Sunday Racing Tips from Architect

Willie Mullins’ GANAPATHI (best price 7-4) has caught the eye at the last couple of Cheltenham Festivals, including in the County Hurdle last time on his reappearance, where he travelled smoothly throughout, looking a big danger, only to weaken out of contention in the latter stages. He won on hurdles debut here and has kept top company since in which he ran with credit each time prior to looking set looked set to take Grade 1 honours against stablemate Gaillard Du Mesnil in the Champion Novices' Hurdle at Punchestown. The six-year-old has plenty in his favour today and should make the most of this good opportunity under Bryan Cooper. 

LOVE ENVOI (best price 2-1) takes on the Irish in their own backyard and I am quietly confident she can bring this prize back home to the UK. I was mightily impressed with the way she travelled and powered clear to score at the Cheltenham Festival last-time-out in which she extended her unbeaten record to six with six of today’s rivals held in behind. The return to this longer trip will suit and the expected rain will very much play to her strengths so she’s fancied to take this under Johnny Burke and complete an excellent season with six straight victories over hurdles. Brandy Love is feared most.

JACKSONS GOLD (best price 7-2) was a progressive hurdler last season in which he won three times and ran a huge race to finish third of 20 at this meeting twelve months ago in the EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle Series Final. That was off a mark of 136 and while he’s not managed to match that form so far in this sphere, he gets into this event off a mark of 126 so is clearly well-handicapped and has been targeted at this event by connections. His latest keeping-on fifth at Leopardstown looks useful form as he was up against higher-rated opponents and the form has worked out strongly too. For instance, the fourth. Batcio, went close in the Topham at Aintree and that race itself at Leopardstown was littered with horses rated between 130-140. Off the same mark in this easier grade, Alice Curran’s eight-year-old has an excellent chance in this race. 

In the BoyleSports Novice Handicap Chase, I really like GRANGE WALK (best price 13-2), who’s in the form of his life at present and produced a fine second to Gentleman De Mee in Flyingbolt Novices' Chase at Navan last time. The winner followed-up in a Grade 1 at Aintree so the form has a lot of substance, while his penultimate second at Leopardstown looks really good form too, as he had subsequently Topham second Batcio back in third. He was second over course-and-distance back in November when only beaten a length by Dunvegan and in that event he had Buddy Rich well beaten in behind too. Also, his comfortable victory back in December at Leopardstown is another smart bit of form, where he had the 149-rated Exit Poll three lengths behind in second. Ideally, this seven-year-old would probably prefer better ground but Shane Fitzgerald takes off a valuable five-pounds and he’s a massive each-way player who should be favourite for this based upon the form available. 

I also like TAKE ALL (best price 15-2) in the BoyleSports Novice Handicap Chase, who’s also been trained for this race and arrives here on the back of two solid efforts over hurdles. He had previously produced some good chase form last year, including a close-up third behind Grange Walk and Leopardstown prior to running well at this track back in January. He looked set to go close at Punchestown in February behind the 149-rated Ciel De Neige when travelling well until falling four out and has had two preparatory runs over hurdles ahead of his return to chasing here. If the rain continues to fall, it will suit this seven-year-old and he should be very competitive off a mark that’s within his capabilities if everything falls into place. 

The feature race at Plumpton is the Sussex Champion Hurdle and MIDNIGHTS LEGACY (NAP) (best price 4-1) has an excellent opportunity to supplement his impressive Ludlow victory with top honours here. A very useful performer on the flat, who was rated as high as 97, he gets his favoured good ground today and has proven form at this track having bolted up over course-and-distance back in October. He’s received an eight-pounds rise for that latest victory but the manner in which he travelled strongly before quickening up in good style to win by over eight-lengths suggests he’s got a lot more left in the locker. 

This looks like it has been a long-term project by trainer Alan King, who’s got an impressive 25% strike-rate at this course. The favourite, Aucunrisque, ran well in a Grade 1 at Aintree but appeared to have a hard race as it came just nine days ago, whereas Alan King’s charge remains lightly-raced in this sphere and gets eight-pounds from the former. With improvement on the cards, this five-year-old is taken to capitalise on the weight he gets from Chris Gordon’s runner and make it three wins from his last four starts in this sphere.