Sunday Racing Tips from Architect

In the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, the French 1000 Guineas, I think the odds about DAISY MAISY (best price 16/1) seem rather insulting, especially when she was only collared in the final strides to Rosacea when last spotted on her seasonal debut. That was a smart effort considering she had an interrupted preparation beforehand in which she had taken a heavy fall in training. She is likely to have come forward a lot from her seasonal debut and she has everything in her favour today, including being drawn well in stall six and the fact that she loves this course.

Now that her well-established trainer has had a clear run with her in between her latest effort and today’s long-term task, she could be a lively player at a big price with four places generally available as she doesn’t have much to find with the second favourite on the form available. 

The other one at a big price I like is MANGOUSTINE (best price 16/1) with the four places generally available with most firms. She suffered the first defeat of her career when third in the Group 3 Prix de La Grotte but ran with plenty of credit when just in behind Daisy Maisy as she would have needed her reappearance last month on debut for this trainer. This filly by Dark Angel had earlier won her first three starts including an impressive win a Group Three and she’s drawn very nicely in stall in stall eight which should allow Gérald Mossé plenty of options.

She’s a very classy individual and now that she has the experience of this course to draw upon and knowing she’s going to be ready for this in regards to fitness and with more to come, she makes plenty of each-way appeal in the first of the two classics. 

ROYAL MARINER (best price 16/1) could only muster fifth of six on debut at Newmarket’s Craven meeting, but should have improved both physically and mentally with that experience under his belt. He was well-supported before the off’ and the form is working out well with the second Parachute scoring since. He’s related to high-class sprinter Ten Sovereigns and, being James Tate’s only runner of the day, he could go well at a double-figure price. 

MATILDA PICOTTE (NAP) (best price 15/8) looked an exceptional filly in the way she beat Comhra (won since and re-opposes) on her debut when eased down in the latter stages to win by over two-lengths. Her trainer has expressed how much he holds this filly by Sioux Nation in high regard and she couldn’t have shown much more professionalism, speed and quality on debut where she did it the hard way from the front and had all her rivals in trouble a fair way from home whilst she was still on the bridle before winning without breaking sweat.

The runner-up has scored impressively since and I see no reason why the drop back to five-furlongs will be an issue as she’s got a lot of natural pace, a high cruising speed and a turn of foot that can hopefully transpire into another sparkling display in this Group 3 contest she makes her way through the ranks.

In the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains, the French 2000 Guineas, I’ll be having an each-way bet on MAKING MOOVIES (best price 25/1) with the four places generally available. He’s won three of his six starts (placed in the other three) and has not been beaten far in both visits to this venue. This demands more, but he’s a smooth traveller that has a turn of foot and seems a very well-balanced and organised individual too. I know he’s shown plenty of smart form to date but I don’t think we have actually seen the best of him and he’s been bought along nicely by his trainer with a view to getting him to peak for this race. With a bit more improvement to come and with form figures that have yet to see him out of the top-three, mathematically, he’s a shade overpriced and gets the each-way vote. 

If BAYSIDE BOY (best price 8/1) was drawn better than fourteen, he’d probably be favourite for this race, as he’s actually joint top-rated at 114 with Modern News and it’s fascinating to see the world class Olivier Peslier booked for the ride, who has a tremendous record in the French 2000 Guineas. Roger Varians’ runner was high-class as a two-year-old last season, where he won two of his five starts, including when winning a Group 2 at Doncaster in which he beat Reach For The Moon and Lusail, with the latter subsequently running well to finish fifth in the 2000 Guineas in the UK. 

This colt then backed up that winning performance with two solid third place efforts in a pair of Group 1 events, firstly in the Dewhurst Stakes when beating only a couple of lengths behind Native Trail before a solid effort in the Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes behind Luxembourg. He’s been absent since but this might have been the plan all along and his form-lines are the best on offer, probably stronger than what the favourite has achieved. As stated, the draw could have been kinder, but I am putting my trust into Olivier Peslier, who can hopefully use all his years of experience and get him into a good early position and, if his mount is within striking distance at the furlong pole, I can see him winning this. At the very least, he looks a serious each-way player at an unbelievable price with four places available. 

New York City landed the Committed Stakes last time but STRAIGHT ANSWER (best price 9/4) conceding race fitness to the winner and with that promising first display of the season under his belt on his first go at the minimum distance, he is strongly fancied to reverse the form and land this Group 3 Goffs Lacken Stakes. The Ger Lyons team are also represented with the unbeaten Beauty Inspire but it’s significant that Colin Keane, who has ridden her to both victories to date, has opted for the former who was deemed good enough to contest last year’s Dewhurst and while he could only finish last due to not staying the distance, the way he went through his latest race suggests he could be a smart sprinter going forward. Furthermore, he’s rated 2Ib higher than New York City at 110 and, with a lot more to come, he can equal the score with the favourite and make it three wins from just five starts. 

Aidan O’Brien runs four in this but none of them appear good enough to beat KERKIYRA (best price 7/4) who could hardly have shaped any better in defeat in some strong maidens including when chasing home the likes of Discoveries and Concert Hall on two separate occasions before finishing a length second to subsequent listed winner Limiti Di Greccio. Her latest three-parts-of-a-length second to Villanova Queen reads well in the context of this too as the winner ran well to finish third in a Group 3 when last spotted. Johnny Murtagh has his team in excellent form and this consistent filly wouldn’t need to be at her best to make a successful seasonal debut in this event.