Tuesday Sandown Placepot Tips from Architect

Leg 1 Selections: Graceful Thunder, Flora Of Bermuda

Hopefully the market should provide further clues to the opener.

Given the form of George Boughey and AMO Racing in recent weeks, debutant GRACEFUL THUNDER could be capable of making a winning debut. She is bred to be speedy and is firmly of interest. 

FLORA OF BERMUDA was an expensive purchase, and Andrew Balding’s team are in great form as well, so she also makes the shortlist. 

Leg 2 Selections: Roost

ROOST could find the improvement to win the second race. Ralph Beckett’s charge ran well when second at Doncaster and the form of his second at Wolverhampton reads well, as the third has gone close since off a mark of 80 at Chester. 

Leg 3 Selections: Slipofthepen, Finn’s Charm, Grey’s Monument 

The unbeaten SLIPOFTHEPEN was on my shortlist for the 2000 Guineas before connections pulled him out at a late stage and will line up here instead. He has won both his starts comfortably and has the potential to be a Group 1 horse. He gets the main vote to potentially keep his unbeaten record intact as he bids to continue his rise through the ranks.

FINN’S CHARM was fourth in the Chesham at Royal Ascot last season and while he concluded that campaign on a disappointing note with two last-place finishes at Ascot and Doncaster, he made a mockery of his mark on handicap/seasonal debut at Musselburgh and is likely to try and dominate this field as well, though his task won’t be as straightforward this time. 

GREY’S MONUMENT bagged a couple of wins last year and went close in his hat-trick bid when second in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes behind Knight. He was only eighth in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes on his return but is expected to strip fitter here and this is a significant drop in class. He is vulnerable to the favourite but the fact he is the highest rated runner in the field entitles him to respect.  

Leg 4 Selections: Royal Symbol, Clever Revelation

The fourth race could turn out to be the race of the evening, where a few of these bring serious untapped potential. ROYAL SYMBOL hasn’t been seen for 517 days but did beat the useful Groundbreaker on debut at Kempton and the runner-up wasn’t disgraced on his return at Chester last week. 

Charlie Appleby’s four-year-old has undergone wind surgery since, so while his fitness has to be taken on trust and he has to carry a lot more weight than the remainder, he could be pattern-class bound at some point this season. If he is fit enough to do himself justice on his return, he is the one to beat. 

CLEVER REVELATION, another debutant winner, has a chance as well. He overcame soft-to-heavy ground at Windsor to win going away and despite the second letting the form down since, Hughie Morrison’s participant has plenty more to come, is race-fit and won’t go down without a fight. 

Leg 5 Selections: If Not Now, God Of Fire 

Just the three runners for the fifth race but IF NOT NOW is likely to start favourite on the back of an excellent third at Haydock in a higher-class event. 

He had previously won at Salisbury on debut and while this drop in trip is probably the shortest he wants to go now, he is clear of his two rivals on ratings and remains the one to beat. 

GOD OF FIRE is the main threat on paper, who opened his account at the third time of asking when successful at Wolverhampton and will receive five pounds from the former. 

He can go well too, while Blue Universe needs more to trouble the formerly-mentioned pair but does have William Buick on his back. 

Leg 6 Selections: New Heights 

A tough-looking sixth race but I’ll take a sole chance on the top-weight NEW HEIGHTS, who knows his way around here and was successful off this mark last July over this exact course-and-distance. 

He has been below his best on two all-weather starts this year but the return to the turf at this course should yield an improved display. He is the only one I can make a case for in the race.