Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
We have plenty to get our teeth into this weekend as Cheltenham looms ever nearer with ITV covering three meetings and nine races. We have three races from Doncaster, including the Grimthorpe Chase which has an exceptionally poor turnout.
Alan King sends Canelo here for his last run before he attempts to win the Grand National. Kelso has its big meeting of the year and television covers four of their races, including the Morebattle Hurdle and I have reviewed that below.
Finally, we have two cracking races from Newbury, which are Veterans Chase. These are always exciting, and the Greatwood Handicap Chase which looks to be the toughest race of the day to win with fourteen runners. So I have looked through these contests to try and find the best value and here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.05 Kelso. Flash Collonges
3.15 Kelso. Faivoir
1.15 Newbury. Strong Pursuit
1.50 Newbury. Killer Clown
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Starting at Kelso with the 2.05, the bet365 Handicap Hurdle, a 2m 5f contest. The top weight here is Tom Lacey’s Sebastopol who was a course winner here in February 2020. His latest run was also here at Kelso on New Year’s Day where he was sent off as a favourite but he made no impression and finish fifth.
Dan Skelton has an interesting contender in Sail Away who has won in France. However, this is his UK debut and his first run for 16 months, he is best watched.
Torn And Frayed trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies ran well at Haydock in December finishing second then finally broke his duck by winning at Hereford last week coming home by 10 lengths. But this race is a major step in class and may come too soon after that.
Nicky Richards’s Mayo Star won twice at the end of last season. He was tried over fences last November and finished a fair fourth but he has had his injury problems and looks difficult to get right.
If Richards has got him on the song, he may well put in a good performance. A Paul Nicholls runner at Kelso should always be noted and he has Flash Collonges entered here. He is a dual winner already this season lately at Wincanton in January where he won comfortably. He can make the step up in class to take this.
At 3.15 it is the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle over 2 miles and Emmet Mullins sends The Shunter over from Ireland. He is the bookmakers’ choice and they make him a warm favourite, perhaps after Emmet won the Dovecote at Kempton last week and The Shunter’s fine win at Cheltenham in November. He has since run third at Leopardstown in a hot contest and should go close here but is not unbeatable.
Paul Nicholls has Christopher Wood entered who won comfortably last time out at Musselburgh where he had Voix Du Reve in second and he should confirm those placings but may not find this as easy.
Newtown Boy runs for Keith Dalgleish. He won the NHF race at Newcastle in January then ran at Musselburgh where he finished sixth after making several mistakes. I am sure Dalgleish will have worked on those errors and he may run into a place at a nice price.
I like the look of Dan Skelton’s Faivoir who has won three times already this season. He will want some give in the ground but the way he won at Haydock last time running on after the last show, he is a battler and those are the qualities required here
Moving south to Newbury at 1.15 it is the BetVictor Veterans Handicap Chase over 3m 2f. The top weight is Paul Nicholls’s Present Man who won at Chepstow in October but has been defeated twice since. He seems high enough in the weights to me.
The other at the top of the handicap is Colin Tizzard’s West Approach. He is a classy sort but has not won since November 2019. He is another high in the weights.
Harry Fry’s Sir Ivan has been closing up in all his races this season but has been outpaced on the run-in. I think he will do well to be placed here.
Singlefarmpayment comes here to try and win his first race for over four years for trainer Henry Oliver. He is another who may struggle in this company.
Neil Mulholland’s Shantou Village has shown patches of good form but has a tendency to make mistakes and he has never won over this distance.
Strong Pursuit is the one that jumps out at me for this. Phillip Hobbs’s gelding is very lightly raced but the way he rallied to take third at Warwick in November shows he is as strong as ever. He beat Present Man that day as well. He was badly hampered when challenging two out at Sandown in January and was pulled up. He can gain recompense for that unfortunate incident here.
At 1.50 it is the big race of the day- the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase, a 2m 4f contest.
The bookies favourite here is Paul Nicholls’s Grand Sancy who returns to action after being comprehensively beaten at Wincanton in November. It was reported he had a breathing problem and while I’m sure that Nicholls has dealt with that I think he is best watched at this point in his career.
The same trainer also has the top weight Capeland entered. He is a classy sort who won at Wincanton in January but was then pulled up next time out at Ascot when never going well and that is a worry.
David Pipe’s Umbrigado has some great form this year winning his last two outings but he has moved up the handicap and this is a better class of contest. He may have to settle for a place.
I like the look of Emma Lavelle’s Killer Clown who has improved with every race he has run this season. He was hampered the first time out at Uttoxeter back in October then was not fluent at Exeter. On his next run at Sandown, he got the hang of things and only lost second on the run-in, then he won comfortably at Kempton on Boxing Day. I am sure the trainer will come here full of confidence in his ability to take this prestigious contest.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.05 Kelso. Flash Collonges
3.15 Kelso. Faivoir
1.15 Newbury. Strong Pursuit
1.50 Newbury. Killer Clown
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365