Thursday Racing Tips from Architect

Roger Varian’s SEVEN POCKETS (best price 8/1) shaped with promise on debut when sixth and unseated his rider through no fault of his own next time when he was bumped coming out of the stalls which then saw him stumble. He won both his first two starts this year though, and his latest effort can be excused, where he failed to handle the step up in distance. He is drawn well in stall one here and is reunited with Jack Mitchell who’s one-from-one on him, so more to come back on this surface, he could go close here. Win only. 

The Jim Goldie-trained ANNANDALE (best price 11/1) will find this easier than when down the field here in the Northumberland Vase and is six-pounds lower than when third over track and trip back in March. His efforts have seen mixed results this year but he is drawn well in stall five and is seven-pounds below his last winning mark, which came in this grade at Ayr, so he appeals at large odds. Win only. 

GEREMIA (best price 8/1) also contested the Northumberland Vase and while he was also down the field that day, he will find this easier and he caught the eye when a good third at York last time in a much stronger race, coming from well off the pace having been slowly away to be nearest the finish behind two well-treated horses. He drops in grade for this race off the same mark and is drawn nicely in stall five with Ryan Sexton offsetting a valuable five-pounds too. With a record of three wins from three starts on the all-weather over this trip or further below class two company and, provided he doesn’t get too far back from the gates, Jim Goldie’s charge is an outsider worthy of strong consideration here with four places generally on offer. 

BRINGITONBORIS (best price 16/1) finished last of twelve when last spotted but even on the back of that poor showing, he simply cannot be ruled out back at his favourite venue in which he’s won four times over course-and-distance, with the latest of those coming off a pound higher mark. His overall record here reads an exceptional 2311742221212 and he is drawn very well in stall two as well. With a lot more positives outweighing the negatives, he’s worth an interest at double-figure odds in the hope he can bounce back with the four places generally available.

GALIAC (best price 4/1) has won two of his four starts this year and has been ultra consistent in defeat in his last three starts, including when he was runner-up at Doncaster in the Racing League three weeks ago off this mark. He won on his only previous visit to this venue and has gone close the last three times off this mark on the turf. Returned to the all-weather, in which his record reads a win and a second, he is likely to take a bit of beating here. 

ALREHB (best price 4/1) has to shoulder joint-top weight but this five-year-old left a couple of below-par efforts behind him when he returned to form to finish runner-up three weeks ago and is only two-pounds higher here. He’s two-from-two over this distance on the all-weather and is only three-pounds higher for the latest of those victories too. His trainer, Kevin De Foy, is in amazing form at the moment (three winners from his last four runners) and his runner has been dealt a good draw in stall three here. With every indication he’ll be up with the pace, he makes a lot of appeal in a bid to enhance his fine strike-rate on the all-weather, which reads three wins and two seconds from six starts. 

ABOLISH (best price 18/1) was last of five at Ripon last time but he was only beaten three lengths and the way he kept on in the closing stages suggested the return to seven would really suit. He couldn’t land a blow on his last start over the trip at Wolverhampton but that form has worked out well and given he’s only had a handful of assignments for this yard, his two best efforts for connections so far have actually been at this venue. 

He ran a belter when third over course-and-distance on stable/UK debut in a class two off a mark of 100 after a two year-plus absence and ran well over six here on seasonal debut after seven months off when sixth of 12 off a mark of 98. His performance that day can be upgraded too, as he was bumped at the start and raced keenly but kept on well late on to not be beaten far off top-weight. 

He returns to this venue for the first time since off an eight-pounds lower mark of 90 and drops into a class three for the first time for Iain Jardine. A good slot in stall 1 further enhances his claims, so with all the ingredients to really stir this race up, he remains unexposed and should have a say in the outcome. Four places are generously widely available too for the each-way supporters including myself. 

LOVES ME LIKEAROCK (best price 13/2) has run some very good races in stronger events this year and is actually undefeated on the all-weather, in which she’s two-from-two. She ran a lot better than the result indicated last month at Goodwood and is off a pound lower mark in this slightly-less demanding race. Her second and fourth at Newmarket earlier this year are strong pieces of form and while she’s drawn in stall 13, that shouldn’t be an issue with lots of pace bound to be on offer. She is an appealing each-way proposition here with four places widely on offer.