Tuesday Racing Tips from Architect

LUCKY AVA (best price 12-1) has proven to be a really reliable and consistent filly for her connections this past eight months or so, finishing no worse than third in eight consecutive starts. Her best form has come on the all-weather but she could hardly be in better form and this speedy four-year-old should be well-suited to this course. With Harry Burns taking off five pounds, this prominent racer should be a leading player with four places widely available. 

MOKAATIL (best price 7-2) doesn’t always produce his best but he’s twice scored at this venue, including in the Dash over course-and-distance last year which came off this mark. He has had two recent pipe-openers which should have put him spot-on for today’s assignment dropping down in grade. His chances are increased due to Ian Williams having his team in good form, while the reapplication of headgear and a tongue-tie with an excellent claimer in the shape of Harry Davies booked to ride is an added bonus. He’s drawn well in stall eleven and with a strong pace to aim at given the chunk of confirmed front-runners in the line-up, everything looks to have aligned perfectly for this well-treated sprinter to put his customary late speed to good use and charge home late into the action and potentially gain a third course victory. 

NIETZSCHE (best price 15-8) hasn’t won for a while and probably isn’t the force of old but he’s become dangerously well-treated being 16Ib lower than when beaten a neck on his last trip to this venue and is taken to land the spoils in these much calmer waters. The nine-year-old mostly competed in stronger events than this during his career as a hurdler and chaser and this former Greatwood Hurdle winner won a listed event in this sphere at Ayr last year off a mark of 132 and is down to a class four here off 119 which is really lenient. 

He subsequently ran well off higher marks in higher-grade company of late and did well to only be beaten four-lengths when third at Ayr last time in which he was bidding to defend his title. His performance can be upgraded as he raced keenly, didn’t jump as well as he can and was hampered mid-race too. This is a lot easier, in fact, the easiest race he’ll have encountered over fences in three years and with most of these having something to prove at present, Brian Ellison looks to have found him an excellent opportunity to go in here off a low mark with Jack Andrews 5Ib claim a valuable addition. He should, realistically, outclass this field. 

LETHAL LEVI (best price 3-1) has yet to finish outside the top three in all career starts and scored twice under similar conditions last term before filling the frame twice afterwards. He couldn’t justify favouritism on his return at Pontefract when only third but the combination of the soft ground and lack of fitness were probably the reasons he underperformed. The better ground here will certainly suit and he’s weighted to take some beating back down in grade for the Karl Burke and Clifford Lee combo.

CHARLIE’S GLANCE (best price 2-1) was engaged in a race at Chepstow yesterday but I’m glad his connections opted for this race instead in which he should prove to be too good for these. This six-year-old returned a good winner on debut in a bumper at Newbury and that form has taken multiple boosts since with the second, third, fourth and fifth all winning since. His victory that day was recorded in a fourteen second quicker time than the bumper Super Duper Sam won over the same course-and-distance and while both of those events were on different occasions, it proved that Andrew Martin’s consistent horse isn’t short of speed. After a good fourth on hurdles debut back at the same course behind Jonbon and Good Risk At All and Boombawn, he’s hit the frame on all three starts since and now that he makes his handicap debut off what is a fair-looking mark of 114 with his claimer offsetting a further seven-pounds, a race like this easily be within his grasp.