Architect Wednesday Racing Tips

SKINFLINT (best price 4-1) has clearly been tricky to train, hence why he’s not had many starts for a ten-year-old, but he’s shown an aptitude for chasing in three starts with three seconds from three starts and could be tough to dethrone off top-weight under Johnny Burke. 

This lightly-raced gelding, now trained by Henry Oliver, has finished runner-up in five of his six starts, including on seasonal debut in a big-field Uttoxeter handicap hurdle last month off two-pound lower when back over hurdles. There’s a slight issue based on whether he will suffer the bounce-factor on his second run back but he’s slightly lower in the handicap than when earning back-to-back seconds off a mark of 98. He is eligible to compete off 96 here and, with many of these having something to prove, it’s difficult to see him not putting in a good day’s work in the opener.

This could prove to be the ideal for the Jonjo O’Neill-trained KILBROOK (best price 10-3) who missed an engagement at Sandown over the weekend, presumably in favour of this easier task and can double his tally over timber.

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 than 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 he can plant himself here as a chaser ahead of his current mark. 

Last year’s winner Zambella will be tough to beat and is the rightful favourite but the form of MASKADA’s (best price 9-2) second to the Glancing Queen at Warwick received a significant boost when the third Vienna Court completed a Cheltenham double in the Grade Three Paddy Power New Year's Day Handicap Chase and the winner won a Grade Two and a repeat showing could be enough to trouble the favourite here. 

This six-year-old established herself to an effective hurdler last term and has taken well to chasing with a further three placed efforts to her name. It was slightly disappointing that she couldn’t make the most of a golden opportunity at Exeter last-time-out, but she’s very consistent and it’s highly-likely that connections have aimed her at this event. I don’t think her current mark can justify the level of ability she contains and, with the likelihood of getting a soft lead in a race she might be able to dominate, Stuart Edmunds charge can gain her first black-type in this sphere. 

The Richard Hobson-trained RAMONEX (best price 8-1) is pretty much the definition of all-or-nothing and not one you can regularly rely upon but the eleven-year-old is much better than this grade on his day and can roll back the years here under Lilly Pinchin. 

As mentioned previously, his hot and cold profile can make him tough to predict but he’s proven at a higher level than this and is nine-pound lower than when winning a class-four at Doncaster last year. He ran well to finish second on seasonal debut at Newcastle off a four-pound higher mark in a class-three under today’s useful claimer and a repeat display here would certainly make him the one to beat on these terms. The gradual reduction in distance allied to a very low mark in this grade for the first time should be more than enough to contribute to a bold display from the top-weight for his in-form handler with four places widely available.