Sunday Racing Tips from Architect

GREY GALLEON (best price 4-1) doesn’t win often but is well-treated on the pick of his form, including his easy C&D victory back in 2020 which came off an eight-pound higher mark than today’s mark. He has been a model of consistency since, in which he’s either placed or run well off marks around the 70 and the application of cheek-pieces looks like a good move. Rossa Ryan has been booked to ride and, with the form in the book to win this event, he should be extremely competitive here. 

GINGER JAM (best price 7-2) likes it here with two wins and a third over C&D off similar marks and he warmed up for this with a good sixth at Beverley last week behind subsequent winner Ava Go Joe, where he was beaten under two lengths and would have finished closer without being forced wide from a poor draw in stall 12. He scooted clear on his first visit here off 80 before placing off 83 and then coming back to the same course to gain a second course win off 78. This seven-year-old brings really solid form to the table and dropping back in grade off a mark that he’s exploited twice already here, this could be his for the taking with conditions perfect. 

GLASVEGAS (best price 13-2) last tasted success last year off a seven-pound higher mark and while his results have been hit-and-miss since, the top-weight is handicapped to have a say in the outcome dropped into this grade for the first time in his career. Rated as high as 96 two years ago, he’s been running well off higher marks (mainly in the 70’s) since winning at Brighton and should be ready for the return to the turf after a series of efforts on the all-weather. His last three winning marks were off 73, 71 and 69 in class five events, so the current mark of 66 is well within range and this is the first time he’s dropped into a class six event. Pat Cosgrave knows him well and therefore David Evans’ charge has been given every opportunity by the assessor to go very close in this winnable event. 

Roger Varian has an unbelievable strike-rate at this course with 11 winners from 22 runners (46%), who has his team in great form of late with six winners from his last twenty four runners and he sends just the one runner to the meeting today, KRATOS (best price 9-2). His career started with a second and a win at Newcastle and while he found life a bit tougher in a sequence of starts after, he looked well-suited to the step up to this trip last time, where he finished strongly from off the pace to claim a close-up fourth. He makes his turf debut off a fair mark of 65 and, with improvement forthcoming, he could be a dangerous proposition under Jefferson Smith dropped into this grade for the first time with fitness on his side too. 

It’s interesting to see Tim Easterby step NOTIME TO PASS (best price 20-1) up in distance here, who is from the same family as smart stayer Wells Farhh Go. He hasn’t made an impact in three starts so far but hasn’t been given a hard time of things, including last time, where he kept on under hands-and-heels to finish tenth. It looks as though connections have been using those three runs to get a really nice mark ahead of stepping up in distance. David Allan has also opted to ride him over Marbuzet and with the pedigree to suggest he’s going to come into his own over these sort of marathon trips, this handicap debutant could surprise a few at double-figure digits with most firms offering four places.