Friday Racing Tips from Architect

An excellent renewal of the Duchess Of Cambridgeshire with a chance taken on Michael Bell’s MAYLANDSEA (best price 2/1), who returned an impressive winner on debut when beating Ralph Beckett’s Keep Bidding and then showed lots of improvement when only finding the classy Dramatised too strong in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot last time.

The front two pulled clear of the remainder and the way she travelled through that race and kept on strongly in the closing stages suggests this filly could be underestimated here. She’s not yet raced at Newmarket but the step up in trip is sure to suit and she’s the top-rated filly in the race at 104, rated seven pounds clear of the favourite trained by Ralph Beckett, Lezoo.

If she can run to that Royal Ascot form over this longer trip, I think her qualities will come to the fore and prove too much for her rivals to handle in the closing stages. 

ZAIN CLAUDETTE (best price 5/1) makes a lot of each-way appeal in this Group Two event. It’s possible that connections were using her latest effort as a preparatory run for today’s contest as it wouldn’t be the first time a horse was prepped in a Group 1 with other targets lying in wait.

She did, however, shape well to finish ninth of 20, beaten just five lengths in the Commonwealth Cup and she returns to the scene of her Group 2 win in the Lowther Stakes over course-and-distance. She is the only runner in the field to have won at this course in pattern company, which is advantageous, and she is the second highest-rated in the race at 108.

Her form figures below Group I events reads 2111 and - with track, trip, conditions, fitness and the form in the book all in her favour - she’s a serious contender to potentially add a third Group win to her impressive-looking CV. Four places widely available with Bet365, SkyBet, Hills, Betfair, Coral, and PP. 

The Patrick Owens-trained ADAAY TO REMEMBER (best price 20/1) has a bit to find with a few of these based upon official ratings but she’s overpriced from an each-way point of view. She was twice Listed-placed last year and has yet to finish out of the frame in seven career starts. She handles most ground but saves her best for fast conditions and she made a nice reappearance over course-and-distance on handicap debut in May, where she travelled best and stuck to the task well having taken a blow at the furlong pole.

More is obviously needed at this level but connections are convinced she’s capable of being competitive in Group events and she should come on considerably for her latest return to action. She could have tackled an handicap off her mark but her trainer is keen to potentially sacrifice a lenient mark to tackle this harder assignment and with more to offer, she’s worth an each-way interest under Louis Steward with various firms paying four places - Bet365, SkyBet, Hills, PP and Betfair. 

Hugo Palmer’s ZOFFEE (best price 14/1) has unsurprisingly been been raised six pounds for winning the Northumberland Vase at Newcastle, but the way he stretched clear in the closing stages against a good-quality field to win eased down left the impression he’s still a horse who’s ahead of his mark.

He is also weighted to reverse his return/yard debut third at Salisbury with Spirit Mixer and it’s interesting to see Frankie booked to ride. I am a little shocked to see him trading at such large odds, as I would have had him within the top three in the betting upon reflection of that demolition job when last spotted.

He’s clearly fulfilling his true ability for Hugo Palmer and despite being on a career-high mark, he’s a solid each-way choice with some firms paying up to six places - such as Bet365, SkyBet and PaddyPower. 

DUBAI WELCOME (best price 16/1) was disappointing on his handicap debut back in September 2020 but, otherwise, he’s yet to finish outside the top two and his trainer is good at placing handicappers in certain events throughout the campaign. Connections saddled the winner of this race 12 months ago and this sole representative has to enter the reckoning with more to offer.

He’s not proven over a distance this far, but the way he’s been finishing off his races suggests it could suit and it seems like he’s been targeted at this race for quite sometime. Ray Dawson is in the saddle and this unexposed five-year-old gets into this race off a low weight too. At such a big price, with firms paying six places - Bet365, SkyBet and PaddyPower, he could outrun his odds. 

Yahsat is sure to be popular having ran well on her only previous visit to this course but I just feel as though the value is with Richard Fahey’s THE PLATINUM QUEEN (best price 3/1) who would have got past the former in another millimetre in the Queen Mary last time.

Her performance can be markedly upgraded as she raced on the far side of the track with no cover and, to her credit, she stuck to the task well in the closing stages, beaten just seven lengths by Dramatised despite a lot going wrong for her throughout the event. That was just her second career start and she’s thought a lot of by her handler, which is why she was highly tried in that race after a smooth winning debut at Ripon.

This stiff finish at York should play to this fillies strengths and, with every possibility she’ll get a good pace to aim at with the favourite likely to go forward, she could reverse the latest form here. I don’t think there’s as much to separate them as the betting indicates if you go back and watch the Queen Mary, so I’ll take my chances on the least exposed bigger priced runner, who is open to more improvement.

COSMIC DESERT (NAP) (best price 7/2) has been consistent in defeat in all four starts for Charlie Appleby and the application of a hood and drop in trip looks a good move here. The form of his debut third when a place in front of Missed The Cut, who subsequently won the Golden Gates at Royal Ascot easily is a high-quality piece of form, likewise is his second to Deauville Legend at Windsor next time, who landed yesterday’s Group Three Bahrain Trophy here.

Despite returning a beaten favourite the last two times, he’s well-treated off 87 on the balance of his overall form and, with excellent apprentice Harry Davies taking off a valuable five pounds, this son of New Approach should go very well here and is taken to finally come good. 

I fear Lord Rapscallion but the price about BULLACE (best price 16/1) seems too big and he’s not out of this if able to rediscover his best form if the first-time blinkers have a positive effect. His latest performance was underwhelming but this four-year-old was really good in the early part of last year, in which he was third in a competitive Listed event on the back of three wins.

He was deemed good enough to contest the Group One St James’s Palace Stakes and while he was simply outclassed, he has fallen from a rating of 106 to a handicap mark of 90. Conditions will be in his favour and he’s drawn well in stall two. Whether he’s back to his best or not remains to be seen but at a double-figure price with Ralph Beckett’s team in good form, he gets a speculative each-way vote. 

DUSKY LORD (best price 9/2) could only finish midfield in the Dash last time behind Tees Spirit but his run can be excused as he was slow into stride and was always on the back-foot afterwards. Furthermore, he lost both front shoes, but clearly better was expected as he was sent off just 9/1 and he’d previously impressed on the other course here on seasonal debut when beating subsequent winner Rebel At Dawn.

Roger Varian’s charge has won three of his seven starts and he’s three from four over five furlongs too. He remains low-mileage with room for progression and, provided he makes a clean break here, he could make amends for the latest disappointment and gain revenge on Tees Spirit. I think he’s capable of defying this mark if everything goes according to plan. Four places generally available with most firms. 

PEGGY SIOUX (best price 4/1) should arguably be a lot shorter for this race on the back of a career-best performance at Royal Ascot. An impressive debut winner at Hamilton last year, she’s been highly tried since and showed bags of pace and speed to nearly grab the spoils in a highly-competitive handicap last time. She looked to have won the race at every stage except the final 50 yards, where she idled and was collared as the finishing post loomed.

However, she was right in the mix with horses rated much higher than today’s opponents (mostly 90 plus) and can find herself only three pounds higher, dropped significantly in grade with conditions right up her street. Kevin Ryan’s charge should have loads more to come but even a reproduction of her latest effort should be more than enough to see her back in the winners circle.