Wednesday Racing Tips from Architect

GALICE MACALO (best price 9-4) was pulled up on her chase debut in which Deja Vue won the race but her jumping has improved a lot since then and she gets a lot of weight from her two nearest rivals here along with Chester Williams claiming three-pounds. The six-year-old couldn’t get involved over this sort of trip last time but she’s better than that and did travel well for a long way in that stronger contest. I think connections have found her a good opportunity here, especially with the help of the weights alongside some of the best form on offer courtesy of what she achieved over hurdles. All of her winning performances have been achieved when ridden prominently so, in the hope that Chester can get her towards the front throughout, she could have little trouble beating these if her stamina lasts out. 

Despite looking a shadow of his former self of late, I cannot resist the odds available about the Tom George-trained BLACK OP (best price 20-1), who has the capabilities to go close. The return to soft ground is definitely a positive move as the last time he encountered similar conditions saw him finish second in a Grade 1 event. It was only last year that he finished seventh in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and while he hasn’t managed to get anywhere near that form since, he’s too well-treated to be overlooked and is worth one more interest at attractive odds. Dingo Dollar is interesting on return to Doncaster which has yielded some of his best ever performances but he’s got a lot of weight to carry which might just find him out in the latter stages. 

Henry Daly’s LOUNGE LIZARD (NAP) (best price 5-1) has made the frame in all three starts over hurdles, including when chasing home a subsequent Grade 2/Listed event placed Gentleman At Arms. His debut bumper second to Mr Glass looks good form given the winner is rated in the high 120’s, while his fourth on hurdles debut at Aintree has worked out nicely which has produced three winners since. He then chased home another subsequent winner at Market Rasen when encountering soft ground for the first time before filling the same spot when last spotted at Huntingdon. A bigger-field stronger pace will be advantageous to him as he can race keenly and, with the cheekpieces applied ahead of his handicap debut off a really lenient mark of 115, Tom O’Brien’s mount rates a standout each-way proposition with improvement forthcoming for his in-form handler.