Friday Racing Tips from Architect

Chris Gordon’s HIGHWAY ONE O TWO (best price 16-1) has looked on good terms with himself this term, where he got back to winning ways at Taunton from the front before backing that up when excellent front-running second to Cobblers Dream in Lanzarote at Kempton. He was giving plenty of weight to the winner but was only beaten five-lengths and the assessor has taken a light view of that display by only putting him up a pound which appears to be generous. Judging by previous form, he’s arguably a better animal on better ground so conditions will be to his liking and his trainer could hardly be in better form either with five winners from his last seven runners. With five places widely available, I think this seven-year-old looks a really solid each-way bet in the opener. 

BROOMFIELD BURG (best price 14-1) hasn’t looked the most straightforward and resolute in a finish but Nicky Henderson’s charge is undoubtedly well-treated off a mark of 132. He had excuses when only midfield in the County at Cheltenham, where a bad stumble three out ultimately put him out of contention. Let’s not forget he was sent off just 11/4 favourite for the Betfair Hurdle and while he could only finish seventh, he travelled extremely well throughout until his early excursions of racing keenly took its toll late into the race. This keen-goer will definitely need to settle a lot better over this longer trip but I think a strong pace will help in that matter and Aidan Coleman takes over in the saddle this time round. I’ll be surprised if an initial mark of 132 does prove to be the ceiling of his ability and if there’s one horse in this field that can really make a mockery of their mark and rank higher, it might be him. He makes plenty of each-way appeal in the opener with the five places available and advised. 

The other one that jumps off the page is the Ben Case-trained COBBLERS DREAM (best price 8-1) who returned an ultra-impressive winner of the Lanzarote at Kempton, where he scored with loads up his sleeve. He looked certain to win the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham when travelling into contention on the bridle approaching the last hurdle only to find the combination of the hill and the loose horse coming across him hindering his chances. I was visually impressed with the way he went through his race under Jack Andrews and, essentially, he’s only gone up four-pounds. If anything, he’s actually a pound lower here as Jack wasn’t able to claim in that race, whereas he can take off 5Ib here, effectively leaving him on a mark of 135 rather than 140. He has showed a lot of speed and professionalism in all three starts in big-field events and I can envisage this finish suiting him a lot better than Cheltenham, so even a replica of the last run might well suffice and therefore he’s a strong each-way player with five places widely on offer.

A DIFFERENT KIND (best price 40-1) lost his unbeaten record when third at Cheltenham in a listed event last-time-out but that was still a good effort considering the hurdles were omitted down the home straight and he pretty much set it up for the eventual first and second in the closing stages. He’s entering a new territory here stepping up to the highest level but the drop back to two-miles looks a good move, especially with how much raw pace he’s demonstrated in each of his previous victories. I know it’s going to be difficult to win this but Donald McCain clearly feels as though he’s up to being competitive in some sort of way and therefore could surprise a few with a performance that can hopefully see him exceed market expectations and reward each-way supporters by hitting the frame at massive odds. 

A really quality field for the Grade 1 Marsh Chase and while Fakir D’Oudairies rightly heads the market, he’s not exactly clear of these on ratings and I am keen to take him on with two participants. Firstly, SCEAU ROYAL (best price 14-1) who has been targeted at this race and has the class to win this if he stays. I know he is entering unknown territory over this trip but the ten-year-old arrives here on the back of an excellent second to Funambule Sivola in Game Spirit Chase at Newbury in February, where he did all of his best work at the end of the race. Alan King took the risk and skipped the Champion Chase with him in favour of this event, which is interesting given how unlucky he was in that event last year in which he looked to be coming with a good-looking challenge only to be badly hampered up the inside rail and eventually finishing a creditable fifth. Daryl Jacob has undeniably got a good cracking with him and with this flat track and drying conditions sure to see him to best effect, he’s taken to potentially bag a second Grade 1 event in his career. 

CAPTAIN GUINNESS (best price 12-1) is another that has yet to be tested over this sort of trip but he’s been kept fresh for this by connections and should be suited to the flat track. He ran a decent race to finish third in last year’s Arkle but I don’t think he was at his best that day and I’m convinced the track isn’t to his liking. Most of his form has been on softish or worse ground but the only time he encountered better ground was when a good third in the Tingle Creek, where he was taken out of his comfort zone from an early stage but stuck to the task nicely in the latter stages. He was impressive when quickening up in good style to win a Grade 3 event last time and while this race will probably require a new personal best, I feel as though he’s worth backing in the hope he can find that bit more improvement and run a big race with three places on offer. 

While he probably isn’t the force of old, the Nicky Henderson-trained JANIKA (best price 22-1) was fourth in this three years ago off a mark of 162 off top-weight and is 19Ib lower now so isn’t out of this by any means now reunited with Daryl Jacob. He’s down to a career-low mark of 143 and is due to carry a light weight which will definitely help his chances. He was disappointing when last spotted but perhaps a return to these fences will bring him back to life and, if they do, the nine-year-old has every chance of winning this off his mark. With six places widely available, he’s one I want for my shortlist in this wide-open but appealing renewal of the Topham from a betting point of view. 

SNUGSBOROUGH HALL (best price 20-1) was an eye-catching fourth in this twelve months ago when given a lot to do and warmed for another crack at it with three subsequent spins over hurdles and shaped well to finish third in the latest of those. He’s actually 4Ib lower than a year ago with his riders claim taken into account so is pretty well-handicapped and the experience of this course can always be recognised as a slight advantage. This is probably a slightly tougher race on paper this time round but he has a lot going for him and, provided he can latch himself onto main group with three to jump, I am confident he will at least reach the frame and the six places widely available make him an even further appealing each-way proposition with the quicker conditions right up his street. 

The Dan Skelton-trained SPIRITOFTHEGAMES (best price 16-1) could finally get his big day in the Topham Handicap Chase. He’s become dangerously well-treated off a mark of 136 whilst still running to a high level of form on the back of two very solid placed efforts at Cheltenham. He previously finished a neck-second in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup off 146, second in a Paddy Power Gold Cup behind Coole Cody off 148 and a sixth in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival off 149 once upon a time. Moreover, the ten-year-old has also placed the last two times in another couple of highly-competitive events at Cheltenham off this sort of mark and was also placed at this meeting last year in the Betway Handicap Chase, in which he finished third off an 8lbs higher mark too. Harry Skelton is in the saddle and with plenty to like about him for this, such as his assured jumping and smooth travelling style of racing, he could be extremely competitive if he takes to the fences with six places generally available.

MISTER WHITAKER (best price 33-1) has yet to capture his previous form in which he won and placed multiple times off marks in the high 140’s, including with a win and place at the Cheltenham Festival, but he’s so well-treated off a mark of 134 and I think this scenario is a good opportunity for him to showcase his attributes and excellent jumping. He warmed up for this with a good spin at Newcastle back in February and the Donald McCain team could hardly be in better form. This ten-year-old does tick a lot of boxes for this event despite lacking experience of the National course and given he’s sure to be ridden prominently, which should allow him to get into a nice rhythm, he must surely hold a better chance than his price suggests under Brian Hughes who reads this course well, especially with most firms paying up to six places. 

I quite like GENTLEMAN AT ARMS (best price 14-1) for this Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, who’s improving by the run over hurdles and arrives here on the back of a straightforward task which will have teed him up beautifully for this event now going up in distance. The five-year-old has been finishing his races strongly to suggest he’d appreciate a step up in trip and he probably would have beaten Stag Horn if ridden closer to the pace in a Grade 2 at Warwick. He made relentless progress down the home straight to get within two lengths of the winner which looked unlikely on the home turn and matched that form when narrowly denied in a listed event next time. Stuart Edmunds has a really nice horse on his hands and, with this track likely to suit, he could be the each-way value with four places generally available as he bids to supplement his qualities in Grade 1 company.

This isn’t the strongest of Grade 1 events and the other one I quite like is the Dan Skelton-trained DUKE OF BRONTË (best price 18-1), who is pitched into the deep end on just his third hurdle start. A smart flat performer, who was rated as high as 104, he stepped up on his hurdles debut when returning an easy winner at Doncaster. He needs to step up on that form to figure, while he’s unproven at the trip, but he’s the least exposed runner in the field and connections wouldn’t be risking him at such an early stage of his career without good reason so he’s worth an each-way interest to find out whether he’s good enough or not in such a winnable Grade 1 with four places widely available.