Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
I know we have the Derby and Oaks to come in early June, then Royal Ascot later in the month but we have two Classics behind us and also most of the important, the so-called, “Classic Trials,” which has so far proved to be anything but, when it came to the running of the real thing.
This Saturday we are blessed with three meetings and all of them have big competitive handicaps for us to enjoy and hopefully find some decent priced winners. ITV are showing two races from York, including one big handicap, two races from Goodwood with another big field handicap and no fewer than five races from Haydock with three major handicaps, happy days. So with this abundance of riches, here are my thoughts for the best value in this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.55 Haydock. Ffion
2.25 Haydock. Postileo
3.00 Haydock. Teodolina
3.50 York. Pendleton
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Starting at Haydock where three handicaps are being televised, the first of which, is at 1.55, the Casumo Horse Racing And Sports Betting Handicap and it looks like Sir Mark Prescott’s top weight Sunset Breeze could go off as the favourite. He ran disappointingly at Ascot last time. When upped in class, he drops down a step in the hope of repeating his successes of last year but still looks rather high in the handicap. He had Cold Stare and Stone Soldier behind him at Ascot neither of whom made an impression and he should be able to confirm the placings with those two who would have to show a massive improvement to feature.
William Haggas’s Tom Collins is having his second run of the season after flopping badly at Thirsk last month. He needs plenty of give in the ground to show the sort of form he showed at Pontefract last October.
Ed Walker runs Molls Memory but she has failed to fire this season and is another who wants the ground to be softer.
Down at the bottom of the handicap is David Loughnane’s Ffion who was unbeaten in two starts at Wolverhampton last year. She came to Haydock for her first run on the turf a fortnight ago and didn’t really handle the heavy going but still managed to finish second. She can improve on that run and has the ability to take this.
At 2.25, we have the Download The Casumo App Today Handicap, a 2-mile contest.
Venetia Williams’s Green Book will be fancied here after winning at Chester two weeks ago but I am very wary of form around the RooDee as more often than not horses with the first run around the final bend usually take the spoils on the short run in and that is what happened with Green Book in that race.
Roger Varian’s Postileo was second that day after being hampered at the start and having to travel wide on the final bend, he still managed to take second inside the final furlong but the winner had flown. It was a similar fate for Ian Williams’s Speedo Boy who met problems on the last bend and by the time he had extracted himself, the race was lost.
The top weight is Ralph Beckett’s Future Investment who made no impression on his last run in the Chester Cup when well fancied but he looks too highly weighted here.
John Ryan’s Hiroshima won at Ascot two weeks ago but steps up in class again here, after previously being tried in a Listed race at Nottingham where he was well beaten.
Down at the bottom of the handicap, John Quinn’s Frankenstella won three times as a 3-year-old but has found things tougher this season, she may run into a place. So I consider it is between Postileo and Speedo Boy and I just give the former the nod in what should be an exciting contest.
The Join Casumo Today Silver Bowl Handicap is at 3.00 run over a mile. There is a warm favourite here in the shape of Roger Varian’s Raadobarg, it’s not surprising really considering he has won both his contests this term at Thirsk and Leicester but this is a major step up in class for Varian’s charge.
Teodolina is another who steps up in class for trainer Richard Hannon and it looks to me she won a better contest at Ascot last time than Varian’s charge. Wobwobwob won at York last week and comes out quickly to try to complete a snappy double for trainer Adrian Kearney but he meets better horses here.
One of the top weights Laos trained by Archie Watson ran in a Listed race in France last time but made no impression. He did, however, win at Kempton in March but his weight is a worry.
Richard Fahey’s Master Zoffany won last time at Chester coming from off the pace to win going away but he wants plenty of juice in the ground to show his best form. So in what looks like a close contest, I will take Hannon’s course winner Teodolina to prevail.
Moving to York for the 3.50, the williamhill.com Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap where Tim Easterby’s Copper Knight returns for a quickfire double after winning there last week. He is very much a York specialist having won there five times, including this race in 2017 and he meets five of the horses he beat last week and even with 6lbs extra on his back he should confirm those placings but may not be victorious again. He may have to settle for a place.
Another winner of this race is bottom weight Duke Of Firenze who won it in 2019. He has been a great servant for trainer David Griffiths. However, he is now a 12-year-old and it would be some achievement to take this.
Kevin Ryan’s Justanotherbottle is yet to get off the mark this season but he showed good form to take second last time at Pontefract. He may run into a place once again.
I like the look of Michael Dods’s Pendleton who didn’t run as a 4-year-old but looks to be over any problems he has had especially when running a fine second at Ascot a fortnight ago going down by only a nose. He can gain recompense for that defeat here.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.55 Haydock. Ffion
2.25 Haydock. Postileo
3.00 Haydock. Teodolina
3.50 York. Pendleton
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365