Monday Racing Tips from Architect

TOO BRIGHT (best price 9-1) has a bit of an absence to overcome but it’s possible that Noel Meade has deliberately kept him fresh ahead of his handicap debut given how well he performed on the flat on seasonal reappearance at Dundalk last term. In that event, he chased home stablemate Lunar Power and was beaten just three-parts-of-a-length and, on a line through the winner who’s rated 137, he looks pretty well-treated off 118 here. 

He made the perfect transition to this sphere when easily winning on hurdles debut at Ballinrobe, where a bad mistake at the first didn’t halt his momentum as he jumped and travelled well afterwards en route to winning by just over two-lengths. He then contested a strong event for the grade at Listowel next time, where he was sent off just 11/4 and while he could only manage fourth, he shaped promisingly. The form has worked out strongly as the winner, Bell Ex One, won next time out and went close when third in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival. 

Interestingly, that appears to be the strongest piece of form going into this race so I’m a little surprised to see him trading at such large odds compared to some of those, who need to improve, priced up a lot lower. The chances are he will improve a ton from that display in this large-field scenario and with all reasoning to believe he’s massively overpriced, which includes a lenient mark with good form in his catalogue, I rate his chances under Sean Flanagan just as good as the market leaders, so backing him each-way with five places widely available appeals to me in the opener. 

DECIMATION (best price 17-2) was an early casualty in the Martin Pipe and was behind Carrig Sam on his return in February but his previous second in a Grade 2 here this time last year reads well in the context of today’s event. On that occasion, he was narrowly touched off by the 152-rated Ashdale Bob and he caught the eye on handicap/seasonal debut here back in February, where he travelled strongly and looked the likely winner until fitness took its toll in the latter stages. 

That was his first start in nearly a year so his trainer was clearly using that race as a preparatory run and while things didn’t go according to plan at Cheltenham, he’s got another chance to potentially make amends here off a five-pound lower mark. His form has continued to stack up well, including when a neck second to Queens Brook on hurdles debut here in which that rival ran well in the Mares’ event at Cheltenham to finish runner-up.

His third behind Fastorslow is good form too, as the runner-up filled the same spot in the Coral Cup. Henry De Bromhead’s charge is undeniably thrown in here off 135 and that’s without taking his riders five-pound claim into account again so is very much an appealing each-way candidate with five places on offer, as this unit of a horse should be ready to run a big race back at a course that has indisputably fabricated his best performances to date. 

Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden are a potent combination at this course in which both operate in the 20% strike-rate figure and I am looking forward to seeing the highly-regarded TANGO TARA (NAP) (best price 4-1) make his handicap debut in this event. 

Described to his owners as a ‘rather special horse,’ he was reported to have done a nice bit of work that got the champion trainer excited following on from his impressive P2P victory, clocking the quickest time of the day. Based upon that performance, it was reported that he received a rating of 93, which was exactly the same mark as RSA winner Topofthegame received at that stage of his career. 

Moreover, in a schooling bumper event which had taken place behind closed doors, he was the only horse to have pulled clear with Gentlemansgame so he’s clearly a horse with untapped potential and natural ability. His hurdles debut effort, at Taunton, saw him finish a clear second to the 129-rated Jpr One and while he couldn’t quite get the job done over course-and-distance when last spotted, I liked how he kept finding for pressure down the home straight to force the odds-on favourite Marco Island to pull out all the stops. 

He will encounter quicker conditions here but I think it will suit him better and, with the potential to scale even greater heights further down the line, this appears a suitable opportunity for him to open his account under rules as I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t prove to be at least a 130-rated horse at some point. 

In the Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Hurdle, I have an incline that both the mares HEAVEN HELP US (best price 8-1) and SANTA ROSSA (best price 5-1) will run big races given the weight they receive from the remainder. The former has been performing consistently well all season since bolting up in last year’s Coral Cup and went close to winning on her only previous attempt at this trip back in December when caught in the dying strides by Royal Kahala. She could only finish sixth in the mares’ at Cheltenham last time but a bad mistake at the last didn’t help and conditions will be a lot more suitable here. Danny Mullins is likely to get a freebie on the front-end and if he can consume enough of her energy for the latter stages, she could take some passing as she has the class to win this event back down in grade and therefore appeals most.

The latter, however, is clearly fragile which is why we don’t see her often but she’s got loads of ability and it’s interesting that connections are stepping her up in distance. She has a bit to find with quite a few of these but she was classy in bumpers, winning twice, and doubled her tally over timber when winning easily three weeks ago which was her first start in a year. Of course, there’s the chance she could suffer the ‘bounce-factor’ but getting all the allowances without knowing the ceiling of her capabilities, she has to be worth an interest to find that out with Robbie Power, who’s 1-1 on her, booked to ride. 

LIHOU (best price 12-1), who’s put a sequence of three solid place efforts of late in stronger company, looks to have a great chance in this race. He was third in a class-two last time behind a pair of horses who were rated in the 90s when last spotted and finished no worse than fourth in ten starts throughout last year off marks between 88-92, all of which came in either class 2 and class 3 events. He drops onto this grade for the first time since winning comfortably at this venue over five furlongs off a six-pound higher mark and can make the most of some generosity by the handicapper with a bold showing under George Downing. 

MICK PASTOR (best price 9-2) has subsequently contested graded events since completing the four-timer last summer and appears to have been targeted at this race by connections in which they used a Grade 1 last-time-out to get him straight for this easier event. All of his best form has been on good ground and he was only beaten a couple of lengths in a Grade 2 back in November. His current mark of 143 seems workable and his trainer/jockey has an outstanding strike rate at this course. This six-year-old has already beaten the favourite before and he gets 1Ib from that rival today. I tipped King D’Argent at Aintree but I feel as though he might set it up for Paul Nicholls’ charge who has an excellent chance dropping significantly in grade. 

The feature race of the day is undeniably the Irish Grand National and I am drawn to the claims of two participants. Firstly, course-specialist RONALD PUMP (best price 22-1), who’s record at this course when racing over two-and-a-half miles or further reads an excellent 111222 and those three seconds were behind Honeysuckle (twice) and Fakir D’Oudairies. He ran a cracker back over fences when a half-a-length second of 12 to Diol Ker in Leinster National at Naas and has only gone up five-pounds as a result which doesn’t look overly excessive. He’s a high-class horse, who was placed in a Stayers’ Hurdle too and while he hasn’t had that many goes over fences, this has been a long-term plot by connections which is why they skipped Cheltenham this time round in order to save him for this. With this seven-pound claimer retained, the nine-year-old has a cracking each-way chance with luck-in running and a clear round provided he stays the trip with six/seven places widely available. 

Gordon Elliott, as expected, has a lot of runners in this and I am quite happy to take a chance on FLOUEUR (best price 25-1) who’s taken well to chasing and beat Frontal Assault in a beginners’ chase here in January. He would have won a lot easier that day too without a bad mistake at the last and he then ran a blinder to finish third in the National Trial over 3m4f in his handicap debut despite a scruffy round of jumping. He could only finish midfield in the Ultima at Cheltenham but was reported to have lost a shoe and he didn’t really get going until the final couple of furlongs. Essentially, Jordan Gainford has been booked for the ride again and this seven-year-old will stay the extra yardage. My only concern with him would be his jumping as he’s far from the most fluent but perhaps this longer trip back at this venue will help him in that regard and he’s open to improvement. If he can get into a nice rhythm and be there or thereabouts in the latter stages, I think he’s going to be difficult to keep out of the frame with six/seven places available. If you can put aside his erratic jumping at times, there’s a lot to like about his chances for this highly-competitive event.