Wednesday Racing Tips from Architect

ENCOUNTER A GIANT (best price 11-1) was engaged in a similar event at Exeter yesterday and while he didn’t feature in the initial line-up due to softer conditions, the better ground, flat track and drop in class should see Alastair Ralph’s charge make a bold bid off top-weight in the Tim Molony Handicap Chase. The ten-year-old impressed on chase debut when galloping Supremely Lucky into submission and while he’s not been able to replicate that performance in two subsequent starts, he’s needed both starts. He was returning from a long absence when pulled up at Exeter but was still bang in contention at Newbury last time turning for home until weakening out of contention. It’s highly likely that connections used those two preparatory outings in order to put him straight for a crack at a marathon distance event and, with the services of Johnny Burke in the saddle, this lightly-raced multiple point winner is an appealing each-way price with several bookmakers. 

A case can be made for all of these but the most persuasive one is for LANDSMAN (best price 6-1), who has gone close on both previous visits to this track off marks of 125 and 120, including when touched off a neck by the 140-plus rated Back On The Lash. His race record, in general, is quite hit-and-miss, while his well-beaten effort at Chepstow doesn’t inspire much confidence last time but he’s 21Ib lower than when an unlucky second a couple years ago before getting even closer when beaten in a tight finish here last year under Charlie Price. Tim Vaughan’s nine-year-old has admittedly been operating below that form this season but we know he likes it here and the handicapper has given him plenty of respite in order to capitalise on his reduced mark with Hamilton Dici seen as the obvious threat. 

PONTRESINA (best price 10-1) has been on the drift this morning but that still doesn’t diminish the interest as he makes a lot of appeal on return in this event. He would have placed at the very least in a competitive event at Cheltenham in November but for unseating his rider at the last fence and had previously finished runner-up over hurdles. He may well have beaten Irish Prophecy at Taunton in this sphere too but for falling at the last fence on his final start for Oliver Sherwood. The winner is now rated 144 so he’s evidently well-treated off a mark of 130 and while his jumping has held him back from more success in this sphere since winning on chase debut, the top-weight is a major threat to all if showing up in similar form, especially with a good record first-time-out to draw upon too in the hands of Ben Poste. 

The Nicky Henderson-trained VALSHEDA (NAP) (best price 6-5) ran a really promising race on his second go in this sphere to finish second at Kempton last month and given the first, Killer Kane, returned a next-time-out winner to advertise the form, he’s strongly selected to go one better under James Bowen in this small-field event and enhance his trainers phenomenal 33% strike-rate at this course. A tall, rangy unit who won over hurdles at Exeter last year, he bounced back from a fall on chase debut at Newbury when producing a strong burst of speed to be beaten only a length last-time-out. While he couldn’t quite overhaul the eventual winner, he was giving that one a couple of pounds and not only did the winner boost the form next time, but so did the fourth, Certainly Red, who bolted up over the weekend. The other three are worthy opponents but Nicky Henderson’s charge has untapped potential to be a good deal better than this grade and a 3Ib rise for that excellent effort in defeat last time shouldn’t prevent him from going a place better here with bigger assignments awaiting him in due course. 

JUST THE MAN (best price 3-1) has a really consistent profile in this sphere and despite only being quite moderate on the level, his form in this sphere is stacking up extremely well so John O’Shea’s individual can get back to winning ways here. He produced a number of placed efforts prior to opening his account at this track in emphatic style back in October and hasn’t really done anything wrong since. He went onto run well in a competitive event at Cheltenham to finish fifth of 18 before a good third behind two horses rated in the mid 120’s but it’s his second to Black Poppy that makes him of even further interest here, in which he pushed Kerry Lee’s charge to within a neck at Hereford and was giving the winner 5Ib too. The winner followed up at Newbury next time off a mark of 113 so the form has a lot of substance and given his hold-up style of racing is likely to suit in a race where there is going to be pace everywhere, the six-year-old gets the vote strike late under Kevin Brogan.