Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
The Flat gets off to a flying start this week with the Lincoln meeting from Doncaster and ITV are covering four races from Town Moor. The channel has a bit of everything this week.
Besides the Doncaster meeting, they have two all-weather races from Kempton Park, including the Class1 Magnolia Stakes, and a couple of classy Hurdle races from Newbury. So, plenty of choice for punters this week and here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.50 Newbury. One True King
3.25 Newbury. Misty Whisky
2.35 Doncaster. Anythingtoday
3.10 Doncaster. Haqeeqy
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning over the sticks at Newbury with the BetVictor Novices Handicap Hurdle at 2.50 run over 2m 3f, we have a top weight who is unbeaten in his last four starts- Mount Windsor.
This 6-year-old has been a revelation this season by running up this unbeaten sequence considering he was unable to get his head in front in seven starts over hurdles last season. But he is stepping up in class here and he has the burden of top weight and these matters may put his unbeaten run in jeopardy.
Ian Williams drops Sometimes Always back into handicap company after his effort in a Graded race at Sandown earlier this month. He was out of his depth there but his form before that was excellent with three wins although they were very minor races.
Paul Nicholls has Good Ball in the lineup. He is lightly raced and won here at Newbury in December but this is a step up in class. It is a similar story with Gary Moore’s Hudson De Grugy but he has shown improvement this year with two victories at Sandown albeit in lower class races.
But Nigel Twiston-Davies’s One True King has been plying his trade in higher grades than this race after a couple of victories earlier in the season. On his latest outing, he ran a fine third at Ascot and would have been closer if not for a mistake two out. He can continue his improvement by taking this.
At 3.25, we have the EBF BetVictor NH Novices Mares Hurdle. Phillip Hobbs’s course and distance winner Little River Bay has top weight after winning her first three races this season, the last of which was here at Newbury, but that run came to a shuddering halt when she was pulled up at Sandown in a Graded contest last month.
Colin Tizzard runs Rose Of Arcadia who finally got her head in front at the third time of asking after being highly fancied in all her contests this season.
Maranda is having a fine season for Dan Skelton with three wins, with the latest at Huntington earlier this month. However, this is a step up in grade and she looks high enough in the weights to me.
Nicky Henderson’s Docte Dina was sent to Lingfield to run on the all-weather to freshen her up. She duly obliged, then ran a fine race to finish second at Doncaster but she is yet to get her head in front over timber and there are horses with better chances in this race.
One of those is Harry Fry’s Misty Whisky who has been very consistent once again this season. She came out in November and promptly won her first two races, one of which was a handicap at Uttoxeter. From there, she ran a fine second in Listed company at Kempton the last month was only beaten 4 lengths into third in a Grade 2 novice clash at Sandown. Those credentials prove she can add this to her list of victories.
At Doncaster, the first handicap on the card is at 2.35- the Unibet Spring Mile Handicap. The top weight for this consolation race for horses that didn’t get into the Lincoln is Saeed Bin Suroor’s Dubai Souq who was last seen at Ascot last July running over 1m 4f. I think his future lies over longer distances.
David Menuisier’s Into Faith looks interesting on the strength of his French form. However, he has not won since October 2019.
Acquitted from Hugo Palmer’s yard has been gelded this winter and this may revive his liking for the game after a blank season last time. He was a dual winner as a 2-year-old but ran poorly at Royal Ascot and Sandown last summer.
Mostawaa has been running well on the all-weather for trainer Heather Main winning last time out at Kempton. He could take a place at a big price. But I like the look of Roger Fell’s Anythingtoday who ran a good seventh in last year’s Cambridgeshire. He was probably over the top next time at York and this drop back in trip may suit him.
So we come to the first big handicap of the season- the Unibet Lincoln at 3.10. This year’s lineup is one of the best for several years with several contenders having wintered in the Middle East in readiness for our flat season.
The current bookmakers favourite is one such horse, Charlie Appleby’s Eastern World who won at Meydan in February and has a 5lbs penalty for that. He was previously beaten by John Gosden’s Haqeeqy here at Doncaster last September where Eastern World trailed home ninth while Gosden’s charge was capping a fine season with his third victory of the year and the claiming jockey makes him look an interesting proposition.
Top weight Johan from William Haggas’s yard was a dual winner last year and has proved himself at this level but he has too much weight.
Kynren was highly tried last year and ran with credit on several occasions for trainer David Barron but he does find it difficult to get his head in front, he may land a place.
Another with place claims is Owen Burrows Danyah who finished off last season with a good win at Haydock. But an outsider at a big price is bottom weight Ascension who won at Ayr and Newmarket for trainer Roger Varian, he may also run into a place but I give Gosden’s Haqeeqy the nod.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.50 Newbury. One True King
3.25 Newbury. Misty Whisky
2.35 Doncaster. Anythingtoday
3.10 Doncaster. Haqeeqy
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365