Thursday Racing Tips from Architect

DANCE IN THE GRASS (best price 7/2) looked a filly with lots of quality when beating male opponents over course-and-distance. She’s bred to come into her own over further but she showed good speed and a good attitude to beat a subsequent winner last time. This filly's performance can be upgraded to some extent too, as she sweated quite a lot pre-race and raced keenly in the early stages. That said, she was always on the premises and Silvestre De Sousa was only cajoling her along when the race started to take shape and once she found her stride, none of her rivals could catch her and she was going further clear in the closing stages. She’s up in grade today but she’s worth her place in the line-up and, with even more to offer with that experience tucked in her belt, this dual Group entrant gets the vote. 

Sean Woods’ INANNA (best price 22/1) looks wildly overpriced here. She did everything right when looking professional en route to winning on debut and the form of that race looks strong, as Lakota Sioux, who was third behind Inanna at Haydock, has gone on to win a maiden and finish third in the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot. She was due a second run at the course in July but the horse’s bridle broke in the stalls and she was withdrawn. Connections were convinced she would have won that day too and there’s every inclination she would be a lot shorter in the betting for this race if she was trained by one of the bigger yards. Tom Marquand has been booked to ride here, which is a good sign, and she’s got the potential to rank higher. With further improvement likely, she’s an appealing each-way choice. 

Sweet Reward has an excellent record at this course and drops in grade after a couple of seconds but SCARLET DRAGON (best price 6/1) was seriously unlucky not to score at Windsor last time under William Buick and he has every chance of gaining compensation off the same mark here. The veteran of the field was a classy horse in his younger days, in which he’s a former Royal Ascot winner off a ten pounds higher mark and is having just his fourth start at this level.

If the application of first-time cheekpieces have the desired effect, his class could be too much for the favourite. While his losing run is mounting up, he should be arriving here on the back of an overdue success and his price is appealing from an each-way point of view. A repeat of his latest performance with a clear passage, should see this nine-year-old go close here. 

It’s hard to rule out any of these but the Tom Clover-trained PAPA COCKTAIL (best price 9/2) has more than enough ability to beat these off this mark dropped in grade. He was last of six at Epsom last time but the race wasn’t run to suit and I don’t think he quite handled the course either. In the end, he wasn’t beaten far against higher-rated opponents and he returns to this course for the first time since finishing a good third on his debut. In that race, he was only a neck behind Reach For The Moon, who’s now rated 113 and has yet to finish out of the frame in all career starts and has placed multiple times in Group events since.

The winner of that race mentioned was New Science, who’s won two Listed events since, including at Newbury last time, so the form has loads of substance. That form-line on the selections debut here is the best on offer and while he hasn’t built on that promise since, he’s still got time on his side. A mark of 77 at this level underestimates his latent ability and, if Hayley Turner can get a tune out of him, I’m convinced he can execute a winning performance. 

YAZAMAN (best price 7/1) isn’t one for maximum faith and has predominantly been a very frustrating horse so far in his career, but there’s no doubt he has an engine and he makes his first start for Kevin Ryan here off a lenient-mark on the back of a solid third at Leicester last time. That was a class three event and today is the first time in his career we will see him in a class five event which is interesting.

It’s possible the change in stable could work wonders too and he is very well-handicapped off 70 here, especially based on his second over course-and-distance, which came in a valuable event as a two-year-old. He is hardly ever seen in a class four, let alone a class five and the fact that Kevin Stott rides today, suggests connections mean business here. With a lot going for him on stable debut, he’s of major interest in this event. 

KING’S CASTLE (best price 11/2) has been well-suited to hold-up tactics under this rider of late and that has seen this five-year-old comfortably get the better of Classy Dame twice this year. He was last seen keeping on well to take fourth around three weeks ago and the way he finished that race suggests this longer trip will suit indeed. Classy Dame is a lot better off at the weights with the former today, but Taryn Langley’s mount looks just the better horse of the two and easily put aside the latter over course-and-distance two starts ago. He’s five pounds higher now, but he runs this track well, is generally consistent and with most firms paying four places, he looks a solid each-way proposition here. 

This is a good race and while two last-time-out winners feature in the field, preference goes to PEARLING PATH (best price 9/4) who ran a monster race when second in the Chesham at Royal Ascot and is undoubtedly the one to beat here. He shaped with promise when fifth on debut behind Matilda Picotte and overcame trouble in running to score next time out. He was then sent to Royal Ascot and despite being sent off 80/1, presumably overlooked by most firms, he outran big odds by some stretch.

He travelled beautifully throughout and quickened clear approaching the final furlong, looking like he was going bolt up easily. However, debutant Holloway Boy grew wings and overhauled him in the closing stages. At the first glance, the form might have looked questionable, but I think it’s strong and with more to come from this son of Holy Roman Emperor, David Egan can make the trip over to Ireland worthwhile and go one better in this Group Three contest.