Saturday Horse Racing Preview & Tips – 22nd August – Seymour Biz

We have had some fine coverage of the York meeting on ITV this week and that continues this Saturday with the Ebor Handicap as its centrepiece. The cameras will cover five races from the Knavesmire including the Melrose Handicap for 3-year-olds, three Stakes races and the Ebor itself. This is all backed up by four handicaps from Sandown which are not great races in themselves but there may be the odd horse tucked in there that represents good value. So nine races to look forward to this weekend and here are my thoughts for the best of them and this week’s Lucky Fifteen.

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Saturday Lucky Fifteen

• 3.15 Sandown. Zegalo
• 2.25 York. Coltrane
• 3.40 York. Pondus
• 4.10 York. Ben Macdui

Bet this lucky 15 with the best odds on Bet365

Starting at Sandown with the Play 4 To Win At Betway Handicap at 3.15 and Ed Walker sends out the top weight and one of the favourites, Matthew Flinders, for this 3-year-old race. He has won this year at Doncaster at the end of June then ran a fair second at York last time ,where incidentally he lost a shoe but I think he is too high in the weights at present. Pride Of America from Harry Dunlop’s yard was also second on his last run over in France, prior to that he was considered good enough to run in Listed company and this drop to a handicap should be noted but he is another high enough in the weights. Brian Meehan sends out Raaeq for his first run of the season, he won at Newbury in September last year but has not been out since, perhaps he is best watched here. Marram was a fine winner at Ascot last time for trainer Roger Charlton and he looks certain to go well here but he steps up in weight and class and may have to settle for a place. The one I like the look of is Roger Varian’s Zagalo, he was a winner as a 2-year-old and has run consistently ever since including when a course and distance winner here a month ago. After that victory he ran at Newmarket in a Class 2 handicap and finished a very creditable third, this drop back in class and his low weight should give him every chance in this contest.

Moving north to the top meeting of the day at York let’s start with the 2.25 the Sky Bet Melrose Handicap, a 1m 6f race for 3-year-olds. William Haggas has a couple of runners here including the market leader, Favourite Moon, who won at Haydock last time out. But his other runner looks to have a better chance and that is A Star Above who is a dual winner already since lockdown. On his latest outing he ran a very good second to Mambo Nights and they reoppose here but after that tough race they may find something too good for the pair of them. Kipps from Hughie Morrison’s yard has been running consistently well without getting his head in front, he was a beaten favourite last time at Newmarket but is stepping up in distance significantly in this contest. Alan King has Midnights Legacy in the lineup, a two-time winner at Haydock in June but he is another who is stepping up in distance. There are a couple of entrants who have prevailed at this distance they are Brian Meehans Arthurian Fable and Andrew Balding’s Coltrane and the latter is more to my liking, he won over this distance at Newmarket a fortnight ago where he won going away. He has shown he is fit from that run and should have enough in the locker to take this.

The Sky Bet Ebor Handicap is at 3.40 and this prestigious handicap has the usual classy turnout and looks an exciting contest. The current favourite is Roger Varian’s Fujaira Prince who won going away at Royal Ascot last time but he has shot up the handicap since that victory and may be held here. Similarly Alan King’s Trueshan who won a Listed race at Haydock last month has been raised by the handicapper. Another King runner is Scarlet Dragon, a Royal Ascot winner but this distance may be beyond him. William Haggas’s Pablo Escobar has been racing in and winning Group and Listed races but he has a lot of weight and is stepping up in distance here. Ghostwatch is a course and distance winner from Charlie Appleby’s yard but his form this season has not been a patch on his victorious year of 2018. A lively outsider could well be Nicky Henderson’s Verdana Blue who will have absolutely no trouble getting the distance and who ran a fine second at Royal Ascot, he has been kept for this since and may well run into a place. But my idea of the winner is an Irish raider Patrick O’Brien’s Pondus who was a winner on this course in May last year. He drops into handicap company after running in Group races including a prep race at Leopardstown at the beginning of this month.

At 4.10 is the Julia Graves Roses Stakes, a 5f Listed race for 2-year-olds. This is not the sort of race I usually tip up in this column but I feel there is a horse here who can win this at a nice price. That is Kevin Ryan’s Ben Macdui who won first time out at Hamilton then ran a fine second to Steel Bull in a Group race at Goodwood. Ryan says of his charge, “This is the obvious race for him, he showed lots of speed at Goodwood and was only collared late on. He’s come on for that experience.” He has plenty of other smart rivals here including Brian Smart’s unbeaten Blackberry who steps up several grades to contest this. Also Nigel Tinkler’s Acklam Express steps out of handicap company after a couple of victories to try his luck in a Listed race but Ben Macdui looks the class act here.