Sunday Racing Tips from Architect

There’s lots to like about SELBY’S PRIDE (best price 4/1) here, who’s only gone up three-pounds for winning pretty comfortably over this course-and-distance last time. She is three-pounds worse off with Little Miss Dynamo but she was eased down in the closing stages last time when beating that rival and still won by over a length. She remains well-treated off 80 here, especially when you factor into the equation she placed three times last year off higher marks, so she makes solid appeal here. 

GIFTED RULER (best price EVENS) hasn’t been at his best this season and is unproven over this trip but he ran a decent race at Chester last time and he should be too good for these now dropped into a seller for the first time. Hugo Palmer’s charge made the frame four times last year off marks in the 90’s, all of which were mixed between class two and class three events. This five-year-old has form on ground from good to firm and heavy to soft, so he’s clearly versatile and his latest effort reads solid form in the context of this poor race. Hugo Palmer also has an excellent strike-rate at this course, which reads 4-15, 27% SR). With first-time cheek-pieces applied from the box seat in stall 1, this really should be a penalty-kick for the top-weight, who’s miles clear of these on the form available. 

FRONTLINE WORKER (best price 16/1) unseated her rider early last time when an error caught her jockey well off-guard and she could only manage fourth on her penultimate start but I don’t think the track suited her that day and she’s worth another chance based on her decisive victory at Punchestown back in May. I was really taken with her performance, given she raced keenly throughout and had no right to keep going and draw away from the runner-up from the back of the final flight. 

The time-figure she recorded out of the four races that were run over the same course-and-distance was actually the quickest time by well over a second in comparison to the other three winners. However, she shaped more like a stayer that day despite the quick time and the step up in distance here should suit. If she puts in a fluent round of jumping, she could go well from an each-way perspective off this attractive-looking mark with conditions ideal and five places widely on offer. 

HIGHLAND PENNY (best price 6/1) was electric last time at Tramore, where she produced a career-best effort from the front to win with any amount in hand under Jack Foley. It’s highly likely similar positive tactics will be deployed here over this distance and I think the seven-pounds rise isn’t overly excessive as she won that latest race by ten lengths. Her trainer has a good strike-rate here and this mare will relish the ground. She also recorded quite a good time when winning last time, so with the possibility of even more to come, she could take some pegging back if in similar form under her retained excellent jockey. Five places are widely available. 

CHEMICAL ENERGY (NAP) (best price 11/8) was sent off odds-on favourite to make a winning chase debut back in April and while he could only manage fifth, he’s fully expected to leave that run behind and showcase his class at this venue over this trip which will suit better. He was a smart bumper horse, who contested the Champion Bumper last year and won two of his four hurdles starts. He was runner-up in a Grade Three last season and despite being badly impeded, he comfortably had Ferdia well held in third. 

He’s a pound better off with that rival today, so I cannot see why he won’t confirm his superiority, as Ferdia’s jumping is a concern and he’s more exposed, while the former’s defeat of Lunar Display and his eye-catching eighth of 23 in the Martin Pipe at this year's Cheltenham Festival are very strong pieces of form. The form of his chase debut, however, has worked out well with the second, third and fourth winning since and he additionally gets the services of Davy Russell here. Also, he has form figures of 1121 on good ground, so conditions will be favourable and he was undeniably the best of these over hurdles too. With lots to like, and getting weight from his main rivals, this race is surely his for the taking.