feel about it and, at a double-figure price, Nick Gifford’s THE MIGHTY DON (best price 22-1) looks a standout each-way proposition back over hurdles. The ten-year-old has a great record at Cheltenham and has predominantly run some big races over fences in the last twelve months despite his jumping being far from perfect as he’s prone to making mistakes. That said, the last two times he ran over hurdles, he finished midfield in the Coral Cup off 143 and a year earlier, finished eighth in the Stayers’ Hurdle when rated in the 150’s. The nine-year-old doesn’t win often and is a rare runner back over hurdles but he’s now down to a mark of 136, stays further, acts under these conditions and ran a good race behind the high-class Yala Enki on his penultimate outing when beaten a length from a pound higher. If proving as effective back in this sphere, he has the class to go well at double-figure odds with four places widely available. 

I am also going to nominate another course-specialist - SPIRITOFTHEGAMES (best price 12-1), who is a regular in the top handicaps at this venue and can make his presence felt off a much-reduced hurdles mark with conditions holding no fears. He was pulled up when last spotted over fences but has some excellent displays in defeat over fences here, who’s record features a neck-second in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup off 146 on soft, second in last year’s Paddy Power Gold Cup behind Coole Cody off 148 on soft, sixth in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival off 149, a half-a-length second off 149 in another Grade Three here, as well as a third in the same race a year earlier off 147. 

The ten-year-old has proven to be just as effective over hurdles too, who was fifth in the 2018 Coral Cup off 139 and was eighth in the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, so with all of those displays taken into consideration, he’s got some seriously strong form in the book. He ran well on his last try over hurdles at Newbury under a big-weight and is lurking on a tempting mark of 135 with Harry Skelton expectedly doing the steering, who can get a tune out of this smart handicapper. There is likely to be a strong pace on offer which will suit and, surely a reproduction of any of those big efforts will see him run another blinder back at his favourite hunting ground with four places generally on offer. 

It’s quite interesting to note that David Bass goes to Exeter for his only ride of the day on Kim Bailey’s GETAWEAPON (best price 5-1) rather than ride Newtide at Cheltenham, who he’s partnered to Grade Two success in the past. However, this seven-year-old mare looks nicely-treated based on her win/placed form last season, including when second at Ludlow on soft-to-heavy ground. She made a reasonable return to action when third at Bangor and, having undergone wind surgery with the application of a tongue-tie, she should go very well here.