Wednesday Racing Tips from Architect

DALLAS DES PICTONS (best price 12/1) was very useful when trained by Gordon Elliott and snapped up a losing run when beating three good horses early last month. He had Ronald Pump well held in second who’s 150-rated and was competing in that race off level weights, so it was an excellent performance. He’s since joined Dianne Sayer and while he has to concede weight all round, most of these either need improvement from their current good run of form or arrive in underwhelming form. 

The nine-year-old, who’s the highest rated of these at 142, is likely to be ridden prominently and the trip will be ideal as his record over it in this sphere reads 122 and those two seconds were behind The Bosses Oscar (rated 139) and when chasing home Early Doors (rated 152) in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham four years ago. That was off a mark of 140, so he’s not badly treated off 142 (fifth in that same race at the Cheltenham Festival off this exact mark last year). The stable also runs The Navigator, who gets a lot of weight, but the top-weight has the class edge and has the capabilities to run a big race here on stable debut. 

This is a very weak race and it is therefore a good opportunity for Dianne Sayer’s CALLIOPE (best price 3/1) to capitalize on her exploitable mark against exposed and unreliable opposition. She was unlucky not to not at least finish second last time, where she didn’t jump great throughout but looked to be mounting a serious challenge when badly hampered at the final hurdle. To her credit, she managed to briefly lead from off the home-bend but was swallowed in the closing stages, losing two places in the process. She isn’t the force of old but she’s seventeen-pounds lower than when last successful and won this race two years ago off a twelve-pounds higher mark. From her much-reduced mark, and conditions in her favour, the nine-year-old can roll back the years and record a fifth career success. 

Owner Mr Raymond Green has enjoyed plenty of success at this course in the past and while GOLD DES BOIS (NAP) (best price 13/8) has yet to score for Iain Jardine, he is fancied to finally open his account here. He was runner-up in his first three starts for this stable, including on stable debut last year when only beaten two lengths by the classy Nuts Well. That form alone is head and shoulders above what the rest of these have achieved, as he had King D’Argent, Cracking Destiny and Aye Right all in behind who are all rated 138, 128 and 158 respectively. 

His fourth behind Funambule Sivola is another quality bit of form, as the winner ran a career-best to finish second in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham, while the second and third are rated 144 and have boosted the time in some way since. The eight-year-old wasn’t disgraced on his final start when third in a Listed event and will appreciate the ease in grade here. I know Tico Times won last time but he cannot display comparable form to what the former has managed since joining this yard and, off a five-pounds lower mark than when second here last year against better horses, he can put these to the sword and come out on top.