Monday Racing Tips from Architect

DAKOTA BEAT (best price 9/1) hasn’t been able to make any sort of impact in four starts for current connections but the seven-year-old is very well-treated based upon previous form. He was third over this trip off a mark of 124 in a class three event at Perth last year and has fallen a long way in the weights to a career-low mark of 99. Also, he’s tackling a class five for the first time, so is sure to find this easier, and is worth an each-way interest at double-figure odds despite only the two places available due to a couple of non-runners. 

PHOENIX STAR (best price 4/1) has been running consistently well of late to suggest his turn might be near. He’s back on the same mark as when last successful and whilst that victory came on the turf, he is much better around here than anywhere else. His form figures at this course reads 32122 and he should be able to get a good pace to aim at, as he often likes to charge through late. Lewis Edmunds, who has his only ride on the card and gets on well with him, has been booked for the job and this course specialist is a serious player with a clear passage on return from a short break. 

OUTRAGE (best price 9/1) is the oldest at the party but he’s a four-time C&D winner and 4Ib lower than the first of those victories. He was a close-up third over track and trip in December off a mark of 87 in a class three event and was hot on the heels of Phoenix Star on that occasion. In this race, he’s much better off at the weights with the runner-up and gets the assistance of Rossa Ryan in the saddle. He’s not the most consistent nowadays but is dangerous to dismiss from a good draw in stall two. 

BLESS HIM (best price 2/1) has to give weight to all his opposition but he’s the best horse in the race and knowing that half of the field are making their seasonal reappearance and most of the others are stepping up in grade, Jamie Spencer’s mount is taken to return to the winners enclosure for the first time since last year. He drops into this grade for the first time since winning easily in 2019 and he did very well to get as close as he did in fifth at Wolverhampton last-time-out being the only horse to come from off the pace. The assessor has dropped him a handy 1Ib and his last two visits to this track resulted with a victory off a rating of 105 in a All-Weather Championships Fast-Track Qualifier before a second in another qualifier to the useful Tempus. This is easier and, with a strong pace likely to be on the cards, he might be able to weave his way through the field when the race begins to take shape and showcase his class in the latter stages.