Thursday Racing Tips from Architect

The Lucinda Russell-trained HAUTE ESTIME (best price 7/2) achieved a lot in a short space of time over hurdles last season and having won a Listed event at Haydock, she finished her campaign with an excellent third in the Grade 1 Sefton at Aintree. Her trainer seems eager to get her over fences after just five hurdle starts, so while Gowel Road is the current favourite, he’ll do well to concede a lot of weight to a horse who’s got Grade 1 form in the book. The latter will be having his first start on a right-handed track too, so while Haute Estime is the outsider of four, she could have too many gears for these on this ground over this distance. 

AZURE BLUE (best price 2/1) is a really tough filly, who has won two of her five starts this year and has run well in defeat in the other three. She came from well off the pace to finish fourth at York last-time-out and that form has substance given the winner Lucky Man subsequently ran a career-best to finish fourth in the Ayr Gold Cup last weekend. Open to a lot more improvement, and with this course suiting her style of racing, this filly can regain the winning thread for her trainer who won this twelve months ago. It’s also worth a mention that she’s her trainers only runner on the card and her jockeys only ride on the card. 

I am a little surprised HOLLOWAY BOY (best price 2/1) isn’t pushing towards favouritism in this. Karl Burke’s charge is the highest rated at 109 (five pounds higher than Victory Dance) and returned an impressive winner of the Chesham on debut at Royal Ascot when sent off 40/1. He proved that victory to be no fluke next time, in which he produced an excellent close-up second to Marbaan in the Group Two Vintage Stakes at Goodwood in July. That form looks solid, as the third, Mysterious Night, has since won a French Group Three and a Grade 1 in the US. He’s clearly going the right way and is fancied to come out on top on these favourable terms.