Wednesday Racing Tips from Architect

The Dan Skelton-trained KNIGHT IN DUBAI (best price 3/1) is lightly raced in recent years due to some minor issues and was quite disappointing when last seen at Ascot but he won easily on his only previous visit here over course-and-distance on heavy ground back in 2019 and that was on his return after a fairly lengthy absence. He clearly goes well fresh on that evidence and will love conditions here, while adding in the fact that he’s down to a career-low handicap mark. He won’t get many better opportunities to return to the winners circle. 

Nico De Boinville has his only ride on the card though in the shape of the consistent and likeable HOLLYWOODIEN (best price 12/1), who’s a very good front-runner on his day and is well-treated on his best form to merit each-way consideration here. He’s effectively nine pounds below his last winning mark, has gone well on various occasions on similar ground and generally jumps well too, so Nico should get a nice tune out of him here. If fit enough to run to his maximum capabilities, the eleven-year-old could easily make a bold effort on his return with plenty in his favour, including the ground, which is a massive positive within his chances. 

While her pedigree doesn’t exactly scream chaser and the top-two in the betting might prove tough to beat, Alan King’s HER INDOORS (best price 16/1) is overpriced here. She bagged Grade Three and Listed wins over hurdles, which more than what Galia Des Liteaux and Found On achieved in that sphere and ran well when third last time back at Cheltenham in another Listed race.

I don’t think she’ll have an issue back over two-miles here, especially with the ground testing and Found On expected to go forward, who should make this a true test, which will suit this mare. Alan King trained the winner of this race last year and has an overall record of 2211 in the race, so he knows what it takes to do well in it, and she is Adrian Heskin’s only ride on the card. If her jumping holds up, she could cause an upset here because she’s the only runner in the field to have already won at this level. 

This is a really wide-open race to be honest and I could make a case for a few of these but the race does offer value and I just cannot see why the Neil Mulholland-trained LA CAVSA NOSTRA (best price 18/1) who has won three of his six chase starts, is so big in the betting here. This lightly raced ten-year-old sneaks into this race off a really low-weight with Tom Scudamore in the saddle and he’s also won after a break in the past, so fitness will be of no concern. 

Back in the 2019/20 season, he beat Lord Du Mesnil by over two lengths when giving the winner a pound and meets that rival on twenty-one pounds better terms here under similar conditions. The application of first-time cheekpieces will be applied too, so getting weight from all his rivals, with a 50% strike-rate in this sphere and more to come, he could easily exceed market expectations and supplement his latest Hereford success with another solid display here. Four places generally available. 

Georges Saint is interesting at the foot of the weights too but I feel as though MAYHEM MYA (best price 15/2) has the stronger substance of form and will love conditions here. She needs to learn to settle better but she takes a massive drop in grade from when midfield in a Grade Two at the Cheltenham Festival and makes her seasonal/handicap debut off a lenient mark.

The addition of recent wind surgery should also prove effective. She ran well when fourth on her return in a bumper at Cheltenham last year and won impressively on her debut at Warwick, so fitness won’t be an issue and she’s undeniably seen to best effect when there’s rain about too. Off a really attractive mark of 117, Chris Honours’ mare has a decent chance here. 

A lot of these have sound claims, including the undefeated Lady Adare. However, from a value perspective, the top-weight HUNTERS CALL (best price 9/1) shouldn’t be taken lightly despite his advancing years. The twelve-year-old seeks back-to-back victories in the race, who bolted up twelve months ago by nine-lengths and is only four pounds higher this time around. 

Lewis Stones’ claim of four pounds effectively sees this high-class veteran off the exact same mark as last year and the last time he ran on heavyish ground, he finished fourth in the 2020 Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham. Olly Murphy’s team are in great form too, so with this race likely to have been his early-season target again, the class act in the field appeals most at the odds.