Friday York Placepot Tips from Architect

Leg 1 Selections: Highwaygrey, Jean Baptiste

A difficult opener but perhaps the well-handicapped HIGHWAYGREY will come good again from his basement mark. He ran well on his return at Haydock when third from a two pounds higher mark and is back on the same mark as when last successful. He could be a significant player at a price.

Meanwhile JEAN BAPTISTE ran really well from the front when third over track and trip in October and has been given a fair chance by the assessor, given he is three pounds below his last winning mark. He should make a bold bid. 

Leg 2 Selections: Stamper, Up The Jazz 

The Ollie Pears-trained STAMPER has left plenty to work on after two decent efforts to date, who improved from his debut sixth of 12 at Beverley to finish a good third at Redcar. He steps up in trip and class but is surely capable of better and the fitting of blinkers could have a positive outcome. 

UP THE JAZZ proved no match for a red-hot favourite at Redcar when a distant second but was a length clear of the third and is another who should benefit for the step up in distance and represents connections who won this race two years ago. Sound place claims. 

Leg 3 Selections: Pink Crystal, Distinguished Lady

PINK CRYSTAL is a consistent filly, who won three times last season and has made the frame in a pair of Listed events the last twice. She has placed on both her return efforts previously and is clearly improving at a rate of knots, so she ought to take plenty of beating on her return in this drop in grade. 

DISTINGUISHED LADY does get a lot of weight from the former though, so she could emerge as the danger. She opened her account two starts back at Chelmsford and backed that up with a solid third at Chester when last seen from a tough draw. That was her first run in a handicap, so it’s possible she has scope for further progression and could get herself into the picture in this race with a low weight. 

Leg 4 Selections: El Drama

EL DRAMA came close to winning a Group 1 back in March and wasn’t beaten far when fourth at this level at Goodwood just over three weeks ago. He is the best horse in the race and should be able to get back to his best against these. 

That would be enough to see Roger Varian’s charge take the spoils, so he gets the vote to beat his market rival Shining Blue, who I know impressed here last time, but his form is much weaker than El Drama. 

Leg 5 Selections: Cool Run

COOL RUN ran a solid race when fifth of 12 at Thirsk on debut last month and is sure to have learnt a lot from that experience. This filly is up in grade but that debut form is amongst the best in the field as the second, third and fourth have all run well again since. She gets the vote to open her account or worst case, make the frame.

Leg 6 Selections: No Nay Nicki, Lord Of The Lodge

NO NAY NICKI has not been seen to good effect in both starts this year but has still run well in each, finishing eighth of 20 at this course before a decent fifth at Musselburgh last time. She would have hit the frame had she not have been so far back and hampered at an important stage. Her trainer is in good form and she has been eased a further two pounds, so this filly is one to consider. 

LORD OF THE LODGE bounced back to form when fourth of 19 in a stronger event than this over course-and-distance and is dropped in class from a two pound lower mark. If the six-year-old can run to that level in this race, he’s got a decent chance with Brandon Wilkie taking off a further seven pounds.