Wednesday Racing Tips from Architect

A good race to start the day, the Lily Agnes, in which OCEAN CLOUD (best price 4/1) could book her ticket to the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot if able to maintain her unbeaten record here. Having made a winning debut over the same course and distance, the two-year-old speedily-bred daughter of Camacho defied a penalty to score by a length back at Kempton and, afterwards, trainer Gay Kelleway was quick to praise her efforts by saying that she expected the filly to pass the test with flying colours under Luke Morris. Regarded by her trainer as a ‘natural athlete and a natural fast runner,’ the plan for her this term has been to go to Chester for this event before having her sights set at Royal Ascot. She’s been given a good draw here in stall four and despite Star Of Lady M being feared, this promising filly has the potential to be very smart and, with further improvement anticipated making her turf debut, she is taken to remain unbeaten in a race that her trainer has gone close in before in which her runner was beaten a short head. 

A cracking renewal of this event with three promising fillies’ crossing swords in the form of Above The Curve, Night Battle and HELLO JUMEIRAH (best price 7/1) with preference for the latter. 

William Haggas has a brilliant record at this course, operating at an impressive 32% strike rate, and this filly by Golden Horn should relish the combination of the switch to the turf and the slight step up in trip. I was quite impressed with her debut victory, which showed a lot of professionalism and a good attitude to see off a useful bunch by over a length. Held up in mid-division, she made stealthy headway through the field and, despite having three rivals in front of her at the furlong pole, Tom Marquand produced her confidently through a gap between horses to lead virtually on the bridle. 

That brave manoeuvre by both horse and jockey, saw her begin to hit full stride in the latter stages and she won by a length under hands-and-heels without being asked for maximum efforts. The further she went, the better she looked, and this galloping stiff left-handed course should play to her strengths, so with plenty to like about her in regards to the promise and ability she displayed on debut allied to her quality pedigree, she can rubber stamp that status by potentially defeating Night Battle and the initial favourite Above The Curve. 

In the Stephen Wade Handicap, ROMAN DYNASTY (NAP) (best price 10/1) could offer a spot of each-way value at the odds. The four-year-old hasn’t won since debut but he posted some good efforts in defeat off higher marks last year and rates the day’s each-way nap. He was given a lofty rating of 96 on handicap debut last year following two creditable efforts in a Listed event and the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes on the back of a winning debut has come close to winning twice off similar marks since off top-weight. Firstly, when a neck second off 87 to Billhilly, who’s now rated 97 and subsequently went close at York in a class-two event. Unable to make the same sort of impact in a brace off starts, he was beaten just half-a-length off this exact mark at Chelmsford, only just failing to concede eleven pounds to the winner. He was a shade disappointing at Wolverhampton last time but connections appear to have him primed ahead of his return to the turf here and carrying much lesser weight than he often does coupled with a handy inside draw off a mark that’s within his capabilities, this gelding by Mehmas makes plenty of each-way appeal in the finale. Four places are widely available.

FOUNTAINS CHIEF (best price 5/2) displayed sheer promise in three bumper starts, including on his return, where he only just failed to concede nearly a stone to the winner on return from an eleven month absence. The form of his Stratford victory around this time last year received a welcome boost when the runner-up Latenightfumble, who was almost six lengths behind the former, scored impressively in a Hunters’ Chase at Cheltenham last week. On the evidence displayed thus far, I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t develop into at least a 120-rated individual. His trainer Anthony Honeyball operates at an outstanding 35% strike-rate at this venue and, with that latest run tucked into his belt, he could prove to be too good for these with a fluent round of jumping. 

A good-quality Fillies' And Mares' Listed event and, at the odds, I think SULTANOV SWING (best price 9/4) is the one to side with, who created a deep impression on debut. A daughter of the high-class American Pharoah, she was well-supported into 11/10 favouritism and her backers were never in doubt at any stage, as she cruised into the lead at the two-furlong pole and drew clear without breaking sweat to score by three-lengths. She’s up in grade here but she’s open to a lot more improvement than most of these runners who look exposed and can therefore make a bold bid to remain unbeaten for a trainer who has an excellent 25% strike-rate at this course to boot too. 

The Phil Kirby-trained CARLOS FELIX (best price 2/1) has only won once so far in his career but this appears to be a fair opportunity for him to open his account this season, who’s dropped significantly into this grade for the first time. His only previous victory was off a mark of 78 on the turf and despite finding life tougher since, he’s been competing in higher-grade events off stiff marks and will find this a lot easier. He almost capitalised on his reduced mark to 65 alongside the drop into a class six for the first time on his penultimate outing, where he was beaten just a length off top weight. That was his only start to date in this grade and he got even closer back in class five company last time out, where he was beaten just three-parts-of-a-length, staying on strongly in the closing stages under today’s claimer Ryan Sexton. A 1Ib rise seems very generous in the context of this race and, with the step up in trip sure to suit, he is handed a confident vote to atone for that near miss last time by going one better here.