Wednesday Racing Tips from Architect

In the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, I have two each-way suggestions with four places on offer. The forecast rain this afternoon will very much be in the favour of the Gordon Elliott-trained FAROUK D’ALENE (best price 12-1), who shouldn’t be discounted at a huge price. This seven-year-old does tick a lot of boxes for this event so it’s no surprise to see him take up this option rather than the National Hunt Chase yesterday. He’s won six of his nine starts and did well to beat Beacon Edge last time-out despite a bad mistake four out. His previous short-head second to Master McShee in the Grade 1 Faugheen Novice Chase and second to Stattler on his penultimate outing are two strong pieces of form, especially given the latter bolted up in the National Hunt Chase yesterday to advertise the form. Davy Russell, who’s won this race three times in the past, takes the ride, and while the likes of Bravemansgame and Ahoy Senor will prove popular, I think this battle-hardened individual has an excellent each-way chance as we know he won’t go down without a fight, he will relish conditions and the Cheltenham hill and he’s open to more improvement too. Backing him each-way with four places is very appealing in my book as he has an ideal profile for this event. 

While he hasn’t matched his hurdles form in this sphere so far, GAILLARD DU MESNIL (best price 16-1) was actually place in front of Bravemansgame in last years Ballymore when runner-up and a reproduction of that effort would surely see Willie Mullins’ two-time Grade 1 winning hurdler there or thereabouts at the very least under Paul Townend. His jumping, of course, needs to have improved since last time but he still produced a very good third to Galopin des Champs in Grade 1 at Leopardstown last month and we know he acts well at this course. The step up in trip should unlock some improvement and, at the prices, he could easily be the best each-way value against the big British-trained pair in the betting.

ASHDALE BOB (best price 22-1) has a stiff enough mark of 152 but Jack Foley essentially takes off 3Ib and this could turn out to be a good bit of placing by Jessica Harrington, who trained Supasundae to win this race a few years ago. He didn’t really take to fences earlier in the season but since being switched back to hurdles, he was a good third in the Galmoy Hurdle behind Royal Kahala which was followed by a career-best, head second to Thedevilscoachman over today’s trip in the Boyne Hurdle last time, where he looked the winner for much of the contest until getting caught in the final strides. He had some very good horses in behind that day, including Ronald Pump, who went close last weekend and while it would no doubt require a new personal best to take this highly-competitive event, he’s an appealing each-way project with six places widely on offer for connections who inevitably do well in the Coral Cup. 

The initial plan was for GANAPATHI (best price 16-1) to go over fences but Willie Mullins clearly feels as though this lad has unfinished business over hurdles, especially upon reflection of his last flight fall when last spotted, in which he looked set to take Grade 1 honours against stablemate Gaillard Du Mesnil in the Champion Novices' Hurdle at Punchestown. The six-year-old is very lightly raced and has deliberately been kept fresh for this event and while he’s 5Ib higher than when only midfield in last year's County Hurdle, he was sent off just 6/1 that day so better was expected and he didn’t exactly have the smoothest of passages, either. He was given a lot to do that day but he looked like running a big race, in which he glided through the field only to be denied a clear run approaching the last before keeping on up the hill under a hands and heels ride. In my opinion, he was one of the biggest eye-catchers from twelve months ago and now that he gets a second crack at the Festival with some really high-class form in the book, he’s a serious each-way player under Bryan Cooper at double-figure odds in the Coral Cup with six places on offer. 

Nicky Henderson has made a great start to the meeting and he’s prone to doing well in this event and, looking at the odds, I cannot believe CALL ME LORD (best price 25-1) is still available at such large odds. He’s a dual Grade 2 winner, including one of those wins being at this track, and was deemed good enough to contest a Champion Hurdle a couple of years ago and he was rated around the 157-160 mark at the time of those performances, so he’s evidently well-handicapped off a mark of 142 here. The nine-year-old has ran some big races during his career in various Grade 1 events so he’s another strong each-way candidate who brings a touch of class to this event. He bounced back from two poor showings over fences to finish with a real flourish to take third in the Lanzarote on his penultimate outing off a mark of 144 off top-weight prior to a good sixth in a Grade 3 when last spotted off the same mark. In addition, the assessor has dropped him a further two-pounds which is lenient and he is entitled to carry a lower eight than usual today of just 11-0. Daryl Jacob gets on really well with him and I am very attracted to the double-figure price generally available about him for the Coral Cup with six places on offer, though, he definitely has the class to win this race. 

A brilliant renewal of the Champion Chase for more reasons than one, where Shishkin takes on his rival Energumene, but looking at the odds, CHACUN POUR SOI (best price 7-1) looks the standout each-way proposition. I know he’s not been at his brilliant best on both visits to the UK, including when only third in this twelve months ago, but there’s no doubt if this race was in Ireland, he’d be half his current price. He’s rated 176 for a reason and that’s because he’s a six-time Grade 1 winner and if Willie Mullins believed he couldn’t go very close, he would have kept him on home soil. But that’s not the case, as he returns to the Festival in the hope of putting matters right and to hopefully silence the doubters. Paul Townend said it was a very difficult decision to side with Energumene and it was based on him being the younger horse and wanting the rematch with Shishkin. Patrick Mullins gets the leg up on Chacun Pour Soi and I can envisage different tactics being deployed on this ten-year-old this year, which should see a positive outcome. I just get the impression that at 6/1, with the three places on offer, he’s got to be worth an investment. He’s still rated a pound higher than Energumene and if there’s ever going to be a time to finally deliver the performance everyone has expected of him so far in the UK, today has to be the day. I think he’s got excellent claims of providing Willie Mullins with a first Champion Chase success. 

First and foremost, I wish Tiger Roll the best of luck in his bid for an historic sixth Cheltenham Festival victory and to bring an end to a remarkable career. If he can produce his best, he’s pretty much certain to win this but, from an each-way perspective, PLAN OF ATTACK (best price 25-1) makes plenty of appeal in the Cross Country Chase with four places widely available. The nine-year-old comes alive at this track, in which he’s ran with so much credit to reach the frame over C&D twice on both attempts in this sphere and has been aimed at this race all season. He was travelling powerfully in last year's Kim Muir until falling three out having placed in the race a year earlier too. He’s a very strong stayer, who has taken well to these unique fences, and he’s open to plenty more improvement on just his third start in the cross-country scenario. Essentially, everything looks in place for another very good run and I’d make him a lot shorter than his current odds. 

A really competitive renewal of the Grand Annual but ANDY DUFRESNE (best price 7-1) brings a touch of class to the race and has the right sort of profile for this event. He’s a classy horse on his day, who appears to have been trained for this event by Gordon Elliott. His only disappointing effort was when sent off just 3/1 in a Grade 1 on his penultimate outing and was ultimately pulled up but, other than that, he’s yet to finish worse than third in his career. I am glad connections have kept him fresh for this, as his record on the back of a three-month break or so reads very well and he was last seen running well to finish second to Captain Guinness when giving the winner a lot of weight too. The eight-year-old remains open to improvement given his lightly-raced profile and he looks tailor-made for this event on handicap debut under Mark Walsh. He will appreciate any rain that hits the course with form on soft ground or worse reading 1213113 and his third in a Grade 1 behind Monkfish is a high-class piece of form in the context of this event. With six places widely available, he rates solid each-way material at the very least with a chance of taking top honours. 

At a bigger price, in the Grand Annual, I am happy to take a chance on front-runner FOR PLEASURE (best price 25-1) who’s form behind Edwardstone received a welcome boost when the winner claimed the Arkle in good style yesterday. He was last of four behind that rival last time but an opening mark of 138 off a tiny weight on handicap debut makes him a dangerous horse to discount. He’s likely to get a freebie out in front under Harry Bannister and this track will play more to his strengths too. He was third in last year's Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and prior to that had won the Grade 2 trial event from the front on soft/heavy ground when beating Third Time Lucki. Whether he can quite pull off similar trail-blazing tactics in this large field remains to be scene, but he’s bound to give his running and, knowing he likes the course, who will avoid any possible carnage in behind and the fact that he sneaks in here off a nice weight off a realistic mark, Alex Hales’ star performer has a decent each-way shout at the prices with six places generally available. 

The Champion Bumper is an absolute minefield but JAMES’S GATE (best price 16-1) looked a good prospect when winning impressively on debut on heavy ground and will benefit from any rain that is expected later on. Willie Mullins’ has a host of serious contenders in this event but this Gelding by Shantou is well worth his place in the line-up and showed a lot of attributes to quicken away from his opposition on debut despite racing keenly at various stages of the contest. His stablemate Facile Vega is undoubtedly the one to beat but one thing we have learnt over the years, is to not be put off by Willie Mullins’ outsiders and, in this case, James’s Gate could be the surprise package in the finale. With four places widely available, he might be the one for each-way supporters.