Friday Racing Tips from Architect

This could be a shrewd bit of placing by Roger Varian with ANGEL POWER (best price 22/1) who won at this meeting two years ago on her only visit to this course and collected a Group Three event later that year. She was lightly raced last year, in which she was limited to just three starts, but she went close on her return at Nottingham in a Listed event and wasn’t disgraced when filling the same spot in another Listed event behind My Astra next time. 

She has gradually worked her way back to form this year and ran a good race in first-time cheekpieces when fifth of ten in a Shergar Cup race at Ascot, beaten just four lengths. She would have finished closer with a clear passage too, but that effort should have put her spot on for today’s assignment and Andrea Atzeni is a positive jockey booking. With various firms offering five places, she makes a lot of appeal off a mark that is definitely within her compass. 

NOBLE STYLE (best price 3/1) took a while to master Mill Stream after a short-break at Newmarket last time but once he drew upsides the eventual runner-up, there was never a moment's worry as he hit the line strongly to remain unbeaten in two starts. The form of his debut win at Ascot has worked out very well and been advertised, as the horse who was comfortably held in fourth, Royal Scotsman, was third in the Coventry and won twice, including in the Group Two in good style last time at Goodwood. 

On a line through that piece of form at Ascot, I find it difficult to see Royal Scotsman reversing the form here with Noble Style, even though he has clearly improved a lot since. This son of Kingman, on the other hand, remains a bright prospect for Charlie Appleby and should find the nature of this race and pace right up his street given how strongly he travels.

He has already expressed to us what kind of horse we are looking at here, as he showed a good turn of foot off a strong gallop on debut and then quickened up well off a sedate gallop when last spotted. His backend sectionals both times were very good, so out of the three at the front of the market, he’s the one I want to side with. 

One I’m interested in at a big price who is the most compelling runner in this race is the Kevin Ryan-trained CHUZZLEWIT (best price 20/1) who isn’t here just to make up the numbers. This very expensive purchase completely blew the start at Redcar having been backed off the boards into favouritism but I was really taken with how much ground he made up throughout the race on the wing of the field and kept on strongly under hands-and-heels to be nearest the finish when beaten just a couple of lengths. 

I know he is basically at the bottom of this field on the figures and this is a huge step up in grade but surely connections would have found him a simple task elsewhere to get a nice victory under his belt, yet they throw him into the serious deep end here on just his second start?

That roll of the rice indicates this son of Showcasing, who won this race thirteen years ago, is thought highly of and Neil Callan, a jockey who’s been riding out of his skin since his return to the UK, has been booked to ride. He could prove dangerous at a huge price with four places widely on offer. 

The main event is the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes and it features my best bet of the week in the shape of FLOTUS (NAP) (best price 9/1) who’s developed a great association with SIlvestre De Sousa and represents attractive each-way value against the favourite. The Simon Crisford-trained filly didn’t really kick-on from her breathtaking debut success in a few starts afterwards, but the switch to front-running tactics since last September have almost certainly contributed to her resurgence in form. Firstly, when a one-length second in the Group One Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes to Tenebrism (had Sandrine in behind). 

In that race she showed loads of speed and natural pace as she went two lengths clear a furlong out and looked set to win comfortably only to be headed towards the finish. She returned a beaten favourite on her reappearance but she had excuses that day and since then, she was narrowly denied by Sense Of Duty in a Listed event, then came close to winning the Group One Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot,  where she was only caught in the closing stages by Perfect Power before winning a Fillies’ Group Three here in July last time. 

She was beaten on her only previous try over five but she was ridden differently that day and her electric pace from the gates under a positive ride here will see her to maximum effect. Her record under De Sousa reads an exceptional and consistent three wins, a second and a third from five starts (11231) and this rider won the race twelve months ago on Winter Power, so he knows what it takes. With more to come from this highly-progressive sprinter with four places widely available and the fact she’s getting quicker and stronger, she rates excellent each-way value. 

Roger Varian will be loving the fact that both of his runners in this race have sneaked into this at the foot of the weights and while Shampion has a good chance, I like stablemate CROACHILL (NB) (best price 10/1) who offers bit better value and will be more effective in this large-field event. 

I thought this daughter of Churchill ran very well when second on debut at Chelmsford and comfortably opened her account at Doncaster on her turf debut over this trip, where she demonstrated a nice turn of foot to by two lengths plus. The way she breezed past the very useful Royal Scandal, who’s won easily since, was a smart effort and while she was turned over at short-odds next time, I think the 1m4f distance stretched her stamina. 

Despite this, she was only beaten a couple of lengths so her performance wasn’t as bad as it first seemed and she makes her handicap debut off a nice-looking mark of 84 here. This race will be run to suit and I get the impression she’s a lot better than her initial mark, so she’s quite strongly fancied to use her giant stride when the action develops to potentially put these to the sword with more to offer back down in distance. 

The Richard Fahey-trained BLENHEIM BOY (best price 28/1) tends to blow hot and cold and was heavily beaten last time but he ran a stormer over course-and-distance on his penultimate start when third of 10 and gets into this race off a pound lower mark. That form has loads of substance given the runner-up Blue For You, won a valuable pot here yesterday. 

He bolted up on his handicap debut back in April and was far from disgraced when midfield in the Britannia at Royal Ascot off a two pounds higher mark. This is easier and, with the in-form Oisin Orr on his back again, which is a positive, I can see this well-treated three-year-old going well at large odds again here with nearly all bookmakers offering five places.