Friday Racing Tips From Architect

Mawj was impressive on debut and could be a star of the future but BELIEVING (best price 20/1), who was second to the former that day, was denied a passage twice (travelling just as well as the winner) and would have finished closer otherwise. 

She then built on that promise to score comfortably at Wolverhampton and her performance can be markedly upgraded, given she blew the start by about 10 lengths but made relentless progress to take the spoils. I don’t think there’s much between herself and the Godolphin filly and James Doyle has been retained too. 

Stall 11 looks ideal and while this is very competitive, she’s the one who appeals most at large odds with four places generally available for the in-form George Boughey team. 

QUEEN OLLY (best price 17/2) is thought highly of by her trainer David Loughnane and whilst the trainer has rattled the crossbar at this meeting a few times this week, I think this filly has a serious chance in the opener. She’s had just the one start, which came at York in a class two, and she took to the track very well, looking professional with the way she tanked into contention before quickening up in good style to win by an easy three lengths. 

The fact that she’s already proven herself over six and she’s been handed stall 14, just adds more confidence to her chances. With every possibility that she’ll be even more effective at this course, she should go very well here under Rossa Ryan and I’d have her a lot shorter than her current odds. Four places generally available. 

The Group 1 Commonwealth Cup looks like a cracker and I like the look of toe here. The first one is the Karl Burke-trained EL CABALLO (best price 13/2). Since finishing second on debut, this ultra-tough battle-hardened sprinter has been winning race after race and was last seen taking the scalp of some good horses in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes despite not winning in the manner as some would have hoped for, so to speak. 

He doesn’t win easily but he finds loads off the bridle and this stiff finish should play into his hands. He’s drawn very well in stall 20, which should allow Clifford Lee to get him up with the pace on the near side rail and, with even more to offer, he could be set for success at the highest level here. Five places widely available. 

GO BEARS GO (best price 9/1) won a Group 2 and also finished third in a Group 1 in Ireland as a juvenile and made the perfect return to action when scoring over course-and-distance in a trial race for this on his return, beating a few of today’s rivals with a bit to spare. He then shaped a lot better than the result indicated when a close-up fourth in the Sandy Lane Stakes. 

Considering he almost fell out of the gates that day, he did ever so well to recover and finish right in behind the front three home. He did nothing wrong at this meeting last year when a close-up second in the Norfolk, faring best of those drawn low, where he pushed Richard Fahey’s Perfect Power to within a head. 

His record here reads 1-2-1 from three starts and his trainer has targeted this race with him all season. He’s yet to taste victory at the highest level but this race looks absolutely spot on for him to change that statistic. With the five places generally available, he has solid each-way claims but I’m hopeful he can win this if everything falls into place back at his favourite course. 

Frankie and John haven’t had much luck so far this week but TRAWLERMAN (best price 5/1) makes loads of each-way appeal in this race and could prove to be a cut above this field. He was considered a Derby horse by connections last year and while those ambitions didn’t materialise, his penultimate sixth, in a Group 3, is high-class form, as that race featured a Derby winner, a Tattersalls Gold Cup winner, an Irish Derby runner-up and a Breeders’ Cup winner. 

He ran a lot better than his position indicated too and returned from a year off to score nicely at Chelmsford and a 5Ib rise doesn’t look enough to prevent him from scaling bigger heights. A good draw in stall three, which should allow Frankie to get him into a lovely position behind the pacesetters, should see him make a strong challenge when the race takes shape and that move could transpire into success. Five places generally available.

The Sandringham Stakes is always difficult to solve but I liked the way ZANBAQ (best price 14/1) made it two wins from just three starts last month and should be more than ready to make a bold bid off a big weight here. I know she’s required to carry joint top-weight but she’s an improving mare and the form of her penultimate third at Goodwood in a Listed event reads quality form for this grade. 

The first and second have advertised the form in Group company since and she looks pretty well-treated off 99 here with this galloping track sure to suit. She’s been granted stall 17, Jim Crowley rides and Roger Varian has already had a winner here this week so there’s optimism about her being competitive in this race. With five places offered by most firms, I think she’s a suitable each-way choice here. 

Owen Burrows’ has brought a small but select team to Royal Ascot this week and after Green Team ran quite well in the Queen’s Vase, I can see the improving WASHRAA (best price 20/1) going well in this open-looking contest. This daughter of the classy Ribchester has improved with each start and recorded her second win in succession at Nottingham last time, winning with more in hand than the one length margin suggested. 

Owen Burrows’ plots his handicappers very well and this filly, surprisingly, has only gone up three-pounds for that latest victory which seems very lenient. That was her turf debut, so while this is a step up in class, she is progressive and, with Andrea Atzeni in the plate, who’s one-from-one on her, she’s an appealing each-way proposition in stall 19 with five places generally available. 

This is wide-open and I cannot believe KHUNAN (best price 50/1) is the odds he is for this, who’s massively largely overpriced for the Richard Fahey team on handicap debut. He couldn’t get competitive on his final two starts last campaign, but this is a significant drop in grade to the events he normally competes in. He shaped well when second in the Group Two Richmond Stakes and when sixth of 15 in the Group Two Norfolk at this meeting last year when not beaten far behind the likes of Perfect Power and Go Bears Go. 

He looked in need of his return when fifth in a Listed event at York and will take a huge drop in grade here. If high drawn numbers do prove favourable in this race, in which he’s drawn in stall 27, I can envisage him coming home very strongly in the latter stages, so with the six places available across the board, he looks poised to exceed market expectations at huge odds. 

BOND CHAIRMAN (best price 33/1) is another one with valuable course form, who produced a career-best when a fast-finishing fourth in the Windsor Castle here 12 months ago when coming from miles off the pace to be second best of the group on the stands’ side. He wasn’t suited to soft ground last time when only fourth and the return to lightning fast ground here will be much more suitable. 

He gets into this off a very nice weight and Graham Lee, who knows him well, has his only ride on the card. He’s drawn right up the stands’ rail in stall 28, so he is likely to avoid any possible carnage in-running, so in the hope he can keep himself interested in the early part of the race, he should be finishing his race to good effect, which might be enough to see him at least reach the frame at monster odds. Again, with six places generally available, he offers each-way value with a chance of winning this back on a course that suits clearly him well.