Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Cheltenham stages its big autumn meeting this week with the highlight being the Paddy Power Gold Cup on Saturday. There are three other races being shown from Prestbury Park, including an Arkle trial. Also on the programme are a couple of Listed races from Lingfield, the Golden Rose and Churchill Stakes, making just six races in total on the day.
There is some excellent racing at both Wetherby and Uttoxeter and it’s a shame the ITV could not have featured some of the racing from these fine courses. Perhaps they thought we had enough last weekend!
So with little to work with, I have searched for value amongst the six races on offer and here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Cheltenham Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.45 Banbridge
2.20 Mister Fisher
2.55 Lisnagar Oscar
3.30 Downtown Queen
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
The first televised race at Cheltenham is the Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices Chase where Paul Nicholls’s Monmiral makes his debut over fences. He is the current favourite on the strength of his fine second at Aintree last April. Also, he was unbeaten the previous season. However, this is his first sight of the Prestbury Park fences and he can be opposed.
Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge comes here after a win at Gowan Park at the beginning of last month. He was a Cheltenham winner at this year’s Festival and can be successful once again.
Ann Hamilton’s Tommy’s Oscar cannot be discounted on last season’s form. He won first time out this season at Carlisle but this is much tougher.
Nicky Henderson runs Pentland Hills who looked a star in the making as a 5-year-old winning three times, including two Grade 1s but disappointed last season. He has started this year by winning a small race at Huntingdon but I’m not sure he retains that early promise.
The main Cheltenham race of the day is at 2.20 the Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase run over 2m 4f. The current favourite is the Irish challenger French Dynamite trained by Mouse Morris who won a couple of races last season, he came out last month at Thurles and won a small race. This looks much tougher.
The 2020 winner of this race, Coole Cody, returns to have another crack at winning this prestigious trophy. However, Evan Williams’s charge has 18lbs more to carry than he had that day. That said he loves it around here and has won at Cheltenham four times, he can go close.
Sam Thomas’s horses are flying and he has Stolen Silver in this. The horse won here last April and goes well first time out. He is another who should be in the shake up.
Nicky Henderson’s Mister Fisher has top weight and he drops down from Graded company to try and carry 12st around here. He is a class horse and has every chance.
I like Gary Moore’s Nassalam who showed terrific form last season. On his seasonal reappearance at Ascot, he jumped left-handed. That won’t be a problem around here but as a 5-year-old his time is to come.
At the other end of the age scale, I must mention Joe Tizzard’s Slate House who won three times here earlier in his career. He is a class horse and can be placed at a nice price but I give Mister Fisher the nod, just!
At 2.55 it is the Paddy Power Games Handicap Hurdle run over 3 miles. The top weight here is Nicky Henderson’s On The Blind Side who had a disappointing season last time after being highly tried. He ran unsuccessfully in a handicap last January and is probably best watched until he drops down the weights.
Paul Nicholls’s Shearer has shown his class this term with two victories, including one here last month. He has risen in the handicap but should still go close.
Chris Gordon’s Annual Invictus is probably best watched after running poorly at Plumpton last time.
Sidi Ismael won a small race for trainer David Pipe last month at Worcester but more is needed here.
I like Rebecca Curtis’s Lisnagar Oscar who was a winner here at Cheltenham last April, after being pulled up in a Grade 1 at the Festival the previous month. That win showed great tenacity and he is my idea of the winner as he returns to the site of his fine victory.
The final televised race is the Paddy Power Feel Like A Favourite Intermediate Handicap Hurdle at 3.30. Claire Harris must fancy Getalead’s chances of running up a hat-trick after wins at Newton Abbot and Warwick in September but he steps up in class here.
Top weight is Sarah Humphreys’ Nickle Back who won at Fontwell in October but has a lot of weight to carry.
Philip Hobbs’s Guernesey won at Warwick last month and then went off as the favourite at Sandown last week. He made a mistake at the first fence, then unseated at the next. That sort of jumping will be punished at Cheltenham.
The Irish have four runners in the field and I will highlight a couple. Firstly, A J Martin’s Unanswered who showed no form in four races last season going off at huge prices then he pops up at Punchestown and is made co-favourite then wins going away. That sort of form will see him go very close off a lightweight.
But I prefer Henry de Bromhead’s Downtown Queen who won two races in the summer and her latest race at Killarney in October. She unluckily clipped the heels of the horse in front and came down. She can gain recompense for that and take this.
Cheltenham Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.45 Banbridge
2.20 Mister Fisher
2.55 Lisnagar Oscar
3.30 Downtown Queen
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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