Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
This week’s racing has a distinct end-of-term feel to it, with two meetings being televised from Newmarket and York, featuring eight races in all.
There are five races from Newmarket and three from York. The Newmarket card features the Future Champions Festival, which includes three Group 3s, the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes and the Class 2 Cesarewitch Handicap, which has become something of a benefit race for Irish trainers.
The three races from York feature a Listed race and two Class 2 handicaps, one of which is the Coral Sprint Trophy. So as the flat season winds down with just Ascot’s Champions Day and Doncaster’s November meeting to come, we can prepare to usher in a new jumps season. Meanwhile, here are my thoughts for this week.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
3.00 Newmarket. Zavateri
3.35 Newmarket. Ndaawi
2.05 York. Tony Montana
3.15 York. Uncle Don
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
I will begin with the Group 1 at Newmarket, the Darley Dewhurst Stakes, which is run over 7 furlongs and is a major pointer to next year’s Classics. Aidan O’Brien has the current favourite here with Gsaad, who won the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. Since then, he has been runner-up in two Group 1s at the Curragh and Deauville.
Charlie Appleby won this last year, and this time around, his main hope is Distant Storm, who won a Group 2 over this course and distance last month.
Karl Burke’s Alparshan is upped in class after winning a sales race at the Curragh last month.
Andrew Balding’s Gewan won a Group 3 at York in August, then disappointed at Doncaster the following month.
John and Thady Gosden’s Oxagon won at Sandown in July, then ran second in a Group 2 at Doncaster in September, beaten only by Puerto Rico, who won at Longchamp last weekend.
I go for Eve Johnson Houghton’s Zavateri, who has won three Group races since July, including the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh last month, the form of a champion.
The big betting race of the day is at Newmarket, the second leg of the Autumn Double, the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap, a Class 2 race run over 2m 2f. This race has been targeted by Irish trainers over recent years, and this year is no exception, with 10 of the 21 runners.
Willie Mullins’s has three runners in the race, including the top weight, Hipop de Loire, who ran a fine third in the Group 2 Doncaster Cup last month. His weight may be a problem.
AJ Martin’s Alphonse le Grande won this last year, but has disappointed so far this summer. Plus, he has 10 lbs more than last year.
Charles Byrne’s Reverend Hubert was a course and distance winner last month. He has been lightly races with this in mind and the manner of that 8 length victory shows he is a force to be reckoned with.
Another of Willie Mullins’s horses that has been campaigned with this race in mind is Bunting. His latest run at Leopardstown was very hopeful, finishing a fair 5th over an unsuitable trip. A bold run is expected.
The best of the UK runners could be Ian Williams’s Beylerbeyi, who ran up a treble in the summer. Gradually, he has been tried at longer distances in readiness for this.
But I go for another of the Irish challengers, Gordon Elliott’s Ndaawi, who did not stay the trip last year but is back for another crack after running a fair 4th at Chester last month when only losing second in the final strides.
Moving north to York for the 2.05, it is the Coral “Pipped At The Post” Handicap, a Class 2 contest run over 1m 2 1/2f. Top weight here is Hugo Palmer’s Grey Cuban, who was last seen in September running third in a Listed race at Chester. The weight is a problem.
Alan King’s Insanity, who ran second here at York in August, beaten just a neck, is expected to put in another bold run.
TJ Kent’s Erzingjan has been just outside the places in two of his runs this year, but he has not won since 2021.
Tim Easterby’s Per Contra won on the all-weather at Newcastle a fortnight ago, putting paid to a long losing run.
Michael Bell’s Tony Montana has been an unlucky second on no fewer than three occasions this season, the latest of which was at the Curragh in September. I take him to do better this time around.
Finally, it is the Coral Sprint Trophy Handicap at 3.15, a Class 2 race run over York’s sharp 6 furlongs. Richard Fahey’s Strike Red won this in 2022 and 2024. He returns for another crack and has just 2lbs more than last year. Unfortunately, he hasn’t won since and has only shown fleeting glimpses of that form this season.
Kevin Ryan’s Hammer The Hammer ran up a treble earlier this season and ran a good 5th in the Ayr Gold Cup last month, but he has plenty of weight in this.
Michael Dods’ Northern Ticker was a fine winner here at York in August, then ran 6th at Ayr. He is another with a lot of weight.
Gleneagle Bay, trained by Stephen Thorne in Ireland, was an unlucky second at Gowran Park in September, and a bold run is expected.
John and Sean Quinn’s Eye Of Dubai won at Ripon last month after finishing a good third in the Ayr Silver Cup earlier that month.
You cannot rule out William Haggas’s horses in races of this nature, and he runs Binhareer, who was 6th in the Ayr Silver Cup. He can be placed here.
But my preference is for Richard Fahey’s Uncle Don, who didn’t get a clear run last month at Haydock but still managed to finish 4th in a hot handicap.
Fahey knows what is required to win this and can do so again with Uncle Don.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
3.00 Newmarket. Zavateri
3.35 Newmarket. Ndaawi
2.05 York. Tony Montana
3.15 York. Uncle Don
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
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