Wednesday Racing Tips From Architect

Princess Shabnam has a very solid chance off her current mark but she will need to be on her best behaviour to beat SWAYZE (best price 6/1) who appeals most at the prices. Since looking in need of his debut eighth at Nottingham, he’s looked a work in progress, which included a smooth victory at Yarmouth before a decent eighth in the Group Three Molecomb Stakes. I thought he shaped better than the result indicated given he was slowly into stride and hampered at the start too.

He might have just been outclassed without those incidents anyway, but he didn’t look out of place in that race which has produced some very good horses already and he ran well to finish third next time. He subsequently reappeared with a new handler and he shaped with a lot of promise to finish seventh of 15 at York off a mark of 84 and that form has been advertised by a next-time-out winner who was in front of him in third. There’s a fair chance he’ll have improved a lot for that return and dropped in grade with Lewis Edmunds booked for the job, he may have flown in under the radar here.

In the finale at Cartmel, DEMI SANG (best price 6/1) could be a good shout at the prices on stable debut for Micky Hammond. The nine-year old isn’t the force of old but he’s a model of consistency and his good record around this course cannot be disputed with figures reading 141243. Both of his wins here were off marks of 129 and 135 in his prime over fences in better events and he ran well to finish third off 114 on his last visit here in this sphere.

Surprisingly, he's dropped four-pounds since, despite putting together a clutch of solid efforts including two more victories and his latest fourth in a class two at Kelso left the impression he remains in good form. Jack Hogan deservedly keeps the ride, claiming his useful ten-pounds and, with all the ingredients to make a big splash off this mark in this grade at a course that he is very well suited to, he gets the vote at an attractive price.

Willie McCreery’s LOVEDAY (best price 9/1) has yet to finish outside the top three in all seven career starts to date and has reached the frame all three times she’s contested a listed event. In the first of those, she was only beaten a length by Castle Star over track and trip, who was last seen finishing second in the Group 1 Middle Park at Newmarket. She then placed twice before opening her account emphatically at Cork prior to finishing a half-a-length second back over the same course-and-distance. 

Her latest display was once again solid, as she switched back at Dundalk, her first run at the course since debut, and she finished third. The only caveat with this filly is that she’s conceding fitness to all her rivals having not been seen for over 240 days but she’s clearly useful, consistent, has lots of pace and has finished runner-up on both visits here in listed company. At the odds, she represents great each-way value all things considered back in a handicap. 

HARMONY ROSE (best price 14/1) is the other one I like here. This filly by Hot Streak also boasts a consistent profile and after winning once and placing three times including behind the smart Twilight Jet, she contested the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot. She was ultimately outclassed but she’s performed with credit in each start since and her latest effort can be best excused given her bad draw.

She’s better judged on her penultimate third on similar ground to today’s going on her reappearance where she did well to finish third considering she was drawn wide in the carpark. Her fourth over course-and-distance on her final start last term in a listed event gives her a good chance at this level and she’s drawn nicely in four to get a good position. If able to bounce back from her latest rare below-par effort, she could go well at a huge price.

There’s an interesting long distance event at the Curragh later on the card and I think the top-weight BENAUD (best price 22/1) is overpriced for the Joseph O’Brien team. He’s very lightly-raced and since completing a double around the end of last year, he’s held his form extremely well against good horses and made his seasonal debut last month with a respectable seventh in a listed event behind three classy stayers’ such as Kyprios, Search For A Song and Baron Samedi. He was also seventh in the Irish Cesarewitch alongside fourth behind Tarnawa in a Group Three and fourth in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot. 

In the latterly race mentioned, he was a shade unfortunate not to finish second at the very least, as he was slow to start and had to come wide around the whole field before staying on strongly in the closing stages to be nearest the finish. This will be only his third start in handicap company, so even though he’s got to shoulder a big weight, this son of Australia looks tailor-made to run a big race under Shane Crosse at double-figure odds here. He’s the class act in the field on what he’s shown to date in pattern company and is an appealing each-way proposal with five places widely available for his in-form trainer, who’s saddled five winners in the last four days.