Tuesday Racing Tips from Architect

COLLECTORS ITEM (best price 10/11) is related to some really nice types, including Royal Kahala, and showed plenty of promise when half-a-length second in a Newbury bumper on Rules debut in March. The form of that race looks really solid as the horse back in third, Hardy Fella, who was well held, ran well when fourth in a hot bumper at Cheltenham (only just behind Aucunrisque) and that is the best form on display here. He should take all of the beating on his hurdles debut here.

Willie Mullins’ has two runners here and while Bacardys has high-class hurdles/chase form in the book and Frontal Assault was last seen finishing second in the Irish National, JON SNOW (best price 6/4) gets the vote to beat both here. He was smart over hurdles and even gave weight and a beating to subsequent Grade 1 winner Belfast Banter at this course, which is the best form on offer in my view. 

That said, given his physique and scope, he was always going to be an even better horse over fences. He ran a tidy race when third on chase debut here over a trip short of his best before winning in good style at Killarney next time. I was seriously impressed with the way he jumped nicely, travelled really well and quickened up in the closing stages to score last time and, essentially, the seven-year-old has a fitness edge on his main market rival here. 

Furthermore, connections keep Sean O’Keeffe in the saddle, who guided him to that smooth victory last time, which is a positive sign, and his mount is open to more improvement on just his third chase start. He is a very good horse, clearly likes this venue and has already beaten some very good horses, so with lots in his favour, he is strongly fancied to supplement his latest success with victory in this race. 

Hallowed Star ran well on his chase debut to finish second but given the winner has let the form down since, I am happy to take him on at the odds. The vote instead goes to Gordon Elliott’s IBERIQUE DU SEUIL (best price 11/4) who gets all the allowances and won a high-quality Grade Two contest over hurdles on his final start of the last campaign, beating horses such as Icare Allen and Lunar Power. 

His previous seventh of 21 in the Boodles at the Cheltenham Festival is really solid form and while he was down the field on his return last time, his trainer clearly used that outing as a prep-run for today’s assignment. If he can reproduce something close to his best hurdles form, he is entitled to go extremely close on his chase debut.