Monday Racing Tips from Architect

MILLTOWN LILY (best price 7/1) has yet to finish worse than fourth in all her starts this year and was probably going to finish at least second over track and trip last time but for being hampered at a crucial stage when making ground through the field. She stayed on strongly once in the clear and meets the winner of that race on much better terms here too, so has every chance of reversing the form. Whilst she still remains a maiden after twelve starts, this is a good opportunity for her to potentially make amends off a mark that’s well within range. With various firms paying four places, she’s a standout each-way bet here. 

A competitive race but the vote goes to the Richard Fahey-trained BLENHEIM BOY (best price 10/1) who ran a stormer when third at York on his penultimate start and gets into this race off a pound lower mark due to finishing down the field at Ascot last time. That previous form has loads of substance though, given the runner-up Blue For You, won a valuable pot at York and he had Scottish Summit in behind that day too. He had previously bolted up on his handicap debut back in April at this course, winning by six lengths under Tony Hamilton, who’s back in the saddle here. I can see this well-treated three-year-old going well at large odds here. 

I am sure how Evocative Spark and Wodeton are vying for favouritism here as both were beaten by a combined twenty-plus lengths the last two times and I really like the claims of two bigger priced runners. 

Firstly, ESPRESSOO (best price 13/2), who started the season in great form, winning back-to-back events at Chelmsford and Ayr and came mightily close to beating the 105-plus rated Heredia at York next time, narrowly foiled in her hat-trick bid by a head. She couldn’t land a blow in the Sandringham next-time-out and didn’t land a blow on soft ground at Haydock, but she ran well sixth of 14 at York last time and is dropped in grade here off a two-pounds lower mark. With this course likely to play to her strengths, and with Jason Hart booked to ride, she’s got a decent chance against more exposed types with improvement to come. 
 

LORD RAPSCALLION (best price 15/2) might just get the perfect set-up here and while his losing run is mounting up, he went very close to winning at Newmarket last time. This is a much better race on the face of it, but Stuart Williams’ charge ran a cracker when second to Bowman over course-and-distance on Oaks Day when beaten only a length and meets that rival on better terms this time round. 

He’s actually a pound lower now, drops in grade, and has now run well on both visits to this course (previous effort was when fourth off a mark of 93). It’s surprising to notice he’s yet to win in Britain, but he has lots in his favour in this race and he could win this if he can reproduce his two previous placed efforts at the course.  

James Moffatt and Charlotte Jones are a force to be reckoned with at this course and while the former runs two in the race, the fact that Charlotte Jones sticks with RAPID FLIGHT (best price 2/1) means he is the main hope here. He has won four of his six starts for this yard and his record at this venue in total reads 12111, while to take this further, his record over this course-and-distance reads three wins from three starts. 

While he only just did enough to beat All About Joe here last time, he was always holding the runner-up that day and is making life extremely difficult for the handicapper to assess his performances, hence why he’s only been raised a pound for that latest win. This will be a whole different test to anything he’s faced before in his previous four wins here, but he’s clearly at the top of his game, loves this course and his front-running tactics combined with his electric jumping should see him keep his undefeated record over track and trippy fully intact. 

Dr Sanderson, Lemoos Legend and TONTO’S SPIRIT (best price 4/1) fought out the finish here last month when and while the latter was behind the formerly-mentioned pair, he is fancied to gain revenge over this longer distance. This five-time course winner seemed to get outpaced when behind Dr Sanderson the time he was spotted here but was doing all of his best work in the closing stages, indicating a return to this distance will benefit him. 

It’s been a year since he last won and all of his wins have been over shorter, but he won a class-two event this time last year off a thirteen pounds higher mark and he ran well under a big weight last time. He was behind Dr Sanderson the last time he tackled this trip but is a lot better off at the weights this time and that might be enough for him to gain a sixth course win under Conor O’Farrell, who has an excellent record on him overall to boot too.