Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
After the great weekend of racing last week where we had several pointers for Cheltenham over the two days, it’s much more mediocre fare this Saturday. ITV4 are covering three meetings and all-weather racing pokes its nose into the jump race calendar.
The main meeting of the day is from Kempton Park with four televised races all of which are Graded contests, two novices’ races and a juvenile hurdle amongst them. They are covering just one race from Newcastle, the Eider Chase, which used to be a Grand National trial but is now a pale glimmer of its past glories.
This is backed up by two a/w races from Lingfield one of which is the Winter Derby where John Gosden goes for his third consecutive win in the race with Forest Of Dean. The trainer will be looking to add to his £7.3million winnings gained by Mishriff in the Saudi Cup last Saturday, Wow. But with the meagre fare on offer for us this week, here are my thoughts for value at our jumps meetings this weekend.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.25 Kempton. Honneur d’Ajonc
3.00 Kempton. Son Of Red
3.35. Kempton. Al Dancer
3.15 Newcastle. Sam’s Adventure
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Starting with the Kempton Park meeting and the 2.25 is the Close Brothers Adonis Juvenile Hurdle- a two-mile contest. Alan King sends out Tritonic here for only his second run of the season after he tasted victory in his first NH race at Ascot last month. He was 3 lengths down coming to the last and made a complete horlicks of it but still found the strength to rally on the run-in and win by a length.
Trainer King has won this race four times and has high hopes for Tritronic in the Triumph Hurdle but I think that as an even money shot he can be opposed. The horse he beat on the run-in at Ascot was Gary Moore’s Casa Loupi who had previously run well on the a/w, he will have come on for that run.
Jane Williams runs Honneur d’Ajonc who looked all over the winner when falling at the last here at Kempton in the Christmas meeting. He will have learnt from that. In his previous outing, he ran into a Paul Nicholls hot-pot but acquitted himself honourably that day. He has the ability to take this.
Talking of Nicholls, he runs Paso Doble who is having his first run over hurdles but his flat form is nothing to write home about and he is probably best watched at this stage of his career.
At 3.00, it is the Sky Bet Dovecote Novices Hurdle- another two-mile contest. Paul Nicholls has the favourite here with Atholl Street who has won both of his starts this season but those races, both of which were at Taunton, were not the strongest of contests and he will meet a better class of opposition here.
Dan Skelton’s team are going great guns and he runs Calico. His previous flat form was in Germany and it did not really inspire much confidence. However, he went to Ludlow for his first run over hurdles and put twelve opponents to the sword. But this is a major step in class and I am not convinced that form can be brought to this Graded race.
Cape Gentleman comes over from Ireland with patchy form- he won his maiden at Punchestown in December then contested a Grade 1 over 2m 6f at Leopardstown earlier this month. He was pulled up in that race after hanging left, and trainer Emmet Mullins drops him back in trip here. He could be a very interesting runner.
But I will take a chance with Alan King’s Son Of Red who benefits from the 4-year-old allowance. He won a Class 2 contest at Newcastle in November then ran well the following month in a hot contest at Cheltenham finishing third. King states he has become fitter and stronger during his mid-winter break and there is more to come from him.
We have a decent chase at 3.35- the Close Brothers Handicap Chase run over three miles. Christian Williams has the bookies choice here with Cap Du Nord who has been consistent this season. After winning at Newbury in November, he has run in a couple of really hot contests since then and finished in the frame. In the latest of these, he had The Butcher Said and Mister Malarky behind him and I expect him to confirm that form.
Colin Tizzard’s Slate House was a Grade 1 winner here at Kempton fourteen months ago but his form has plummeted since then – failing to finish in half of his subsequent contests.
Clondaw Castle from Tom George’s yard is a consistent sort having only been out of the frame once in his last seven contests and winning two. In his last run here at Kempton, he was a well beaten second and is probably best watched as he steps up four furlongs in trip here.
Paul Nicholls’s Southfield Stone is another stepping up in trip. He won here over two miles earlier this month on the all-weather- the distance may be a problem.
One who may have no trouble travelling over 3 miles is Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Al Dancer another consistent performer. You can forgive his last run at Cheltenham on soft going he will appreciate running on the top of the ground and will be glad to see the heavy winter going behind him and get back inning ways.
Moving north to Newcastle for the Vertem Eider Handicap Chase at 3.15, a 4m 1f contest we have Crosspark looking to reprise his 2019 victory.
Caroline Bailey’s gelding has been runner-up on no fewer than four occasions this season and fully deserves to win this contest once again but with 11s 12lbs on his back, it’s a big ask.
Sam’s Adventure from Brian Ellison’s yard was a course winner here at Newcastle two years ago and he has shown some good form this season. He won at Haydock in December beating Salty Boy. He should confirm those placings, then unseated his rider when trying to repeat that feat on his latest outing at the same course.
Springfield Fox has produced some disappointing form this season, last year he won twice then unseated his rider in the National Hunt Cup at Cheltenham. He came out this year and looked full of promise when finishing runner-up at Chepstow in December. But, he has been pulled up in his last two contests and is probably best watched.
Lucinda Russell’s Big River is a Kelso specialist but comes here with a chance on the form he showed at Cheltenham in November, he may well take a place.
So, I come back to Sam’s Adventure. I will forgive him for his latest mishap and hope he can reproduce his December form.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.25 Kempton. Honneur d’Ajonc
3.00 Kempton. Son Of Red
3.35. Kempton. Al Dancer
3.15 Newcastle. Sam’s Adventure
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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