Sunday Racing Tips from Architect

The Cob has a good record fresh and his trainer Ben Pauling is in great form so he cannot be ruled out in the opener. However, TOP OF THE BILL (best price 7/2) wasn’t disgraced on handicap debut at Newbury last time which has worked out well and should have more to come off a three pounds lower mark. He made the frame in all four bumper starts behind some really good horses and while he’s yet to build on that in this sphere, he retains potential and should be suited to this test. With Jordan taking off three pounds, which effectively sees him compete in this race off a mark of 107, he could run a massive race on his return here. 

The Paul Nicholls-trained SOLO (best price 5/2) hasn’t won since winning the Grade Two Dovecote on his debut for the champion trainer but there’s no doubt he saves his best form for when fresh and he’s back on the same mark as when narrowly denied on his chase debut. He was well beaten on both starts over hurdles here but he’s open to further improvement as a chaser on just his fifth start and his trainer could hardly be in better form at the moment, operating at an outstanding 39% strike-rate in the last two weeks. 

He’s extremely well-treated on the pick of his form, particularly over hurdles, and he drops down in class to boot too. Git Maker and Mumbo Jumbo are fully respected but they need more at this level, while the former saves his best form for right-handed tracks and his fluent jumping should see him flourish over the railway fences. It’s possible Harry Cobden will make more use of him and, if he gets into a nice rhythm, he should outclass these and open his account over the larger obstacles. This is a fantastic opportunity.

COLONEL HARRY (best price 3/1) ran a huge race on his debut behind the promising Mofasa and with that initial outing likely to have learnt him a lot, this is a good opportunity for Jamie Snowden’s charge to go one place better. He was the only horse able to go with the eventual winner and given the winner followed up in a strong-looking contest at Cheltenham next time, the form looks even stronger than what it did at the time. He should have no issue dropping down in distance as he’s likely to be ridden handily again here and he could therefore be tough to overhaul with lots more to offer on just his second start under rules. He is fancied to turn over the favourite Matterhorn. 

The Paul Nicholls-trained PIC D’ORHY (best price 11/8) steps up to three miles for the first time and while plenty believe he won’t stay, his trainer clearly thinks he will and we know he rarely gets it wrong, so this talented seven-year-old is handed quite a confident vote to make it two-from-two this season as he undoubtedly comes out best at the weights and on the form available. 

He won the Grade Two Pendil Novices’ Chase in February, beating Millers Bank, and given the second won a Grade 1 afterwards and ran a blinder off top-weight at Carlisle last time behind Beauport, the form has lots of substance. He reappeared with a comfortable victory at Newton Abbot three weeks ago, where he gave subsequent winner Kissesforkatie 23Ib and a beating, so while he fluffed his lines in a Grade 1 here in February, when only third behind L’Homme Presse having made a bad mistake at a crucial part of the race, he can relish the step up in trip and prove the stamina doubters wrong with success here. 

MOULINS CLERMONT (best price 13/2) has only had the four starts in the UK but he’s won two of them, including one over course-and-distance on heavy ground (same as today) by thirteen lengths. He did very well to beat odds-on favourite Forever William last time and opening handicap debut mark of 125 looks lenient based on that latest victory (runner-up rated 124). He is open to more improvement and both Jamie and Gary Moore always do well here, so this promising four-year-old has to be taken very seriously here with everything in his favour. 

CAPTAIN KANGAROO (best price 12/1) is only a novice and hasn’t managed to win yet in five attempts over fences but Willie Mullins seems keen to test him over this marathon distance and while he still needs to improve in the jumping department, he’s favoured heavily by the weights and his excellent claimer taking off seven pounds. I think he’s a fascinating participant and this longer trip combined with deep conditions could help him get into a good rhythm. With Kieran’s claim taken into account, he runs in this race off a really low-weight and given he’s a winner over three miles over hurdles too, there’s every chance he’ll come into his own over this distance. With five places widely available, he makes plenty of each-way appeal. 

The David Pipe team are going great guns at the moment and RAMSES DE TEILLEE (best price 3/1) has been given a great chance by the handicapper on his return here. He’s got a good record on heavy ground 21217111 and is twelve pounds lower than when beating Yala Enki in a Grade Three Handicap Chase at Cheltenham back in 2020 which came off a mark of 149. He’s dropped to 137 since and this ten-year-old, who’s won various graded events over the years, has won plenty of times off higher marks over hurdles and fences. With recent wind surgery applied and being the choice of Tom Scudamore, I can see this talented grey making a real splash in a veterans chase for the first time here. 

CROSSPARK (best price 10/1) the twelve-year-old, has been absent since April last year and makes his stable debut having left Caroline Bailey but he has a good record at this course with figures reading 2226 with the last of those when sixth of 16 in the bet365 Gold Cup. He was narrowly beaten in this race in 2020 off only a pound higher mark and has a good record when fresh too. He went close off a four pounds higher mark when the ground was testing over course-and-distance last year, so if connections have him fit enough to run to his capabilities, he could surprise a few at large odds off top-weight here.