Monday Racing Tips from Architect

Alex Hales’ MARIA MAGDALENA (best price 9/2) surprisingly hasn’t won since 2019 but she’s held her form well since and this year is no exception as she’s made the frame in all five of her starts. This six-year-old has never run at this venue but I reckon it will suit her well given she doesn’t hang about and likes to race prominently and often front-runs too. She makes her handicap/chase debut off a lenient mark of 105 and her record on good ground is solid. Up against quirky opponents, with fitness on her side, she’s an each-way player here. 
 

ALIOMAANA (best price 13/2) has been on the drift all morning but she still appeals most here given how impressively she returned to winning ways last time under a confident ride. She’s only gone up four pounds which is lenient and this track should suit as she has a lot of speed and fast ground is exactly what she needs to be seen to best effect. This is an open race but her price is too good to ignore given she’s been highly tried throughout her career multiple times and if she can match her latest form in this race, she could make a bold effort to follow-up with lots in her favour.  

Light N Strike should go well back over the smaller obstacles but he did take a heavy fall at Chepstow and I cannot see how any of these can beat LORD BADDESLEY (best price 5/4) if Chris Gordon’s charge can run to the level he’s capable of here. The seven-year-old has some smart form in the book, notably his fourth in the Betfair Hurdle last year and he ran a huge race when second on his return at Chepstow in the Silver Trophy when only finding the high-class Knappers Hill too good. That form already has substance given the seventh Proschema bolted up in a Grade Two at Wetherby over the weekend. He’s only been nudged up a pound and is dropped in class, while his trainer is in fine form at present too. With Harry Cobden booked to ride and his mount undoubtedly bringing the best pieces of form into the race, he gets a confident vote to go one better here. 

EN COEUR (best price 9/2) has an exceptional record here, recording all three career vicinities at this course and is back on the same mark as when winning by seven lengths here back in January. He boasts course form in this sphere of 21123133 and returned from a break and wind surgery to finish second last time. He lost little in defeat chasing home a horse who was completing a five-timer and to take his statistics further, his record at this level here reads 11313 and since his last success, he’s made the frame off much higher marks six times. Back at his favourite hunting ground, with conditions ideal, I see no reason why this eight-year-old cannot go close to gaining a fourth course success. 

The Philip Hobbs-trained COOLNAUGH HAZE (best price 9/2) has been really consistent over hurdles up to this point, never finishing out of the frame in all six starts and won very comfortably from the front over course-and-distance back in January. He makes his return after an absence and wasn’t seen to best effect when down the field at Chepstow on the Flat last time but he should be fully tuned up for this race and could take some pegging back if able to get the lead in the early stages. His natural pace could have most of these in trouble a long way from the finish and, if Tom O’Brien can consume enough of his energy for the business end, it’ll take a good performance from something else to lower his colours.