Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
The racing press is calling this weekend’s meetings Super Saturday and it’s not difficult to see why. ITV is televising three cracking meetings with arguably some of the most competitive racing of the summer. The three courses featured are Newmarket, York and Ascot and between them, televisions are showing no fewer than eleven races making for a fine afternoon’s viewing.
Newmarket has five races on offer, three of which are handicaps and also the July Cup which features the return of Ed Walker’s Starman who missed Royal Ascot due to the going. There are four races from York, including the City Walls Stakes where El Astronaute is looking to get back to winning ways but they also have a couple of juicy handicaps to get our teeth into.
Finally, there are a couple of races from Ascot, a fine Heritage Handicap and the Summer Mile where Oh This Is Us returns to action after trying his luck on the all-weather at Newcastle. So with all this fine racing to look forward to, I have picked out four of the toughest handicaps of the day to try and crack and find some value for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.45 York. Ajyaall
4.05 York. Surrey Pride
3.35 Ascot. Count d’Orsay
3.50 Newmarket. Lord Rapscallio
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at York with the 1.45 the John Smith’s Racing Handicap a one-mile contest on the famous Knavesmire. The top weight here is David O’Meara’s Young Fire who got his head in front at Haydock last time out finally breaking his duck for the season at the eighth attempt, but he surely has too much weight here.
Ivan Furtado’s Eagleway is fancied in some quarters on the strength of his victory in France last year. He ran a good second at a big price at Ascot in May, but I don’t see him figuring here.
La Trinidad won here at York in June for trainer Roger Fell but this is a major step up in class. Similarly, with Keith Dalgleish’s Chichester who won at Carlisle last month but he has got some fair form in his previous contests and may run into a place.
Lower down the handicap Adrian Keatley has Wobwobwob in the lineup. He won a fair contest here at York in May then got bogged down in the Haydock mud next time out. He should go well off a low weight.
But I have a preference for William Haggas’s Ajyaall. He won two from three as a 3-year-old then came here to York for his first run of the season in May and finished fourth after taking a keen hold. He will have learnt from that and should make a bold show here.
The John Smith’s Cup Handicap is at 4.05 and we have a strong lineup for this 1m 2f contest. The top weight is Brian Meehan’s Palavecino who was a prolific winner on the all-weather last season. He has been tried in Group and Listed races this year without success. He has too much weight. In his latest race, a Listed contest at Royal Ascot he could finish only 10th, Owen Burrows’s Dawaam was 8th in that race after winning on the a/w at Chelmsford in April he would also need to improve to figure here.
The Crisford’s have Aaddeey here, he easily won a poor contest at Newmarket in May then ran 5th in a Royal Ascot handicap, some further improvement required.
Sir Michael Stoute has a really strong contender with Astro King who was second in the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot he had several of these trailings in his wake, including Ascension, What’s The Story and Lucander and I fully expect him to confirm those placings, he will go very close. But he is not unbeatable and I really like the look of Joseph Tuite’s Surrey Pride, he won a couple of times last year, then came here to York and won over this distance in May. He can repeat that performance and take this prestigious contest.
At Ascot, the big handicap is the Betfred Heritage Handicap, a 5-furlong sprint. The favourite here is Karl Burke’s Significantly thanks to his victory last time out on this course a month ago at Royal Ascot. That was heavy going over 5 furlongs but better going may put a few of these in the mix against him.
Tis Marvellous, one of Clive Cox’s top sprinters won this in 2019 but has won only once since and looks high enough in the weights to me.
Kevin Coleman sends over Irish raider Only Spoofing. He was a fine second at Epsom on Derby Day after winning at Navan. He was fourth at the Curragh on his latest outing and could well finish in the frame.
William Haggas has Hurricane Ivor here after his victory at Sandown earlier this month. He would appreciate some cut in the ground.
Tim Easterby has a strong hand here with Count d’Orsay and Showalong. My preference is for the former who has been showing some good form in Group and Listed contests and this drop back to handicap company and some cut in the ground may give him the opportunity to put up a bold show.
Finally, at Newmarket, we have the bet365 Bunbury Cup at 3.50, a 7-furlong contest. Marcus Tregoning’s Perotto is the bookmakers favourite here after a couple of victories at Ascot and Goodwood but he has a 6lb penalty to carry and that may hold him back.
Roger Varian sends Jumaira Bay after his win on the all-weather at Chelmsford last month but he is another to have to carry a 6lb penalty.
William Haggas’s Ametist is unbeaten this season winning three top-class handicaps two of which were here at Newmarket but yet again he is another with a penalty.
Boardman won three on the trot for trainer Tim Easterby in May this year but that run came to a shuddering halt at Royal Ascot where he had several of these ahead of him. I cannot see him reversing that form.
The horse who ran fourth in that Ascot race was Stuart Williams’s Lord Rapscallion and he was desperately unlucky that day. He was hampered 5f out then hit on the nose by a rival’s whip when challenging 2f out. He ran a fine second to Chil Chil here at Newmarket in May so is suited by the course and comes with some excellent Irish form. He can get his UK form off the mark here.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.45 York. Ajyaall
4.05 York. Surrey Pride
3.35 Ascot. Count d’Orsay
3.50 Newmarket. Lord Rapscallio
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365