Friday Racing Tips from Architect

Tom George is another trainer in decent form at the moment and his FORGOT TO ASK (best price 5/1) shouldn’t be ruled out here. This ten-year-old remains on a career-high mark but he’s generally consistent and won nicely at Stratford on his penultimate start. He wasn’t beaten far off top-weight last time at Perth and he has a good record on good ground. He is sure to get a strong pace to aim at with the likes of Some Chaos expected to go forward and this course should suit, so he should go very well here. 

Some Chaos won this race twelve months ago and is well-treated but this is a deeper renewal and I like two against him. Firstly, THE MIGHTY DON (best price 5/1), who’s won over course-and-distance in the past and has fallen to a tempting mark. All of his best form has come on good ground and the last time he encountered fast ground, he finished a close second to Yala Enki in a Grade Three at Cheltenham off a five-pounds higher mark. 

He’s won twice fresh before and has won off higher marks than this too, albeit over hurdles, as well as being rated as high as 150 in that sphere. He tends to hit a flat spot during his races but when he’s on-song, he’s a good horse on his day and given he has a lot in his favour here, such as his attractive mark, course winning form and form at a higher level with conditions perfect to suit, hopefully all of these contributing factors will materialise with success for the first time since winning here two years ago. 

The feature race of the day and while Dan Skelton has the favourite in the form of the unbeaten hurdler Quid Pro Quo, I like his stablemate GENTLE CONNECTIONS (best price 25/1) at huge odds. She completed a four-timer at Newton Abbot last time in good style and although this will be a whole different ball game to anything she’s tackled before, her slick jumping and strong-travelling style of racing from the front will see her go well here. 

Lorcan Williams is an excellent rider, who’s been booked to ride, and this five-year-old mare gets all the allowances in this race. She won’t be hindered by the drop in distance, as she’s likely to go forward and ultimately comes out best at the weights, so at double-figure odds, she makes a lot of sense from a betting perspective here. This will obviously be her toughest test to date but she might outrun her ludicrous odds with plenty more to come. 

Christian Williams’ DESERT FORTUNE (best price 9/2) ran a fine race when runner-up in a bumper at Plumpton on rules debut to Presenting A Queen. She travelled just as well as the winner throughout and was briefly held in a pocket on the home turn which slightly checked her momentum. She forced her way through when a tiny gap appeared and threw down a strong challenge to the eventual winner, only losing out by a length at the finish. I think this mare will reverse the form now faced with a set of obstacles, as she looks a really nice prospect for her local trainer.  

Nearly every punter was on about how unlucky Post Impressionist last time but if you go back and watch the race, DOUBLE CHERRY (best price 5/1) had no right to win after being seriously hampered two furlongs out before having traffic difficulties and then surging home strongly to win a shade comfortably at the finish. It was a remarkable performance considering his head was smudged into the grass after being badly impeded when trying to get through a gap but even so, he was well on top at the post, more than the short-head margin indicated and he’s only gone up a couple of pounds as a result. He should be well-suited to this course and it’s great to see Sean Levey maintain the partnership, so he rates a confident each-way choice with lots more to come and most firms offering a generous four places. 

Alan King’s six-year-old NINA THE TERRIER (NAP) (best price 3/1) won her first three starts over hurdles last year, which included a win at this course before completing her hat-trick in a class two event at Newbury. She would have taken her hurdles record to four-from-four without falling at the last hurdle in a Listed event back at Newbury next time but she proved none the worse for that mishap when half-a-length second in another Listed event next time. 

She wasn’t disgraced in a couple of Grade Two events the next twice, including at the Cheltenham Festival, and was last seen finishing a length second in a Grade Two back at Newbury. She’s two-from-two returning from an absence of five months plus, will handle the ground, has the course winning form and her trainer is amongst the winners. Furthermore, this is a huge drop in grade, so she gets a confident vote to showcase her qualities and make a winning return to action here. 

I am a big fan of La Yakel but from an each-way perspective I like CAIUS CHORISTER (best price 18/1) who gets the services of Olivier Peslier, who travels over from France to HQ for his only ride on the card. She won five handicaps in a row before an excellent second in the Melrose at York. She wasn’t at her best on soft ground in France when last spotted but now faced with better ground and the fact she is proven over this distance and is drawn well in stall two, she appeals at a solid each-way option against the favourite here with five places widely available.