Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
It’s marvellous to see jump racing back with a great meeting at Cheltenham on Saturday. I know racing over the obstacles has never really been away as we have summer jumping, but that never really gets the juices flowing like racing in the autumn, when there’s a crispness in the air.
Saturday’s meeting at Prestbury Park also sees some well-known names returning to action after their summer break, not least five times course winner Frodon, who has been given a mammoth weight by the handicapper to haul around 3 miles through the Cheltenham mud.
The four televised races over the sticks are backed up by two flat meetings at Doncaster and Newbury. The Newbury meeting has two televised races and three from Doncaster, one of which is the Futurity Stakes, where Aidan O’Brien once again has a strong hand but Charlie Appleby’s La Barrosa could be worth a small investment.
But back to the jumps, and here are my thoughts for Saturday’s Cheltenham meeting and this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Cheltenham Lucky Fifteen
2.05 Grand Roi
2.40 Southfield Stone
3.15 Honest Vic
3.50 Fortsecue
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning with the Masterson Holdings Hurdle at 2.05 and Dan Skelton has the bookies favourite and top weight here with Allmankind. Last seen out at the Festival when he ran third in the Triumph Hurdle and if he can reprise that run, he should go close.
He was unbeaten until then, but he tends to run too freely and there are some classy opponents here. One of which is Nicky Henderson’s Monte Cristo, who won well at Newbury in February but didn’t seem to handle the undulations of Cheltenham on his previous outing and didn’t turn up fo the Triumph.
Paul Nicholls has a strong hand with Sir Psycho and Stratagem. The former looks the better of the two after his fifth in the Triumph and he has already had a run this month. That was at Chepstow, a fortnight ago where he didn’t seem to get the trip; this is tougher.
My preference is for an Irish raider, Grand Roi, trained by Gordon Elliott, who won his last two races last winter and was short odds-on on both occasions. He can add to his tally here.
At 2.40 it is the Best Odds at Matchbook Novices Chase and there are several vying for favouritism here, including Nicky Henderson’s Fusil Raffles who was a winner at Uttoxeter last month. He had only four opponents that day and ran out an easy odds-on winner. He will find this a little more difficult.
Phillip Hobbs’s Pileon was desperately unlucky here last March when he was nutted on the line in a Conditional Jockeys Hurdle and the trainer will be hoping for better fortune in this race. Again, Paul Nicholls has a strong hand with Grand Sancy and Southfield Stone.
The former has won already this season at Chepstow, two weeks ago where he had Fergal O’Brien’s Paint The Dream 13 lengths. Behind in second, the runner-up is 8lbs better off but that may not be enough.
Southfield Stone, on the other hand, has not been seen out since February when he ran a fine second in a very hot contest. He comes here with a consistent record having been placed in all five of his contests last season with one victory. This can be another.
The Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle is at 3.15 and this is shaping up to be a cracking contest. I’d Better Go Now from Dan Skelton’s yard is fancied off a low weight after winning at Perth last month, but he meets a higher class of opponent here.
Current favourite is Tom Lacey’s Neville’s Cross who comes here looking for a hat-trick after winning twice already this season at Uttoxeter and Hereford, but he is another moving up in class.
Colin Tizzard sends Copperhead here, he was a triple winner last season and came to the Festival well fancied but fell when well beaten in the Albert Bartlett. Added to that, the stable is under something of a cloud so I pass him over.
Gordon Elliott has a couple of times declared the best of which could be Tullybeg who has been very busy this season running four times and winning twice latterly at Downpatrick. He got home despite a bad mistake three out, he won’t get away with that here.
A horse who is having his first run of the season is Henry Daly’s Honest Vic. He won twice last season but was still a big price when running at the Festival in the Coral Cup where he ran fifth just 6 lengths behind the winner. A reproduction of that form should be enough to provide a victory for the Shropshire trainer.
The richest race of the day is at 3.50, the Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap Chase and the fine chaser Frodon is at the top of the weights. Paul Nicholls’s gelding has won five times here at Cheltenham, including the Ryanair in 2019.
Despite having campaigned for it again last season, he could finish only fourth. But he comes here with a stone more than his nearest rival and to carry almost 12th to victory, which would be a tremendous feat.
Robert Walford’s Walk In The Mill hasn’t run since January when he was runner-up at Chepstow, His season may be geared towards the Grand National and he may not have the speed of some of these. Nigel Twiston-Davies runs course specialist Cogry but the 11-year-old was pulled up in the Ultima at the Festival.
After a busy campaign last season, Captain Chaos finally got his head in front at Doncaster in February for trainer Dan Skelton where he came home miles clear of the rest. He won’t find it so easy here.
Manofthemountain for Emma Lavelle has won four of his last five but he is taking a big step up in class here. My choice is a young outsider, Fortescue, who is just a 6-year-old but was a revelation last season winning three times. Perhaps the best days are ahead of Henry Daly’s chaser but this could be a stepping stone to greater things and getting two stone from Frodon, he should be able to put up a good show.
Saturday Cheltenham Lucky Fifteen
2.05 Grand Roi
2.40 Southfield Stone
3.15 Honest Vic
3.50 Fortsecue
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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