Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
After last week’s Group 1’s we have some decent handicaps to look forward to with just one Group 1 thrown in for good measure. We can expect some closer finishes this week at the two televised meetings with Newmarket and Ascot providing six handicaps from the nine races shown on ITV. The highlight of the day is at HQ with the Darley July Cup, one of the top sprints of the summer, and there is a great field for this once again with Aidan O’Brien looking to land a hat-trick of wins with Southern Hills who is a big price. Hello Youmzain is looking to follow up his victory in the Diamond Jubilee but I have a liking for Equilateral after his fine second behind stablemate Battaash in the King’s Stand and he looks a good each-way choice. But for this week I will concentrate on the handicaps at the two meetings with the best value I can find for the Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday E/W Lucky Fifteen
1.30 Ascot. Rajinsky
3.50 Ascot. Arecibo
1.50 Newmarket. Dance Fever
4.10 Newmarket. Spanish City
Starting at Ascot with the 1.30, the Betfred “Thanks to the NHS” Handicap, this race may be switched to 2.05 but failing that the ITV will still show a recording of it just after the start of the programme. Roger Varian’s Apparate is having his first outing of the season and this classy 4-year-old won the Lavazza Stakes Handicap on his penultimate run last season. He went on from that to run poorly at Newmarket in October and he may need this outing. Good Tidings won twice towards the end of last season for trainer John Gosden but has not shown anything like that form this year. He ran poorly when a beaten favourite last time out at Kempton and is probably best watched. I like the look of Tom Dascombe’s Rajinsky who ran a good third at Newbury first time out then a close up seventh at Newcastle in the Northumberland Plate a fortnight ago. He can improve on that run and is low enough in the handicap to take this at a nice price.
At 3.50 it is the Betfred Heritage Handicap, a 5 furlong sprint down the Ascot straight. I am very tempted to give Lahore another chance after his run at Newcastle two weeks ago. Phillip Makin’s gelding was slowly out of the stalls that day so his chance was gone in the first furlong but with top weight here I have to discount him. National Anthem is running up a sequence with a hat-trick of wins for trainer David Brown and his latest win at Doncaster under a penalty was the best of those victories. But he is stepping up in class here and his winning run may come to a halt. A 5f specialist is David O’Meara’s Arecibo who has run well here at Ascot in the past. Last October he was second here to Dakota Gold in a Listed race and in his latest outing at he finished fifth in a tight finish. He is definitely a quirky character but he is due a win and may have it here at the course where he seems to put in his best efforts.
Moving up to Newmarket at 1.50 we have the bet365 Mile Handicap with Simon and Ed Crisford’s Finest Sound currently favourite. He has had a great start to this season, winning at Haydock then a second place at Royal Ascot but he is high enough in the weights here. Even higher in handicap is William Haggas’s Surf Dancer who has had just one run so far this year. That was at Sandown last month where he finished fourth after being badly hampered, he should improve on that placing but may have to settle for minor honours. John Gosden’s Haqeeqy has won twice already in June including here at Newmarket but this race is a major step up in class for him as he moves into handicap company. Clive Cox’s Dance Fever had an unbeaten 2-year-old career, winning on three occasions but in his first run this year he finished out of the frame. That race was at Windsor where he did not get a clear run and had to be switched but still kept on in the final furlong, he can gain recompense for that defeat.
The day’s biggest handicap is at 4.10 the bet365 Bunbury Cup. I am very tempted by the top weight, Mark Johnson’s Vale Of Kent who has been running well since the resumption of racing. In June he put in fine performances in top class races then ran well last time out finishing second to Safe Voyage at Ascot but the weight is a worry and I think he will need to come down the handicap before he gets his head in front again. Another Johnson horse is Blown By Wind who was second a fortnight ago here at Newmarket when he did not get a clear run. He was beaten that day by Arigato from William Jarvis’s yard who also had his problems in the race when he found himself short of room but I think this pair are up against better horses here. Sir Busker had a fine victory at Royal Ascot and goes for a hat-trick for trainer William Knight but I am not sure if he will be able to cope with the undulations of Newmarket . Roger Varian’s Spanish City ran terrifically well in the Wokingham finishing third behind Hey Jonesy, he was expensive to follow last year winning only once at Yarmouth but this move back up to 7f can get him on the winning path for this season.
Saturday E/W Lucky Fifteen
1.30 Ascot. Rajinsky
3.50 Ascot. Arecibo
1.50 Newmarket. Dance Fever
4.10 Newmarket. Spanish City