Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Three meetings to look forward to this Saturday, hopefully, with four televised races from Ascot, three from Haydock and one from Taunton. I say hopefully because Haydock is due to have an inspection on Saturday morning before racing as they were unable to decide on Thursday. Even if the meeting goes ahead, I wonder if we will see Buveur d’Air make his seasonal reappearance.
Nice to see the cameras at Taunton, and perhaps we may even see more races than the single one scheduled to be shown if Haydock is called off. But the main meeting is from Ascot where the Clarence House Chase is the highlight of the day and where Waiting Patiently has been supplemented to take on last year’s winner Defi Du Seuil, throw Tingle Creek winner Politologue into the mix and it looks like we have an outstanding contest to enjoy.
Here are my thoughts for the best value of the day for this week’s Lucky Fifteen
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.50 Ascot. Janika
3.00 Ascot. Dashel Drasher
3.35 Ascot. Waiting Patiently
2.40 Haydock. Sam Brown
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning with the 1.50 at Ascot, the Matchbook Better Way To Bet Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle over 2m 3f. Nicky Henderson has the top weight here with Janika who is having his first outing of the season. He won first time out last season but was disappointing in his subsequent four runs when he was highly tried in Graded races. He drops back into handicap company hoping to get his year off to a good start and I think he may well do this despite having top weight.
Botox Has started his season well with a fine victory at Cheltenham in October but Gary Moore’s gelding has failed to add to his tally since. He ran rather poorly last time here at Ascot and I pass him over.
Harry Fry’s Lightly Squeeze was third here in December beaten just over 3 lengths which is good form but he has never won in this company.
Kateson was a winner at Aintree for Tom Lacey in December but he beat very little that day and steps up in class more in hope here than anything else.
Paddy’s Motorbike has won his last two for trainer Sam Thomas, but this is a major step up in class. He may, however, be placed off a low weight.
The bet365 Handicap Chase is at 3.00 and is run over 2m 5f, and all of the principals seem to have stood their ground.
Top weight and favourite is Dan Skelton’s Benny’s King who’s a fine win over this course and distance in December gave his supporters the first victory of the season, but he is giving weight all round.
Venetia Williams sends Espoir De Guye back to Ascot where he won in November over this distance. He returned in December to try his luck over 3 miles but he was well beaten that day. He drops back to this favoured distance but may find some more determined opponents than he did in November.
Capeland represents Paul Nicholls here after his fine win at Wincanton a fortnight ago. I am just slightly concerned that this race may come rather quickly after that victory.
Lower down the handicap, we have Good Boy Bobby who has been tried in Class 1 and 2 races since winning at Bangor in October, he may well be placed. But I have a liking for Dashel Drasher who won over this course and distance in December.
Jeremy Scott’s gelding is now well recovered from an injury that forced him to have a year off. This is his first attempt in handicap company and he can come through this with flying colours.
The big race of the day is the Grade 1 Matchbook Betting Exchange Clarence House Chase at 3.35 over 2 m 1 f. This looks like a really exciting contest with Phillip Hobbs’s Defi Du Seuil back to defend the trophy he won last year but he has not been seen since being pulled up at Cheltenham in November where he was reported to have stopped quickly and that is a worry.
Paul Nicholls’s Politolgue ran a tremendous race in the Tingle Creek at Sandown in early December which was his first run of the season since he won the Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March. But I can’t help thinking he was given an easy lead and never taken on in those two races and I think there is a horse in the lineup that can do that.
That horse is Ruth Jefferson’s Waiting Patiently who has been supplemented for this Grade 1 after letting others slip through his fingers since winning the Ascot Chase back in 2018. He let Frodon run away with the King George and was staying on in the 2019 Tingle Creek having let the leaders get away. Hopefully, his injury worries are behind him and he is fit enough to put in a great performance here.
If you are looking for a big outsider in an e/w bet as there are 8 runners so 3 places will be paid, I like Dr Richard Newland’s Le Patriote who was third in a Grade 3 at Haydock in November. He went on from that to win at Hereford the following month and may manage a place here.
Finally, the Peter Marsh Handicap Chase is due to be run at Haydock at 2.40 if the course passes an inspection on Saturday morning.
There are two Sams in the race Sam Brown and Sam’s Adventure and I have a preference for the former trained by Anthony Honeyball. He has had just one run this season coming up against Imperial Aura at Carlisle in November. He has won on heavy here at Haydock and has the credentials to take this. I am sure Honeyball hopes the course passes inspection.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.50 Ascot. Janika
3.00 Ascot. Dashel Drasher
3.35 Ascot. Waiting Patiently
2.40 Haydock. Sam Brown
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365