Thursday Racing Tips from Architect

BUGLE MAJOR (best price 5/1) couldn’t get a win for former boss Richard Hughes but is generally consistent on the whole and has subsequently joined another top-quality stable back over a more suitable trip. I am not sure why his previous trainer tried to turn him into a middle-distance/staying horse because on the evidence of his run in the Royal Hunt Cup last year, a mile is perfect.

The seven-year-old drops into a class five for the first time in his career and he has the services of Taylor Fisher in the saddle, who’s ridden eight winners in the last four weeks, which is an underrated achievement. 

This will be only his second start on the turf over a mile, as the previous time resulted with an unlucky 12th of 30 in last year’s Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot, where he travelled really well but had a nightmare passage. He flew home to be nearest the finish when in the clear and has fallen to a fourteen pounds lower mark since.

This is a massive drop in grade from that race, so if the combination of this weaker opposition and return to this trip has a positive outcome, he could have too much class for these and gain an overdue success.

JUST THE MAN (best price 22/1) has been in fantastic form over hurdles this year and he’s proven in the past to be just as effective in this sphere, so he could easily get involved here under Liam Wright, who claims three-pounds. This six-year-old has a really good record on the Flat on the turf and back in 2019/20, he was rated as high as 90, which includes two wins off marks of 86 and 89 in a pair of class three events, albeit both were on the all-weather. 

He’s clearly proven at a higher level and this will be first start in a class five event on the turf off what is a career-low mark of 73. His trainer clearly feels as though he’s worth a crack on the Flat, given the form he’s in this year and having competed predominantly against better opponents during his career to date. From a nice draw in stall six, with conditions in his favour and this race being the easiest race he’s contested on the Flat, it would be quite a surprise if he couldn’t make a serious impact here.

This is a wide-open handicap and I am therefore going to take a chance on the outsider of the field, MYTHICAL (best price 25/1), who’s mostly been highly tried so far in his career and could surprise a few here. He was rated as high as 106 two years ago and was deemed good enough to even contest the Derby that year by Aidan O’Brien in which his stalemate at the time, Serpentine, produced a freak performance to take the spoils from the front. 

He ultimately finished well beaten that day and was then used as a pacemaker in the St Leger at Doncaster but despite not showing his best in the UK since joining Simon Whittaker, he’s become dangerously well-treated at present and shaped a lot better than the finishing position indicated at Chester last time. He will be a lot better suited to the decent ground here alongside the smaller-field, so off a four-pounds lower mark than last time, the five-year-old could exceed his market expectations at double-figure odds. 

The Richard Hannon-trained ROMAN SPRING (best price 7/2) shaped with bundles of promise when fourth on his debut at Chelmsford and would undoubtedly have finished a lot closer (probably third) without being short of room up the inside rail when making significant ground on the eventual first, second and third inside the final furlong under Pat Dobbs. 

It was, however, evident that he was being given an education test, as his rider tentatively handled him up the home straight despite keeping on well to get some experience under his belt. The form has yet to be tested but he should have strengthened up both physically and mentally ahead of today’s assignment and is fancied to come good at the second time of asking in this event. 

The feature race of the day is a highly-competitive Group Three event and I have two suggestions at decent odds. I really liked the way the Ralph Beckett-trained JULIET SIERRA (best price 9/2) performed on debut when second at Newmarket, keeping on well in the closing stages despite racing keenly throughout, but made no mistake in going one better at Nottingham next time when sent off a short-priced favourite. 

She wasn’t fully extended under a confident Rob Hornby ride that day but she hit the line very strongly and while this is a step up in grade, the pace of this race should really suit her, as she travels well and has a potent turn of foot, which she displayed last time when seeing off her eight rivals. This daughter of Bated Breath has the potential to take higher rank based upon her breeding and the size and scope of her, so backing her each-way here is appealing. Five places generally available. 

William Muir and Chris Grassick are having a fantastic 2022 and their year could get even better with the promising SO SLEEPY (best price 11/1), who overcame inexperience, a pretty rubbish draw and a slow start to make a winning debut just over three weeks ago. She won with much more up her sleeve than the short-head suggested that day, as her rider didn’t ask her for maximum effort and connections have clearly had this race in mind for her since. 

It’s interesting to see her pitched into this deep edition of this race, as connections could have found her an easier opportunity to get more experience under her belt. She is clearly well-regarded and step up in trip is a positive move, while there’s no doubt she would be half the odds she is if she were trained by one of the more well-known yards. With loads more to come, and the turf likely to see her in even better light, she has to be worth an each-way interest at such huge odds with four places available. 

The Roger Varian-trained INDEMNIFY (NAP) (best price 11/8) was sent off a really short-priced favourite to finally open his account at Nottingham last time and while the race didn’t have much strength-in-depth, this son of Lope De Vega couldn’t have won any easier, as he strolled to an eight-length success. David Egan expressed afterwards how much himself and connections think of this horse, who’s capable of even better. 

He had previously showed tons of promise in his previous three starts when making the frame at Newbury, Doncaster and Newcastle (twice runner-up to 90-plus rated horses) and makes his handicap debut off a lenient-looking mark of 85 here with the excellent Ryan Moore booked to ride, who’s a positive booking for more reasons than one. Roger Charlton’s Persian Royal seeks the hat-trick but I fancy this progressive three-year-old to take top honours now that he’s got a confidence-booster victory tucked into his belt. 

LIR SPECIALE (best price 5/1) has a solid each-way chance in this race. He made the frame in his first two starts on the all-weather and his close-up third to Nationwide, where he should have won, makes him look well-handicapped off a mark of 81, as the winner has subsequently won a class two event off 88. He was off the mark at Doncaster in April on turf debut, where he comfortably landed the odds and then wasn’t disgraced on handicap debut a couple of weeks later at Newmarket. 

It is never ideal racing wide at that course, which is exactly what happened from start to finish, but he kept on strongly inside the final furlong and should be better suited to this race, as he’s likely to get lots of cover early doors. The handicapper has dropped him a pound and  he’s undergone wind surgery since, which could also be the catalyst for further improvement. With a three-month plus break likely to have done him a lot of good, Roger Varian’s three-year-old could be the answer to this competitive race. Essentially, four places are widely on offer too.