Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
As the flat season draws to a close with the last big handicap, the Cesarewitch, a race which is targeted by some of the big jumps trainers at Newmarket, the ITV cameras are highlighting the meeting at HQ.
Aside from the Cesarewitch there are three Group races including the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes where Charlie Appleby’s unbeaten Naval Power looks to continue his winning ways in what looks a thrilling contest.
There are also three races being televised from York to look forward to making it seven races in all, it just seems a shame they could not find room to fit in a race or two from the first big meeting of the jumps season at Chepstow.
Never mind it’s only a fortnight until the first races of the season at Cheltenham and they won’t be able to ignore that. Meanwhile here are my thoughts at Newmarket and York for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.50 Newmarket. Flying Honours
3.40 Newmarket. Run For Oscar
2.05 York. Mehme
3.15 York. Popmaster
Beginning with the 1.50 at Newmarket the Godolphin Flying Start Zealand Stakes, a 10 furlong contest for 2-year-olds. John and Thady Gosden were disappointed with Liftoff’s run at Longchamp at the beginning of September where the filly could only finish fifth of six, she steps up in trip here having failed to get a mile last time. Mick Channon’s Metal Merchant is another who steps up in trip after two victories but this is major step up in class. Charlie and Mark Johnston’s Dear My Friend won a couple of small races early in the season and has since tried to step up in class without success. Andrew Balding’s Galactic Jack comes here for his third run after winning at Goodwood last time over this distance, he will go close. Charlie Appleby’s Flying Honours won a 1 mile Listed race in August then came here to Newmarket for a Group 2 contest where he went off a short priced favourite, with only four runners it was a tactical affair and he was beaten half a length, he can gain recompense here.
The Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap is at 3.40 and is run over 2m 2f making it an ideal race for our jump trainers to target and they have won the last four runnings, three of which have been by Willie Mullins and he comes here with a strong hand again. His three runners are Baby Zeus, Scaramanga and Gibraltar and it is the latter I find most interesting, he has won a couple of lowly handicaps in Ireland and comes here with a featherweight on his back, he could be anything. The current favourite is Nicky Henderson’s Ahorsewithnoname who won at York and Newbury earlier in the season and comes here after having the summer off, she is sure to go well. Hughie Morrison’s Vino Victrix has been running well on the all-weather all season and finally got the victory he deserved on turf at Goodwood in August but he has a 4lbs penalty for that. Morrison’s other runner is Not So Sleepy who is a veteran 10-year-old now and has shown little this season. There are two other Irish raiders in the lineup, William Durkan’s Favourite Moon and Charles Byrnes’ Run For Oscar and it’s the latter who interests me most, he has shown good form in Ireland then came to Haydock in August and won a low-rated contest, he can step up in class to take this.
Moving north to York the 2.05 is the Coral Rockingham Stakes a 6 furlong Listed contest for 2-year-olds. William Haggas’s Alpha Capture won a small race at Carlisle in August then was only beaten a short-head in a sales race at Doncaster, Haggas will be hoping for a bold run. He also runs Kyeema who won a good handicap here at York in August but has been unsuccessful in two efforts since. Johnny Murtagh sends over Bay of Plenty after the gelding won his maiden at September last month, he won going away and could be anything. Tom Dascombe’s Felix Natalis has been running consistently well with three victories since July including winning comfortably at Naas last time, he will be in the shake up. I think the winner could come from the fillies contingent due to their sex allowance, Richard Hannon has two in the lineup – Miami Girl and Mehme – and it’s Mehme that interests me most. She won a small race at Salisbury in July then came out on top in a hot contest at Newmarket in August, I expect her to go well here.
We finish up with a nice 6 furlong handicap at the Knavesmire, the Coral Sprint Trophy Handicap is at 3.15. Top weight here is John Quinn’s Mr Wagyu who has been running in some top class races all season, he has been victorious twice at Epsom and the Curragh but he has plenty of weight. David O’Meara sends his old campaigner Gulliver back here to try and win this race for the third time, he was successful in 2019 and 2020, he has 5lbs less to carry than he did in his latest win and despite his poor form since that last win he still has place claims. You can never rule out Michael Dods’ Dakota Gold at York, he loves the place, he is a six-time winner here latterly when winning here in May, but this is tougher. Kevin Ryan has three in the field, Bielsa, Bergerac and Gis A Sub and a case can be made for any of them, but Bergerac won here in August then ran a good sixth in the Ayr Gold Cup, he should hit the frame. Ed Walker admits he got Popmaster’s tactics wrong at Ayr when running him in the Gold Cup when I tipped him in this column, I am backing Walker to make amends with his 4-year-old this time who had previously run a fine fourth at Ascot in early September, he can improve on that run here.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.50 Newmarket. Flying Honours
3.40 Newmarket. Run For Oscar
2.05 York. Mehme
3.15 York. Popmaster
Related Reading