Saturday Racing Tips from Architect

MINNETONKA (best price 12/1) made a sparkling debut at Salisbury, winning by seven lengths, and while she couldn’t justify favouritism when only fifth behind Lezoo last time, I think that latest performance will prove to be all wrong in this race as she’s better than she showed at Newmarket. That said, however, she did travel beautifully throughout that race last time, just as well as the winner in fact, until taking an age to get into full stride before she finished her race strongly in the final stages. We can expect Ryan Moore, who’s booked to ride, to get her racing prominently here, which will suit better. Her trainer holds her in really high regard and this track should play to her strengths (has a few similarities to Salisbury) so, at the morning odds, she’s worth an each-way interest with more to come. 

DUBAI LOVE (best price 7/4) looks a really good bet in this race to open her account for the year. She was last seen running well to finish third in a Listed event at Pontefract and had previously shaped encouragingly when seventh in the Kensington Palace at Royal Ascot, which was just her third start in the UK this year. I thought she ran with plenty of credit when sixth in the Thirsk Hunt Cup on her return to this country given how well she acquitted herself in Dubai beforehand. 

She had made the frame multiple times in Group company in Dubai against higher-rated opponents, which included a close-up third to Creative Flair. We cannot forget she also placed third at Royal Ascot two years ago in the Sandringham off a mark of 101. Although required to carry top-weight in today’s assignment, she’s the best horse in the race, brings the best form to the table and is well-handicapped off 94, so unless she majorly underperforms, she should capitalise on this ease in grade under Marco Ghiani. 

Zanbaq was marginally denied in the Sandringham at Royal Ascot and is a filly going the right way but she will do well to overhaul likely front-runner NOVEMBA (best price 6/1) in this race. She’s twice ran at Royal Ascot and last year, she ran a blinder to finish a close-up fourth in the Group One Coronation Stakes over course-and-distance. That form is the best on offer as it featured the likes of Alcohol Free, Snow Lantern and Mother Earth. 

She wasn’t beaten far when fifth in the Prix Moulin De Longchamp behind Baaeed and matched that form when third in a Group Two next time when right in behind The Revenant. Last-time-out, she ran another good race from the front here in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, where she only weakened inside the final 110 yards and lost two places (was in second at the time). This German 1000 Guineas winner will appreciate the drop in trip and grade and makes plenty of appeal to make it third time lucky at the Berkshire venue. 

CHIEFOFCHIEFS (best price 12/1) has loads of large-field handicap experience at this course and ran a great race to finish fourth in the Buckingham Palace Stakes over track and trip last time. He probably would have won with a clear passage as once he was in the clear, he stayed on strongly to be nearest the finish. He gets into this race off the exact same mark, which is the same mark as when bolting up in the Wokingham here two years ago and connections have booked Colin Keane to ride. I like the idea of him being drawn in stall fifteen with loads of pace on his side and, in the hope the gaps open up when needed, he has every chance of winning this race. With six places generally available, he’s a standout each-way proposition here. 

I cannot understand why LION TOWER (best price 50/1) is available at such big odds here. It's as if the bookmakers didn’t watch his last race at all. In the meantime, Grant Tuer sends just this one runner to the course today on a 500 mile round trip, who’s been in really good form for over a year and a half now. Since the start of December 2020, he’s won five times and placed seven times from sixteen starts and produced a career-best performance on his penultimate at York. 

His latest effort when down the field at Sandown can easily be overlooked, as he looked to be coming with a serious challenge, only to hang right slightly and be squeezed for room a furlong out, in which he ended up being shuffled to the back of the field. I do think he would have at least reached the frame otherwise and he’s been left on the same mark here back down his favourite distance. He’s drawn well in stall 18 and Sam James should be able to get a good pitch on him, so while this is his first visit to Ascot, he should easily exceed market expectations with six places generally available. 

Lethal Levi won again for us last time when I advised him in my column at large odds but, on this occasion, I want to take a chance on a horse who was behind him the last day, WITCH HUNTER (best price 10/1). Richard Hannon has expressed on numerous occasions how much he thinks of this horse and his latest effort can be significantly upgraded, as he was slow into stride and failed to get a clear passage throughout the final couple of furlongs when going well. 

Whether he would have won, I’m not quite so sure, but he would have definitely been thereabouts, as he finished his race with loads left on the tank and on the bridle too. In addition, though, he's dropped a pound and meets the favourite on much more favourable terms this race. Things haven’t gone his way since his creditable second in a Listed event on the all-weather, but this small field will help and Pat Dobbs will probably ride him a lot closer to the pace. If all goes according to plan, the top-weight must have a decent shout at the prices. 

Kevin Ryan’s BERGERAC (best price 7/2) has a losing run that his mounting up but I am really confident he will go close to winning this race off this mark. The four-year-old has already placed three times off a mark of 89 this year and is essentially one pound lower than when winning at York last year in this grade, so there’s no doubt how well-handicapped he is at the moment. 

The assessor has left him on the same mark of 87 as when third last time and he came within a nose of beating Gale Force Maya on the other course here in April. That was in a class two off a two pounds higher mark and this race represents a drop in grade. With most of his efforts in defeat this year working out very strongly, it looks all-systems-go for Neil Callan to guide him to a deserved success here. 

SIR BUSKER (best price 12/1) has his stamina to prove over this trip but it’s possible he will improve for it as both of his previous riders have suggested he would be better when stepped up in trip and even though it’s taken this long to see that happen, he’s worth the play at the odds. I can envisage him being dropped in rear to pick up the pieces late on and while Dubai Honour and two Royal Ascot winners feature in the line-up, there’s a chance William Knight’s charge will get a good pace to aim at here. He ran very well on his last visit to this course and while I cannot be sure about his stamina, he could answer those queries with a bold showing in this race as he will find this a lot easier than when finishing behind Baaeed the last two times. 

If this was any other year of the King George, the Arc winner TORQUATOR TASSO (best price 11/1) would probably be pushing for favouritism here, so it goes to show how much strength in depth there is in this year’s renewal. At first glance, he caused a shock when winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October but he had the form in the book to run well and he’s certainly proved that to be no fluke with a lovely performance last time, which will have put him spot on for today’s test. I don’t think conditions will be an issue, as he ran very well behind Alpinista on good ground too. He is the second highest rated in the field at 123 and his form figures besides his return efforts reads 111212121. He rates fair value at the odds. 

This is a very good race but after close examination of all the intended runners, everything points to SAGA (best price 7/4) who I cannot see past. His odds are a little on the short side but he was marginally denied in the Britannia at Royal Ascot, where he came from an unpromising position to be nearest the finish and he probably would have collected the spoils in another stride. He has been hit with an eight pounds ride but this excellent claimer takes off five of the seven pounds and all three starts over a mile have seen him finish second. 

His form is tied in closely with the St James’s Palace Stakes form, as two of his three seconds have been behind Coroebus and Maljoom, who subsequently finished first and an unlucky fourth in that Group One at Royal Ascot. He was only beaten around a length in each of those efforts too and they are the key form-lines going into this race. He is up against in-form rivals, including three last-time-out winners but his form is the best on offer and he comes out best at the weights too. All of his form points to him being a pattern-class winner in waiting, so he’s strongly fancied to get his head in front for the first time this season. 

I tipped both Bond Chairman and CORAZON (NAP) (best price 15/2) when the pair contested a good-quality handicap over course-and-distance last time in which Mountain Peak narrowly denied the former, but I’m eager to go in again with George Boughey’s filly, who was only beaten three lengths in that race on handicap/seasonal debut despite everything going wrong, including the draw, track position and passage. 

She took her form up another level last term, winning a Group Three and was a close-up third in a Group Two and she’s been dropped a couple of pounds for her latest return too. She’s clearly proven how good she can be at a higher level and she will be a lot fitter this time on just her second start in handicap company. The icing on the cake is the booking of William Buick and, now that she’s much better off at the weights with the two at the top of the market with fitness now assured, she could prove very difficult to topple in the finale.