Saturday Racing Tips From Architect

Grande Dame did the job very well last-time-out but she never looked like she was going to get past FONTEYN (best price 11/4) at any stage when the pair fought out the finish at York and the latter subsequently ran a tremendous race to finish fourth in the Group One Nassau, so she should be favourite here which surprisingly isn’t the case. Kevin Ryan’s filly drops in grade here and is the highest rated of these. She comes out best at the weights as she receives six pounds from all rivals except Grande Dame, whom she meets on level terms, and with the likelihood of more to come, particularly if she settles better, she can confidently land the opener. 

This is competitive but since being gelded with the blinkers attached, SOULCOMBE (best price 4/1) has taken his form to a new level and, having won back-to-back small-field handicaps, he ran an almighty race to take fourth of 13 in a red-hot handicap at Goodwood last time. He did remarkably well under the circumstances, considering he blew the start, and he made up a lot of ground inside the final furlong to be nearest the finish. That form has worked out well with the winner, Secret State, running well to take second in a Group Two this week. This course should play to his strengths and he looks so well-handicapped off 83, so with Hollie Doyle booked to ride, he can go close under suitable conditions. 

The Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained DEFENCE OF PORT (NAP) (best price 7/2) is a typical son of Starspangledbanner, a big robust and powerful individual, who made an impressive winning debut at Ascot and looks sure to progress. He had to be wound up a couple of furlongs from the finish but once he hit full stride, he motored past a good field and clocked a good time-figure. That piece of form is very strong as the fourth, Kyeema, has given the form a major boost by winning a valuable nursery event earlier this week at York. Desert Hero also won well on debut but the former has already proven himself on this sort of ground and this Dewhurst entry can take the rise in class in his stride and remain unbeaten. 

The Sky Bet Ebor Handicap is undoubtedly one of the toughest handicaps to solve but I do quite like the chances of two at big odds. The first one is RODRIGO DIAZ (best price 33/1) who appears to have been targeted at this valuable prize all this season by connections. His only previous try over 1m5f resulted with success and since completing his hat-trick back in 2020, he’s been generally consistent since. He was unlucky not to make a successful first go at two-miles when beaten half-a-length and was second in a Group Three around this time last year when chasing home the classy Hukum. He then wasn’t disgraced when fourth in the Group Two Doncaster Cup behind Stradivarius and ran quite well in both starts in Dubai earlier this year in a pair of Group events. 

He’s mostly been competing over two-miles for the last year and since the tongue-tie has been attached the last two times, he has chased home Quickthorn and Coltrane in Group Three and Listed events. He was only a couple of lengths adrift of the former in that Group Three race and given the winners of both those races dominated yesterday’s Lonsdale Cup by finishing first and second, I trust the overall quality of the form and that makes Rodrigo Diaz an appealing proposition here. It is quite clear hold-up tactics are likely to the the plan again here, so stall twenty-one should prove no caveat towards his chances. Jamie Spencer is going to have to be at his best to navigate him through this mass field but the pace of the race will definitely be run to suit and, with six places widely on offer, he should easily run better than his current price suggests. 
 

Why oh why the bookmakers have MAX VEGA (best price 33/1) at double-figure odds I’ll never know given how unlucky he was in this race last year when fifth of 12 off only a three-pounds lower mark. He was about to make a potential winning move until badly hampered and denied a clear passage two furlongs out which led to his rider having to force him to go down the inside of the field which cost him a few lengths as a result too. 

However, once in the clear, he flew home to be nearest the finish beaten just five lengths and that form looks reliable as the second, Quickthorn, bolted up here yesterday in the Lonsdale Cup. He was behind John Leeper and Fancy Man last time but I think he’s a better horse in a large-field and, with connections likely to have aimed him at this race again since last year, Rob Hornby can hopefully find a clear passage on this talented five-year-old, who has excellent prospects of improving on last year’s effort. Six places widely available.

BULLACE (best price 8/1) was far too keen at Newmarket over a mile last time but he still ran well to only be beaten around three lengths and the return to this distance will massively help from his good draw in stall one. The four-year-old, trained by Ralph Beckett, is a classy horse on his day and given he was rated as high as 106 last year, he remains well-treated off a mark of 90, which is the same as when third on his penultimate start. He has lots going for him in this race, so I can see him putting in a bold effort in this race at nice odds with the blinkers discarded. 

The fitness in regards to ROYAL SCIMITAR (best priced 66/1) has to be taken on trust, which is why we haven’t seen him in 300 plus days, but he was a smart sprinter as a juvenile (fourth in Listed and Group Three events) and has each-way possibilities off this mark. He was a very good fourth of 17 in a highly-competitive handicap at Newmarket last year off a mark of 95, beaten by the smallest of margins in a four-way tussle to the line, and is back down to the same mark here. This isn’t an easy comeback by any means but Clive Cox knows what he’s doing with those who return from a long time off the track and a repeat of either his fourth at Newmarket or his second at Ascot off a mark of 97 would see Royal Scimitar competitive here off a mark that’s within his capabilities. Five places generally available. 

KHUNAN (best price 16/1) might well be the outsider of the field but he’s got a much better chance than his odds indicate here. He was runner-up in the Group Two Richmond Stakes as a juvenile and was also sixth in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot that same year. His form dipped afterwards but his last two efforts have been encouraging, especially his ninth of 19 behind Lethal Levi before his seventh at Chelmsford last time. He couldn’t land a blow on those who were front rank but even though he was slowly into stride and was drawn quite wide, he made a big manoeuvre to get himself into a good position before those excursions told in the latter stages. With a strongly-run five furlongs on fast ground to suit, he might be about to capitalise off this mark. 

DISCORDANTLY (best price 8/1) ran a great race in the Galway Plate to take sixth considering he was badly hampered at the starts and seemed to lose interest for at least three quarters of the race before staying on strongly in the closing stages. He’s had jumping issues in the past but he’s a good horse when he puts it all together and he ran so well when runner-up to Royal Rendezvous off only a pound lower mark. Dennis O’Regan, who got a fine tune out of him last time, is in the saddle and if the application of a visor can help him keep his eye on the job in the early stages, he’s a big player with most firms offering four places.