Monday Racing Tips from Architect

MELLOW BEN (best price 10-3) doesn’t exactly find it easy getting his head in front but he has understandably been highly-tried throughout his chasing career and acquitted himself admirably with multiple placed efforts. Chris Gordon’s nine-year-old was returning from a mini break when a keeping-on third at Kempton last time and that form received a welcome boost over the weekend when the winner Flegmatik followed-up at the same course a couple of days ago. While it’s been a few years since he last won, his last victory was off a fifteen-pound higher mark and he’s already proved on several occasions this year that he’s still capable of operating at a useful standard, placing three times. His earlier third in the listed bet365 Summer Cup is a standout piece of form and he’s six-pounds lower in this much easier event too. In-form rider Jack Tudor has been booked to ride and this appears the right time for his mount to return to the winner’s enclosure. 

THE REAL JET (best price 10-1) took a major step forward from her two previous efforts when making a bold bid from the front over course-and-distance last month, only finding one too good, and is on a lenient opening handicap debut mark in this event. She was given a canny ride by James Best last time, where she made the odds-on favourite Young Butler pull out all the stops and the winner has subsequently ran well to finish a neck second off a mark of 118 so her mark of 102 looks really lenient on the balance of that form. A lot of the remainder have plenty to prove so a reproduction of that latest display with more to come could easily see her go one better. 

A case can be made for all of these but Phil Kirby’s SUNSET WEST (best price 3-1) has displayed a good chunk of promise in all starts to date, including on chase debut at Ayr, where he attempted to charge off and try to maintain a relentless gallop for three-miles until ultimately suffering the consequence in the latter stages. He also made plenty of mistakes throughout but it demonstrated the level of ability he has, as he was still on the bridle down the home-straight and was only beaten three-lengths. I have no doubt that a mark of 115 isn’t the ceiling of his ability, especially when you reflect on his Kelso departure last term, where he looked set to win with his head in his chest until falling at the second last and, in that event, featured Erne River, who’s subsequently won twice so, therefore, this seven-year-old is evidently well-treated and, having warmed up for this with a spin over hurdles last time, he should go very well here.