Friday Racing Tips from Architect

There was a lot to like about the way CALL THE DAWN (best price 13/2) ran on his hurdles debut six weeks ago. Despite being sent off 20/1, he travelled and jumped fluently throughout and kept on very well to finish a solid four-length second to the already-experienced Gin Coco who had hurdles experience on his side. The winner probably had more in hand the margin indicated but it was a solid effort in defeat and the form was given a boost in the Greatwood Hurdle when Gin Coco finished second in that race. With more to come, and this track likely to suit, he is a solid choice to make the frame against the two market leaders. 

This should be a good race and I really like the top-weight SOARING GLORY (best price 8/1) here, who is the class act in the field and could be too good for these if able to translate his hurdles ability to this sphere, even with his big weight taken into account. I am quite shocked to see the bookmakers have him trading at double-figure odds as I would have had him a lot shorter based on most of his hurdles form, which is the best on offer. 

He won last year’s Betfair Hurdle at this course and ran a blinder when fifth in this year’s renewal of that race off top-weight, where he was in second until a bad mistake at the last hurdle cost him a top-three finish. The seven-year-old did, however, beat the high-class Bravemansgame on his only previous start on good ground and while he’s been absent for 288 days, his record fresh reads 111, so his fitness shouldn’t be an issue and he must therefore have an excellent chance if his jumping can pass the test. 

With Chris Gordon continuing in a rich vein of form, I can’t resist a second choice in the form of AUCUNRISQUE (best price 5/1), who has made giant strides this year. He has won five of his last six starts, including a Grade Two over hurdles and showed a good attitude to win on his chase debut last month. This race is a lot more competitive but he jumps well, has pace and will put a lot of pressure on the remainder of the field in that aspect if adopting his usual front-running tactics. I think he’s a better horse than Datsalrightgino and could prove hard to pass if allowed to get into his usual rhythm with conditions ideal at a course that should play to his strengths. 

EGBERT (best price 7/1) shaped well in a couple of bumpers when making the frame, including when narrowly denied by School Days Over, who ran well when second in a red-hot bumper race at Cheltenham next time. His jumping was very good for a hurdle debutante at Warwick earlier this month and kept on strongly to only be beaten a length into third. 

He wasn’t helped by that last hurdle being omitted but Alan King’s charge showcased a lot of ability in defeat that day and should prove even more effective over this longer distance. The winner from that race has let the form down since but this five-year-old has lots more to come and has to enter calculations in this wide-open race. 

A competitive race but David Pipe saddles two and jockey bookings suggest EDEN DE HOUX (NAP) (best price 4/1) is the main hopeful and he looks well-treated off 125 here. All of his best form has come on soft/heavy ground and he’s back on the same mark as when winning over two-miles here around this time last year when beating a host of 130-plus rated horses. He has been warming up for this race with a few spins over hurdles in France and returns to chasing off a really lenient mark. With plenty in his favour, this long-term project can hopefully be rewarded under Tom Scudamore on these terms. 

The form of the Old Roan Chase is working out week after week and this is a good opportunity for BEAKSTOWN (best price 3/1) to maintain that trend who finished fourth in that race at Aintree. He opened his account over fences in good style at Ayr in April and made his reappearance in that Grade Two event last time, where he jumped and travelled as well he often does before finishing a solid fourth. 

The second and third have both won since, including Ga Law who claimed the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on his next start off 142. This surely means Dan Skelton’s charge is still really well-treated off 137 here plus he gets weight from all five rivals. He’s down in class, his trainer is in red-hot form and he brings the best piece of form this season so far to the table, so on assumption that Harry Skelton will judge the pace right throughout, this talented individual could be up to the task ahead here. 

Just the six runners for the Long Distance Hurdle but it is a high-quality field and I’ll be counting on PAISLEY PARK (best price 11/2) to roll back the years and add another high-profile victory to his incredible CV. The ten-year-old won the Cleeve Hurdle for the third consecutive year at Cheltenham back in January and then finished third in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival, a race he had previously won in 2019 and finished third in that race last year. 

He has been beaten in this race for the last two years but he actually has a good record fresh and beat Thistlecrack on his reappearance in this three years ago. I think he’s the value option in this year’s field, yet the bookmakers have Champ as favourite, who’s finished behind Paisley more times than he’s been in front of him. The good ground will be fine and Emma Lavelle has reported to have him tip-top shape ahead of his return. Dashel Drasher is unproven over three miles, Tea Clipper has plenty to find on the form and Proschema is rated six pounds lower than this admirable performer, so he’s the one I want to side with here.

Things didn’t go to plan for PADDLEYOUROWNCANOE (best price 4/1) when he fell at Cheltenham last time but he was making nice progress before he hit the deck and is worth another chance to potentially make amends here. He is twelve pounds lower than when last successful over hurdles and is undoubtedly thrown in here if he can put it all together and get that bit of luck which he has needed for a while. He ran well on his last visit here over hurdles behind Champ a few years ago off a much higher mark and the Skelton’s are in great form, so it’s hard to not to see him out of the frame here off a good-weight and conditions to suit. Four places generally available.

I want to cover this race with CARIBEAN BOY (best price 9/1) who was a Grade Two winner as a novice here at this meeting back in 2020 and while his record has been patchy since, he’s fallen to an attractive mark here. He is lightly-raced in recent years and the combination of this ground, trip and distance will suit. He scored in good style on his penultimate start and although he was below-form last time, he goes well fresh and Daryl Jacob has his only ride of the day on this eight-year-old. He’s a danger to all if able to produce his best on his return and is a lovely price this morning with firms.