Wednesday Racing Tips from Architect

The Simon and Ed Crisford-trained DESERT TEAM (best price 3/1) scored for the third time this year when showing a good attitude and pace to see off her two rivals at Newmarket when last spotted. The two she beat that day are now rated 84 and 85, so this is a lot easier, as she tackles lower rated opponents. 

Her win at Catterick also reads well in this race, given she comfortably had Royal Mana held in second and the runner-up is now rated 95. With Harry Burns in the saddle again, who offsets his valuable five-pounds, this filly has a strong chance of bagging a fourth win this year on these favourable terms. 

QOYA (best price 4/1) has displayed promise in each of her four starts and looks ready to make her presence felt in today’s weak event. She caught the eye when a strong-finishing sixth on debut and that form has a nice look to it, as the second and fourth have won since. She couldn’t land a telling blow at Beverley next time but she put in some good late work at Goodwood next time, where again, she was just behind a subsequent winner. 

She would have finished closer than sixth last time on handicap debut without being slightly hampered at a crucial part of the race but wasn’t given a hard time of things in the closing stages. Based upon her performances to date, she should be suited to the step up in trip on this surface and, off a mark of 68 for a trainer who has an excellent strike-rate at this course, it’s hard not to see her competitive here. 

The Brighton Mile is always a great spectacle and I am going to take a chance on two veterans of the party, who run this course-and-distance effectively and are surprisingly available at double-figure odds. POETIC FORCE (best price 14/1) was no match for The Covex Kid here last time, but the eight-year-old is much better off at the weights with the winner this time round and his record over course-and-distance reads 03212, which gives him every chance of outrunning his ludicrous odds. 

He comfortably beat both Granary Queen and Darvel here back in May and is actually back on that same mark if you take William Carver’s three-pounds claim into consideration. He will get his strong pace to aim at and is seven-pounds lower than when a close-up third in this race three years ago off top-weight. With this race sure to have been his main target all summer, he makes plenty of each-way appeal in the hope stall 1 doesn’t inconvenience him too much. If everything falls into place, which is highly likely, he could go close off this mark. Various firms are paying a generous four places. 

DE VEGAS KID (best price 12/1) has a brilliant record at this track, in which his form figures over course-and-distance reads an excellent 2141133414, and the 2019 winner is fancied to roll back the years and possibly repeat the dose here. He absolutely battered his rivals by two lengths plus in this race three years ago off a mark of 79 and was unlucky not to reclaim his title last year when a close-up third off a mark of 77. 

He mostly likely would have won with a clear passage but, in addition, he finds himself down to a mark of 64 off a tiny weight today, which is more than fair. He has been in good form of late and defied top-weight to win here in May before warming up for another crack at this race when third last-time-out. Ideally, he’s drawn in stall 9, as he will just sit in behind and track the pacesetters and, given his exemplary record at this course, the assessor has given him a great chance of being competitive again in a race that brings the best out in him. Four places generally and generously available. 

Silver Kitten is the favourite but she will do very well to beat Robyn Brisland's course-specialist PORTERINTHEJUNGLE (best price 4/1) who loves it here and has lots in her favour. This three-time C&D winner is five-pounds lower than when winning here in a class five event in August last year and she returned to form when fourth here last time from a two-pounds higher mark. 

This race is a slight drop in grade to the races she normally competes in and she should be able to get to the front in this smaller-field scenario. She defied this mark in a class four event here this time last year, so in the hope she brings her best form to the table with Stefano taking off three, I can envisage her making it a fourth course victory here.