Saturday Racing Tips from Architect

PERSEUS WAY (best price 9/1) was last seen winning on the Flat and that performance was backed up by the clock. He’s since joined the Gary Moore team with a view to being a hurdler and it’s interesting to see him pitched into this Grade Two event on his hurdles debut. 

His trainer has an excellent record with juvenile hurdlers and has done well in this race previously (two placed runners in the last three years), so this son of Sea The Stars might have been targeted at this race. He could take a lot of beating here if he puts in a fluent round of jumping on his hurdles/stable debut, so gets the each-way vote against Paul Nicholls’ favourite. 

I’m not really a fan of the amateur events but I do like two in this race. Given the fine form of the Ben Pauling yard, it is difficult to see the progressive ANIGHTINLAMBOURN (best price 6/1) out of the frame here. He won a pair of minor events at Worcester and was then a half-a-length second of 20 to Jimmy The Digger in a similar event to this race over this C&D around three weeks ago. He was a tad unlucky not to collect the spoils, as he fared best of those up with the pace. 

He was four lengths clear approaching the final fence, only to make a tiny mistake before getting collared in the final couple of strides. He has been hit with a six pound rise but Gina’s brother Jack takes over, who’s likely to produce him a little later and, off a few pounds better terms with the winner here and the course experience under his belt, he’s got strong possibilities of going one place better with more to come. Four places widely available.

I also really like CASTLE ROBIN (best price 9/2) who has the right sort of profile for this race. He won three of his first four starts over fences and returned to action with a solid fourth behind Sounds Russian at Kelso. That was in a higher-grade event than this race and he’s sure to strip fitter here with a lot more to come this season off the same mark for his in-form handler. Furthermore, he won on his only previous visit here over hurdles. 

He easily beat Lord Accord at Doncaster, who subsequently won here before a creditable second in the Badger Beer at Wincanton behind Frodon. He then beat a 134-rated horse at Wetherby, so he’s very well-treated off that mark here and Zak Baker has been booked to ride, which is a positive. In first-time cheekpieces down in grade under a positive ride, he has solid claims here. Four places widely available. 

An excellent edition of the Arkle Trial and while both Banbridge and Tommy’s Oscar made a winning chase debut, I am a little surprised to see GLORY AND FORTUNE (best price 9/1) trading at much bigger odds. Last season’s Betfair Hurdle winner ran a belter to finish fifth in the Champion Hurdle, where he charged up the hill to be nearest the finish and had Tommy’s Oscar well held in ninth. 

He didn’t jump with any fluency on his two previous starts over fences but he’s improved enormously since then and shaped very well when fourth in the Welsh Champion Hurdle last time on his return. With a strong pace likely to be on offer, which will suit this talented seven-year-old, he is a big player if he’s able to put his best foot-forward here. 

PENTLAND HILLS (best price 5/1) is the only Grade 1 winner in the field and this two-time Grade 1 winner is a danger to all if he can produce something near his best. It was only a walkover he collected on his chase debut but connections seem keen to tackle this deep race and this seven-year-old was very nimble over his hurdles, so chasing could easily be his forte. He was the best of these over the smaller obstacles and has the course form, while the ground will be to his liking too, so there’s every chance he’ll be extremely competitive here. 

The feature race of the day is the Paddy Power Gold Cup and a strong field of sixteen look set to head to post. GA LAW (best price 13/2) has never run at Cheltenham, which is the only caveat within his credentials but the six-year-old has a lot going for him here. He was a good novice chaser back in 2020/21, winning three on the spin, including a Grade Two before hitting the frame the next two times. He missed the whole of last season but made a promising return to action when an eye-catching third in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree three weeks ago. He is normally a front-runner but ran well under hold-up tactics and might have won without making a blunder five out. 

He was only beaten just over a length at the finish though, so it was a fantastic effort in defeat and he drops in grade off the same mark in this race. There’s always a chance he could suffer the bounce factor but he’s open to further improvement and this course allied to the pace of the race should really suit, while his profile fits perfectly for possibly identifying the winner of this contest.’Johnny Burke retains the ride and, provided his mount can jump as well as can and strip fitter for his promising return last time, he looks capable of going close here. Five places generally available.

I was close to nominating Midnight River as a second option but I’m not convinced by his jumping still and he’s markedly up in grade here on better ground. Instead, the alternative vote goes to NASSALAM (best price 22/1) who has a much better chance than his odds indicate in this competitive feature race. Gary Moore has surprisingly only had three runners in this race in the last twenty years which has resulted with one win and place, while Jamie Moore has one win and two places from five rides, so it’s a race that has gone well for the Moore team. 

The five-year-old enjoyed a first season over fences, winning three times including a Grade Two (fortunate winner for sure) and while he has a tendency to jump left, he’s finally returned to a left-handed track, which should see him leave his latest run behind. His only previous visit to Cheltenham was when midfield in the Boodles but he’s shown he’s a better chaser and his strike-rate under rules reads five wins and four seconds from just eleven starts. 

He’s undoubtedly been targeted at this race by his shrewd handler and he should strip a lot fitter for his latest run which came after an eight months absence. He makes the most appeal of those at double-figure odds in this race. Five places generally available. 

A wide-open race but there’s a lot to like about the Dan Skelton-trained PADDLEYOUROWNCANOE (best price 4/1), who has the ability to potentially capitalise on this mark back over hurdles. He made a positive start for this stable when third in a competitive event at Haydock off a mark of 135 and was pulled up in the Classic Chase at Warwick through no fault of his own when the reins became tangled which forced Harry to pull him up in the early stages. His eighth in a valuable Grade Three at Sandown though has thrown up a host of subsequent winners.

He wasn’t in the same form in his next few starts but he goes well fresh with a record of 31214 and is twelve pounds lower than when last successful in this sphere and gets into this race off a nice low-weight. He’s ran well twice at the Cheltenham Festival over hurdles and his experience of this venue is another positive within his chances, so with his stable amongst the winners, this eight-year-old has all the ingredients within his armour to cause some damage off this exploitable mark on his return. Four places generally available. 

The Irish raider Unanswered has been found well-found in the market but I’m not sure he should be so short in this race and preference instead goes to Nicky Henderson’s WISEGUY (best price 3/1) who could make a winning return to action after a lay-off here. He beat the high-class Hillcrest on his debut and while his hurdles debut didn’t go according to plan, he made no mistake at Doncaster when last spotted. 

He gave the hurdles no respect that day but the fact that he was still able to win by seven lengths plus suggested he’s got a serious engine and a lot of ability. He was kept off afterwards due to an injury but he’s fit and well now and he makes his handicap debut off a really lenient mark of 119 here. His lack of experience in a big field such as this is the only concern but he’s thrown in here off his initial mark and, with the stiff uphill finish sure to play to his strengths, he can upset the Irish and take the spoils under Nico. 

The Alan King-trained FOREVER WILLIAM (best price 18/1) gets a speculative alternative vote, who makes a ton of appeal for place purposes at the very least in this race. A smart performer on the Flat, he has been in the frame in four of his five starts over hurdles with the exception of his only blip which came in the Boodles at the Cheltenham Festival. This four-year-old won on his hurdles debut before finishing third in a Grade 1 at Chepstow and then at this course in a Grade 2 behind Pied Piper. 

He was the only one able to go with the eventual winner, who’s boosted the form multiple times since, so it was a great effort in defeat and he made a respectable return at Chepstow last-time-out when second to Sonigino, who’s a leading player for tomorrow’s Greatwood Hurdle. He tends to come off the bridle quite a lot during his races but he finds a lot for pressure and this step up in distance could bring about improvement. He has the vital course form, is on an attractive mark, and saves his best for these conditions, so I can envisage him running another good race. Four places widely available.