Architect Sunday Racing Tips

The two at the top of the market for this maiden hurdle have some pretty useful form in the book already but they both seem short enough and I am eager to take a chance on hurdling debutant BUCEPHALUS (best price 8-1), who gets my attention on the basis of his good flat form. He developed into a largely consistent operator on the level, including when scoring in a soft-ground event at Pontefract before completing his time with Chris Wall with back-to-back runner-up efforts off a mark of 78. The five-year-old was then sold for 44,000 and it’s compelling to see his current handler start him out in this race as he could have been found a much easier target elsewhere. Mitchell Bastyan has been booked for the ride, who has just the one ride on today’s card, and if his mount is able to transfer his flat level of ability to this sphere, he could have too many gears for his rivals in the latter stages. Either way, he appeals most from an each-way point of view. 

This mares handicap hurdle event has a really open feel about it and the Jeremy Scott-trained LADY KK (best price 8-1) could be up to making the most of some generosity by the handicapper in the hands of Lorcan Williams having undergone wind surgery since last spotted. The seven-year-old’s only victory to date has come under today’s rider and whilst she has shown an aptitude for chasing with two reasonable efforts it appears that connections are looking to try and win one of these events back over timber. She may have gone close last time, too, with a clear run given she went for a daring run on the inside but was stopped in her tracks and that may have led to jumping slowly which set her on the back-foot. She wasn’t beaten far, though, and her earlier third at Taunton behind a pair who are rated in the high 146 and 127 looks solid form in the context of today’s lesser-rated field. The recent wind surgery looks a good move and being open to further improvement, she could be very difficult to kick out of the frame. 

This is turning out to be quite a season for Donald McCain and Theo Gillard and they make the rare trip to Newbury for their only runner and ride on the card in the shape of DREAMS OF HOME (best price 8-1) in the Benjamin Leigh Memorial Novices' Handicap Chase. This gelding by Jet Away was unbeaten in his first three starts over hurdles, winning twice in heavy ground and, although he could only manage seventh on his reappearance at Carlisle when sent off favourite, he left the impression that he would come on significantly for it as it was his first start for more than six months. His attentions were soon switched to the larger obstacles and he comfortably got the job done on handicap chase debut - running his rivals ragged from the front to win by five-lengths. He hasn’t been able to supplement that victory in his next two starts but he was always going to face an uphill task trying to give weight to heavy-ground specialist Adrimel at Haydock. He could only finish runner-up at Newcastle last month but subsequent wind surgery might eke out a bit of improvement late on and therefore is fancied to continue the yard’s excellent campaign with a bold display in this affair. 

The seven-year-old KATPOLI (best price 9-2) scored twice in this sphere a couple seasons ago on soft ground, including a comfortable win off a ten-pound higher mark than today’s race when beating the useful Hawk High in a class-two event and has posted several good efforts in defeat since. He was second at Doncaster off a mark of 137 in the same grade as the former and was then looking a chief threat at Cheltenham on his reappearance last term until blundering away his chance four out. Absent for fourteen months, he was given a considerate return to action in a warm race for the grade at Wetherby, where he was yet to be asked for maximum effort until making another shuddering mistake which proved costly. I think Dr Richard Newland’s charge is the best horse in the race here and, in the hope he can put in a fluent round of jumping and avoid the habitual odd mistake, he ought to be going close to winning this race. 

It’s interesting that connections of YES INDEED (best price 16-1) highly-tried him on stable debut at Ascot and while he couldn’t make any impact late on, he shaped with promise, leaving the impression that he needed his yard debut/first start for six months and is entitled to strip a lot fitter this time around. Formerly progressive when trained in France in which he was beaten just over 7 lengths when fifth in a Grade 1 at Auteuil in May too. He’s from the same family as the top-class Top Notch and has been eased 5Ib since his latest start for this drop-down in class. He’s only a five-year-old, too, so there’s surely better days to come from him and with today’s slower ground likely to suit him more than most, he could surprise a few at lively odds.