Saturday Racing Tips from Architect

The James Tate-trained NEW DEFINITION (NAP) (best price 9/4) was clearly inconvenienced by the tactical pace in the three-runner affair at Musselburgh last time when beaten a short-priced favourite into second. However, he did well to get within a neck of the winner under the circumstances and I get the impression his rider will commit him earlier in this race from his handy draw in stall five on the stands-rail. Wen Moon and Prince Of Pillo are less-exposed but the former brings the best form to the table courtesy of his half-a-length second on debut to Lady Bullet, who ran well when sixth in the Albany at Royal Ascot, and he is therefore fancied to emerge as the winner here. 

MISTY GREY (best price 7/1) has to shoulder top-weight but it’s interesting his trainer has aimed him at this race rather than a Group race and the five-year-old couldn’t be drawn any better in stall fifteen for a prominent racer that he is. He posted a career-best performance when carrying top-weight to victory at Chelmsford last time and while his record on the all-weather is solid, he’s proven himself to be just as effective on the turf. 

He was second under Pierre at Chester in a Listed event on his penultimate start and his rider can take off three-pounds in this handicap event. He makes plenty of appeal to at least make the frame in this race with lots in his favour and with five places generally available which is generous for a horse of his quality and reliability and given the history of this race in which double-figure stalls have dominated this in recent years. 

EMBOUR (best price 20/1) has to compete from four pounds out of the handicap but since returning from wind surgery, he’s shaped very encouragingly in both starts, including when doing his best work at the finish over five in a red-hot handicap at Goodwood last time. 

He couldn’t quite go the early gallop but he stayed on strongly late into the action to only be beaten a couple of lengths and the assessor subsequently dropped him a further pound. What’s really appealing about his chances here, is the fact he ran a blinder to finish sixth of 20 in this race twelve months ago off a mark of 87 and would have finished a lot closer without being denied a clear passage twice. 

He gets into this year’s renewal off 81 and that’s without Saffie Osborne’s three-pounds claim. The seven-year-old’s losing run continues to mount up but he’s got the form in this race, has done all of his winning and placed efforts off much higher marks, so while the draw could have been kinder, the chances are he will improve on last year’s finishing position in this race. Five places generally available. 

GARDEN OASIS (best price 10/3) performs at this course better than anywhere else and this three-time course-and-distance winner ran well when a close-up third here on his penultimate start. He won both his starts here in August last year, including off a mark of 85 in a class-two event and is eight pounds lower now, so he should be able to bounce back and prove tough to beat under front-running tactics, which have seen him to best effect here on multiple occasions against better opponents. David Allan has also opted to ride him instead of stablemate Cassy O which tells me this course-specialist is the number one hope for Tim Easterby in the race. 

DUBAI POET (best price 8/1) is a solid each-way choice in the feature race. Roger Varian’s charge was suited to the drop in trip when faring best of those drawn low when third in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and that form has already worked out strongly, as the fifth has won a Group Three since. He remains less exposed than most and that was the first time he tackled really fast ground, so he’s open to a lot more improvement. He also has winning course-and-distance form and is drawn well in stall nine. I do respect Chindit but he’s had some hard races this season and carrying a penalty against Dubai Poet, who’s rising through the ranks, won’t be easy by any means. 

ABOVE (best price 15/2) has been well held in two really-competitive handicaps this year but he was a good second of 19 on the other course here in April and is three-pounds lower here with James Doyle booked to ride which makes him of strong interest here. The five-year-old has placed multiple times off higher marks and while the likes of Stone Of Destiny and Mums Tipple are greatly respected off their current marks, the former should be much happier in these calmer waters and can make his present felt despite the outsider of the field. He isn’t the easiest to predict but he’s got a good chance of capitalising off this mark if things go to plan.