Tuesday Racing Tips from Architect

ROBEAM (best price 28-1) hasn’t offered much in his latest two starts in this sphere but he first started out in the handicap scenario off a mark of 122 and has fallen to an attractive mark of 94 with Lewis Stones taking off a further 3Ib. His rider has been in good form of late with two winners from his last five rides and this six-year-old is having just his third outing in this grade. It’s interesting that connections reach for the cheek-pieces and, while these conditional events are often difficult to digest, I think this gelding by Secret Flame might be worth an each-way punt at double-figure odds in this weak contest. 

KATPOLI (best price 6-1) has undeniably been expensive to follow since returning this season but he’s become so well-treated that he’s worth one more chance now dropped into this grade over fences for the first time in his career. He won at this venue in this sphere two years ago off a mark of 134 in a class two and was second off 137 at Doncaster a month later. His jumping has held him back since but he ran and jumped well at Sandown last-time-out and, having been dropped another couple of pounds, Dr Richard Newland’s charge must have solid claims in this easier grade. 

GAME OF WAR (best price 12-1) could also go well for Olly Williams and Brian Hughes. The ten-year-old is another performer who doesn’t always deliver a good round of jumping but he’s ran well on both visits to his track in a pair of class three events off marks in the 120’s. He wasn’t far behind subsequent winner Buster Valentine here on his penultimate outing and is 9Ib lower today. He wasn’t able to land a blow at Doncaster last time but the step up in trip didn’t help and the return to shorter will play more to his strengths. I think he’s got a really good each-way chance under the in-form Brian Hughes now tackling a class four event for the first time in his career. 

Bally breeze looks nicely treated ahead of his handicap debut but the price about him seems short enough now and I like the look of Jeremy Scott’s STORMY FLIGHT (best price 7-1) who is a solid each-way proposition. The drop in trip might be seen as a negative to some but he’s very consistent and his trainer is very good at placing his horses at this venue. He’s only a pound above his last winning mark and has shaped promisingly in both completed starts since the turn of the year. He should get a strong pace to aim and he’s a horse who generally finishes his races strongly so, in the hope he can keep himself on the premises of the leaders down the home-straight, I can envisage him being competitive under Rex Dingle and potentially win this event. 

One For Billy has been given a good chance by the assessor but he might find it difficult beating BUCEPHALUS (best price 5-2), who has put together two solid efforts in this sphere and came close to winning a couple of weeks ago when beaten narrowly by Head Law. A 79-rated performer on the level, he moves into handicaps off a lenient-looking mark of 107 and, with Gavin Sheehan maintaining the partnership, he could have too much pace for these in the latter stages on handicap debut with plenty more to come.