Wednesday Tote Placepot Tips for Goodwood from Architect

Leg 1 Selections: Struth, Tony Montana

The King George V Stakes is generally a crucial form-line to identifying the winner of this highly-competitive handicap as last year’s winner Secret State, won that race prior to taking this and Nagano ran well in it at Royal Ascot the year before, en route to landing the spoils in this contest. 

That race is likely to be a good guide to this year's renewal as well. Charlie and Mark Johnston’s STRUTH was down the field in that contest at Royal Ascot but has made the frame twice since and remains on the exact same mark here. He is reunited with Joe Fanning and this course should suit his prominent style of racing. He could be hard to pass. 

TONY MONTANA, an expensive purchase, opened his account at Newbury three weeks ago in good style after finishing down the field in the Hampton at Royal Ascot and was actually sent off favourite to beat Bluestocking on debut. He finished a good second that day and the winner has gone close in the Irish Oaks since. 

On a strict reading of the winner, he has the measure of a horse called Cloudbreaker, who was fourth in that King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot. He is worth the step up in trip and a mark of 92 has majorly underestimated his chances ahead of his handicap debut. A lower draw would have been better but he is still a big player. 

Leg 2 Selections: Breege, Dream Of Love, Matilda Picotte

BREEGE produced an excellent Sandringham runner-up effort at the Royal meeting when last spotted and had previously finished a very good second over course-and-distance around this time last year in similar company. This filly is drawn well in stall 3 and has a lot more to come, so she could be extremely hard to beat. 

The form of DREAM OF LOVE has worked out extraordinarily well, especially her short-head second to Mawj in Meydan, given the winner has since landed the 1000 Guineas. She was down the field in that very race at Newmarket but didn’t disgrace herself in finishing 12th of 20.

She then caught the eye when seventh of 29 in the Sandringham when required to shoulder top-weight, doing her best work in the latter stages. From a pound lower mark coupled with a decent slot in stall 8, she must have excellent claims in a race where she has the capabilities of beating these. 

MATILDA PICOTTE is another to consider who ran very well when third in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and, from an unfavourable position, she was fourth to Little Big Bear in Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock. Her rating puts her firmly in the mix against these. 

Her only previous start over this trip resulted with a runner-up effort in a Group 3 and in that race she had the classy Zarinsk back in third, who has won a pair of Group 3 events and a Group 2 since. She has a great chance with just about the strongest form in the field. 

Leg 3 Selections: Big Evs, Baheer

In the Molecomb Stakes, the third leg of the pool, I am keen to oppose Dragon Stakes winner Kylian with Windsor Castle winner BIG EVS who might just have the natural speed and other vital attributes to burn this field off under an attacking ride from Jason Hart. 

That was a major step forward from his debut second at Redcar and there appeared to be no fluke about that success either, as he won by three lengths, easily brushing aside some highly-regarded prospects, including the second, Johannes Brahms. 

Mick Appleby’s son of high-class sprinter Blue Point, is open to even further improvement after his demolition job at Royal Ascot, which is the best form in the race, and is strongly fancied to take the rise in grade in his stride. I cannot see him out of the frame and would no doubt be much shorter in the betting if he were trained by one of the bigger yards. 

Just in case the unexpected happens, the Richard Hannon-trained BAHEER is the back-up option. His stable have won the last two renewals of this race and this useful colt returned a good winner from the front at Newbury last month. He has more to offer and can make a bold bid under Pat Dobbs. 

Leg 4 Selections: Paddington 

It is hard to look beyond PADDINGTON who is clear of these on ratings, form and will be in receipt of weight from his nearest market rival as well. He has now won six races in succession and was impressive in winning the Irish 2000 Guineas, St James’s Palace and the Coral-Eclipse. 

The runner-up has let the form down since but I just cannot comprehend how any of the remainder can topple the odds-on favourite who looks banker material. He probably hasn’t finished improving yet either, so he can add another Group 1 success to his impressive CV. 

His main danger might turn out to be the French-trained Facteur Cheval, who has already run well on more than one occasion at the highest level and is available at big odds but doesn’t appear capable of beating the favourite, form-wise. 

Leg 5 Selections: Flora Of Bermuda, Princess Chazara

In the fifth race, which is littered with a host of last-time-out winners, the Andrew Balding-trained FLORA OF BERMUDA could capitalise on the drop in grade and gain a first success. She stepped up on her previous efforts to win her side of the track when sixth of 26 in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot and a repeat of that form would give her claims in this contest. She can improve again to have a say in the outcome. 

PRINCESS CHAZARA beat a good yardstick in Mashadi with the minimum of fuss on debut at Brighton and showed plenty of early dash when leading for a long way in the Queen Mary before weakening out of contention late on. This course will suit her better, which is more emphasis on speed, and she retains potential with every possibility she will bounce back. I can see her outrunning her odds and hopefully that is enough to see her fill the frame. 

Leg 6 Selections: There’s The Door, Persist, Decoration

THERE’S THE DOOR has improved her form again this year and was last seen running well back in handicap company to finish third. The form of her Cheshire Oaks second, albeit beaten a long way, has worked out well with the winner taking the Irish Oaks since. She will need more back up in grade but might be able to find that necessary improvement to run a big race. 

PERSIST won twice last season and the form of her sixth of 13 at Newmarket back in October had received a few boosts since. She is only a pound higher than when winning at Haydock and should be thereabouts. Of the rest, Roger Varian’s DECORATION has improved with each start and surely has more to come on just her second start in a handicap.

How does a Placepot work?

The more people who play the Placepot at a given meeting, the larger the pool will be. If less people find the winning combination across the six races, the bigger the winning dividend will be.

When placing your Tote Placepot bet, you can choose whether to make one or more selections in each race, which are referred to as lines.

Adding multiple lines in a race increases your chances of picking a horse that places. However, your total stake is determined ‘per line’, so the more lines you place the higher the stake will be. 

To work out how much you have won, multiply your stake per line by the amount of winning lines you have. Your winnings will then be either that percentage of the published £1-stake winnings or a multiple of the published dividend.