Thursday Racing Tips from Architect

ORNATE (best price 18/1) has the widest draw to overcome but he’s surely still a class above this field even if he’s on the decline and this will be the first time in a class five event in his career. The nine-year-old has tackled some of the best sprinters of this era during his career and is a past course-and-distance winner, who was also sixth in the 2019 Beverley Bullet. 

All three of his runs here have been in class three events or higher, so he’s going to find this a lot easier and he wasn’t beaten far (only four lengths) at Goodwood last time in a red-hot handicap, where he displayed his usual early speed. If he can somehow use his early gate speed to tack across the field and get to the front, he could easily outrun his ludicrous odds with four places widely available. 

ABERAMA GOLD (best price 11/1) runs this track very well, albeit all of his form here has been over six, in which he won off a mark of 101 in a class two and then finished fourth in his other three starts in either Listed or class two events when rated 102-plus against much higher rated opponents. He hasn’t won since that victory here but he’s continued to hold his form impeccably well and has made the frame three times this year off this sort of mark or higher considering his mark has eased with nearly each start. 

He was touched off by just half a length at Ayr on his penultimate start at Ayr off this mark and kept on strongly to take fifth behind Gale Force Maya at York last-time-out. The only previous time he tried seven, resulted with him finishing down the field, but that was in a Group Three and he’s shaped as if the trip will suit him nowadays. Ryan Sexton claims five-pounds and, if his mount does appreciate the step up in distance, he looks capable of running another big race and potentially winning off this mark with this course playing to his strengths. Four places widely available.

The George Scott-trained PRYDWEN (best price 8/1) was far from disgraced when fourth at Doncaster last time, where he just seemed to lack the tactical pace, but stayed on strongly in the closing stages to only be beaten around four lengths into fourth off top-weight. The return to this surface looks a positive move, in which he’s unbeaten, two-from-two, including a win over course-and-distance, and that alone makes him of strong interest here with four places widely available. 

He is, however, open to further improvement and the manner in which he put aside Baby Steps at Wolverhampton suggests this seven-pounds higher mark is not the ceiling of his ability. He’s drawn in 11, but that shouldn’t pose a problem given he likes to be held-up and Ray Dawson is in the saddle. I do think Menai Bridge is the one to beat but this four-year-old is unexposed in the handicapping scenario and with the likelihood of getting the strong pace he requires, he may well extend his unblemished all-weather record to three straight wins. 

The money has certainly poured in for Neandra in this race but, at the odds, I like the look of OLD PORT (best price 10/1). There isn’t a lot to separate himself and Desert Emperor from their clash at Wolverhampton back in April but I feel as though David Evans’ charge will confirm the form in this race despite meeting that rival on three-pounds worse terms. Just because the other runner is better off this time round doesn’t necessarily mean the form will be reversed and the former has taken his form to another level the last two times, including when showing a good attitude at Newmarket last time to make it five wins from just eleven career starts. 

He beat three horses rated 89-plus and the return to the all-weather can only be recognised as a plus, as he’s won four of his eight starts on the surface and connections have booked Adam Kirby to ride, who’s one-from-one on him too. The draw could have been a touch kinder, but he’s consistent, has a good attitude and should settle nicely in a race that is sure to be run at a strong gallop. Admittedly, and with all due respect, Adam Kirby isn’t a jockey I have ever warmed up to, but he’s got a great chance on this progressive four-year-old, who makes plenty of each-way appeal in this with four places widely available.