Architect Saturday Racing Tips

A talented bunch of novices’ have enlisted for the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors '50,000 Cheltenham Bonus For Stable Staff' Novice Hurdle to start the Dublin Racing Festival. MINELLA CROONER (best price 7-2), trained by Gordon Elliott, was unbeaten in three bumpers and relished the step up to three miles when winning by 12 lengths at the second time of asking in this sphere. That was an ordinary race for the grade but he went through the race like a high-quality stayer in the making with loads left under the bonnet and, given the fact that connections seem keen to roll the dice with him in this much stiffer task, he gets the nod to take the opener. 

It might be that connections are eyeing up a handicap at the Cheltenham Festival with FREEDOM TO DREAM (best price 33-1) but I can’t let him go unbacked here at a double-figure price. He placed in both his bumper starts in 2019, including when chasing home Appreciate It and returned from nearly two years on the sidelines to win on hurdles debut before running a blinder to finish second in a Grade Two behind Eric Bloodaxe. He has a bit to find with the latter this afternoon, but he should have a lot more to offer and today’s better ground should also suit. This will require a career-best but he is in good hands and is a very sound jumper, so if he can take a step-forward from that latest display, he could be a lively player at a big price.

It is quite possible that we might see another potential future emerge from today’s renewal of the Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle and I have been looking forward to seeing the reappearance of VAUBAN (best price 5-2), who produced a highly-promising effort on hurdles debut behind Pied Piper in December and might well have won with a better passage and jump at the last, too. The winner, Pied Piper, boosted the form with an easy victory in a Grade Two at Cheltenham. Willie Mullins’ charge started odds-on that day and the vibes about him, especially from Patrick Mullins, have been extremely positive. I put him up in my ante-post column a few weeks ago at a double-figure price and, while I fear stablemate Icare Allen, Vauban is strongly fancied to rise to the occasion and supplement his Triumph Hurdle credentials by showcasing his qualities here.  

COOL MIX (best price 7-2) is a reliable servant for connections and has looked as good as ever this term, placing in all three starts, including when fourth in the highly-competitive Rehearsal Handicap Chase behind Aye Right on his penultimate outing, a race he finished third in the year before. This nine-year-old has generally competed in higher-grade events than this during his career and is back down to his last winning mark. I’m quite surprised he isn’t trading shorter in the betting, especially with Alan Doyle in the plate, who claims a valuable three-pounds. He’ll be suited to this shorter trip and is fancied to make his class tell in his first attempt at a veterans’ chase. 

This is a cracking renewal of the Grade 1 Irish Arkle Novice Chase and it’s impossible to discount any of them. Willie Mullins, coincidentally, has three of the six intended runners and, while Paul Townend has opted for Blue Lord of the trio, I don’t see that as negative regarding the credentials of stablemate HAUT EN COULEURS (best price 7-2) who could be a high-class novice chaser and can take this step up in class in his stride in the hands of Bryan Cooper. He ran two tremendous races on his first couple of starts for Willie Mullins last term, placing twice in a pair of Grade 1’s, including on his final start of the campaign, where he eased past stablemate Saint Sam and impressively went clear of a high-quality field around the home-bend before his inexperience seemingly held him back despite keeping on strongly to finish third. He made a perfect start to his chasing career after eight months off here over Christmas, winning by five-lengths and clocking a quicker time than Envoi Allen, who was successful over the same course-and-distance. I’m adamant this five-year-old is scarily talented and he can further enhance his credentials as a serious Arkle contender next month by claiming the Irish equivalent in the hands of Bryan Cooper. 

ENJOY D’ALLEN (best price 10-1) is my second option in this wide-open heat, who looks very well-treated back in this sphere off 115, in comparison to his chase mark, 148. He hardly runs a bad race and has been really consistent in recent years, including an excellent third in the Irish Grand National back in April which looks high-class form. His latest third in the Paddy Power Chase was another really good effort in defeat and he’s now reached the frame in all three career starts when competing over a trip of three-miles plus. On all known evidence, he looks a shade overpriced and makes plenty of each-way appeal with five places widely available. 

UNEXPECTED DEPTH (best price 12-1) warmed up for today’s assignment with an encouraging display over track and trip last-time-out on reappearance despite not being ideally placed and, in the hope, he gets a better passage this time around, he has a good chance to go one better than he did twelve months ago which came off a pound lower mark. The eight-year-old has a good record in big field events at this venue (twice placed over course-and-distance) and he should be ready to run another big race now with five places widely available. 

A strong-looking Grade 3 Virgin Bet Heroes Handicap Hurdle in which I have two suggestions, who make a lot of each-way appeal with five places generally available. 

BEAUPORT (best price 6-1) has developed a really good partnership with Jordan Nailor and, this improving youngster who has form figures of 313122 over hurdles, looks a cast-iron each-way bet here. He impressed on his first visit to this venue when drawing clear to win by 11 lengths in the Grade 3 European Breeders' Fund Paddy Power 'National Hunt' Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final and backed that up with an excellent second back here next time. He left the impression that this trip would signal further improvement and his heroic second to Dashel Drasher at Newbury when last spotted looks a valuable piece of form, given the winner is a Grade 1 winner and ran a blinder to finish second to Two For Gold subsequently. He’s not proven under today’s forecast better conditions but I think it will benefit him and he’s only gone up two pounds from last time so he looks capable of having a say in the outcome with his staying power likely to come into play in the latter stages. 

I also want to suggest Dr Richard Newland’s JESUITIQUE (best price 12-1), who is another improving youngster and has won three of his four hurdles starts in the UK to date. He did very well to beat Beauport when the pair clashed at this course back in November and absolutely bolted up at Haydock when last spotted. The assessor has taken no chances by putting him up ten-pounds but he should easily have more to offer under Cillin Leonard and should go very well in a bid to maintain his excellent sequence for a trainer who’s very good at placing his handicappers in events of this nature. 

The feature race of the day, the Irish Gold Cup, and I am going give one more chance to the enigma ASTERION FORLONGE (best price 10-3), who deserves to land one of these big Grade 1 events for connections and jockey Bryan Cooper. The latter gets on really well with him despite hitting the deck twice on this talented grey. He comes with risks attached, of course, primarily due to the race that he’s failed to complete in four of his last eight starts but the good news is that he’s never fallen going left-handed and was in the process of beating a few these and the high-class Allaho in the John Durkan on his penultimate outing. He got himself off the canvas to tackle the King George on Boxing Day, his first go at three-miles in fact, and was rallying and looking set to make a race of it with stablemate Tornado Flyer until coming down at the last fence. If he can stay on his feet, this race should prove to be the ideal set-up for Willie Mullins’ charge and therefore barring accidents (we hope), this offers Bryan Cooper’s mount a gilt-edged opportunity for redemption.

I really like the claims of BATCIO (best price 10-1) in the Paddy Power 'I'm Never Going Back To The Office' Handicap Chase, who may well have won this two years ago when in front and travelling strongly until taking a heavy fall at the second last. The ten-year-old has already won two of his six starts this season and shaped better than the beaten margin indicated when fourth in a stronger race than this when last spotted. He wasn’t given a hard time of things that day, which left the impression that trainer Ted Walsh was using that as a stepping stone towards another crack at this assignment. He remains five-pounds higher than his last winning mark but we know he handles this track, goes well under these conditions, and will be very difficult to kick out of the frame.