Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
We have two meetings to look forward to this Saturday with five televised races from Newbury and three from Warwick. It’s great to see the Midlands course being highlighted on ITV but both meetings have suffered from small fields because of Cheltenham on the horizon. This is particularly true of Newbury where two £60,000 contests, the Denman Chase and the Game Spirit Chase, have only been able to attract five runners each but Royale Pagaille and Sceau Royal look to have great chances in these two races.
Similarly, at Warwick where the Mare’s Hurdle and the Kingmaker Chase have each only attracted a meagre four runners, where Indefatigable and Edwardstone look good, so there is a dearth of large fields with decent prices on offer. We are left with four reasonable handicaps for this week’s Lucky Fifteen and here are my thoughts for this week’s bet.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.15 Newbury. Fern Hill
1.50 Newbury. Risk And Roll
3.35 Newbury. Howdyalikemenow
3.15 Warwick. Amoola Gold
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at Newbury with the 1.15 the Betfair Cheltenham Roarcast Novices Limited Handicap Chase which is run at just under 3 miles. Paul Nicholls’s Bravemansgame has top weight here and should be highly fancied for this but the stable is under something of a cloud and I will look further down the handicap for better prices.
Grumpy Charley won here at Newbury for trainer Chris Honour in December but he looks high enough in the weights.
Ben Case’s Fern Hill was second to him that day but is 5lbs better off here and must have a great chance.
Rebecca Curtis runs Pats Fancy who won twice at Chepstow in December and has shown massive improvement over last season but this may be too hot for him.
At 1.50 it is the Daily Rewards With Betfair Handicap Hurdle, a 3-mile contest. The top weight here is Colin Tizzard’s The Big Breakaway but he was beaten by miles in a match at Sandown in November. Before that, he had fallen at Newton Abbot, I don’t think he is to be trusted.
Charlotte Fuller’s Skandiburg is fancied in some quarters but he hasn’t won for two years and his form since has looked poor.
Fergal O’Brien’s Polish won this race in 2021 but his form has been poor this season. The Brimming Water was a beaten favourite last time at Haydock just three weeks ago after previously winning at Wetherby for trainer Samuel Drinkwater and he may run into a place once again.
James Evans runs Risk And Roll who was a successful pointer earlier in the season. He then ran a good fourth at Uttoxeter in October under rules. Since then he won a Class 2 very easily at Huntingdon at the end of January and he can build on that.
The big race of the day, the Betfair Hurdle is at 3.35, formerly known as the Schweppes, it is now overshadowed by Cheltenham and does not attract the top class entrants it used to. The top weight is last year’s winner Soaring Glory trained by Jonjo O’Neill but he has 19lbs more to carry than in 2021.
Alan King’s Tritonic has just a pound less than Soaring Glory and the trainer was pleased with the way he won at Ascot in December. He ran fourth just over a week later at Kempton on Boxing Day and he has been primed for this, I think he will do well to be placed.
Tom Lacey’s Glory and Fortune was second at Kempton on Boxing Day after two wins earlier in the season but he wants good going.
Nicky Henderson’s Broomfield Burg has been very consistent this season but this is a step up in class for this young horse whose best runs may come in the future.
Another young horse is Evan Williams’s Howdyalikemenow who has won three times this season and was tried in a Grade 2 at Warwick last month. His low weight gives him a great chance in this company and he can go well at a big price.
Moving a few miles north to Warwick the Virgin Bet Warwick Castle Handicap Chase is at 3.15. Philip Hobbs’s Celebre d’Allen is 2 from 2 this season with both wins coming at Haydock in December, this is a step up in class.
Nicky Henderson’s Falco Blitz held on to win at Kempton last month but is another stepping up in class.
Our Power has won a couple of Novice Chases this term for trainer Sam Thomas but I don’t think that form is good enough to take this.
Down at the bottom of the handicap, Milton Harris’s Jacamar has been quite consistent this season and he could be placed here.
But I have a preference for the top weight, Dan Skelton’s Amoola Gold who won at Ascot in October. He followed that up with a fine second at the same course. He was then sixth in December at Cheltenham, a course that does not suit him. His latest run was against Shishkin in a Grade 1 and he can be forgiven that run. This is altogether a different contest and he has the ability to run out the winner.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.15 Newbury. Fern Hill
1.50 Newbury. Risk And Roll
3.35 Newbury. Howdyalikemenow
3.15 Warwick. Amoola Gold
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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