Architect Saturday Racing Tips

Gaulois and Martello Sky are vying for favouritism in the Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Mares' Hurdle but I’ll pin my hopes on the only Grade 1 winner in the field - SKYACE (best price 11-1) who could be the value against the big pair in the betting under favourable conditions. 

The seven-year-old has looked a bit lacklustre this term and was only seventh in Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse last time but has twice finished ahead of Willie Mullins’ charge so, while the market much prefers the chances of the former, it is the latter that interests me most. The bookmakers have priced the front pair up based only on recent form and not the overall substance as John Hanlon’s mare has comfortably had Gaulois’ measure each time they have met, including when a good fourth at the Cheltenham Festival. I know she hasn’t scaled the heights of last season’s form so far but I’m inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt because the form in her back catalogue makes her dangerous to dismiss. She appeals most at the expected prices, while Jody McGarvey, who knows her better than most, interestingly makes the rare trip to Sandown Park for his only ride on the card, which is another reason why this high-class mare edges the verdict. 

The Read Nicky Henderson's Unibet Blog Handicap Chase is an interesting race, from a betting point of view, where a host of confirmed front-runners are likely to take each other on and, if that’s the case, this could prove to be the ideal set-up for one of the closers, such as the Jonjo O’Neill-trained KILBROOK (best price 8-1) who gets the each-way vote. 

This seven-year-old hasn’t had a lot of racing for his age so is less-exposed than most and made no mistake on chase debut at Carlisle, where he jumped and travelled noticeably well before winning a shade snuggly under a very confident Jonjo O’Neill Jr ride to see off the useful stayer Dino Boy. He’s only gone up four-pounds for that narrow success, which could turn out to be quite generous, as he had more in hand then the winning margin indicated, equally leaving the impression he’d improve for the run. That should have taken the freshness out of him too due to it being his first start for six-months and, with a shed load of improvement to come - allied to the strong-pace likely to be on offer here, he holds appealing each-way credentials to plant himself into the picture in this wide-open contest. 

The absence is a minor concern but PADDY’S POEM (best price 28-1) has been ultra-consistent for Nick Gifford over the years and this evidently long-term plan for last year's runner-up may result with reward under James Davies. 

It’s easy to put a line through his latest effort at the Cheltenham Festival when he was turned out too quickly following a comfortable victory just two weeks earlier at Wincanton under top-weight. His form figures over fences at this level or lower reads an impressive 3312112231 and he is turning into a bit of a course-specialist having gone close in all three visits here last term, including when second in this twelve months ago. He went through the race so well and was a couple of lengths clear on the run-in until the turn of foot displayed by the 157-rated Ibleo caught him off guard in the latter stages with Moonlighter well beaten into fifth, who heads the weights this year. The latter gained revenge on him back here in February but Paddy’s Poem may have won in another couple of strides and is even better off at the weights here so I find it difficult to see why this eleven-year-old is three times the price of Nick Williams’ charge. This is undoubtedly a tougher renewal than last year’s event but he goes well fresh and merits consideration back at a venue that clearly brings the best out in him. 

It might prove impossible to look beyond Constitution Hill, who’ll be looking to supplement his Supreme Novices’ Hurdle credentials with victory in the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle, but the one runner who shouldn’t go unnoticed is the Ryan Potter-trained JETOILE (best price 14-1).

He’s quickly developed into a smart hurdler for a trainer who’s having a great season with two facile front-running victories over further since finishing fourth at Cheltenham on debut. Daryl Jacob can’t ride due to injury but Lorcan Williams is a very suitable replacement, who can often get a tune out of horses who like to bowl along at the head of affairs. This will be a whole different ball game to the two minor events he’s won, but he’s going from strength-to-strength and won’t mind the drop back to this trip as he has a lot of pace, jumps soundly and has gears to match those positive attributes so should be ready to run the biggest race of his career to date. 

The unbeaten Crystal Glory has a double penalty to overcome and might be worth taking on here. I am interested in DIBBLE DECKER (best price 7-2), who was set a stiff task on debut in a listed event at Cheltenham but was far from disgraced in sixth when only beaten six-lengths and this looks as though it has been the plan to send him straight over hurdles on the back of one eye-catching bumper outing. He has a really nice pedigree and is obviously held in high regard so should develop into a good hurdler and therefore, Tom Lacey’s charge is fancied to get the better of the top-weight under Stan Sheppard. 

MANVERS HOUSE (best price 10-1) is a strong each-way suggestion in the rapidcharge.com Leading EV Charging Solution Handicap Hurdle. He does have a few risks attached based on the fact he’s been pulled up the last twice but, unlike most of these, he’s extremely well-treated and acts on soft ground. He reached the frame multiple times in better events than this in this sphere last term, including when runner-up four times and, if he stays this far, he could be a lively player at a big price.
 

ZAMBEZI FIX (best price 10-1) is generally consistent and has proven to be very effective in the mud for connections. He chased home a smart prospect over today’s course-and-distance on his penultimate outing, which was his last start over hurdles, and wasn’t disgraced back over fences last time, either. I like the fact that he has the course experience under his belt and he’ll be suited to the return to this trip so, while a lot of these have something to prove, he makes plenty of each-way appeal in the finale.