Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
A busy Saturday on ITV Racing this week with three very good meetings being televised. The main meeting they are concentrating on is Newbury from where they are covering five races, including three Class 1’s with the Hungerford Stakes being the main feature where it may pay to follow Happy Romance.
To back up the main feature, there are a couple of handicaps being shown from Newmarket one of which is the Grey Horse Handicap which is always a great spectacle to see the greys galloping down the July course.
Finally, the cameras are making their annual pilgrimage to Ripon for the Great St Wilfred and also the consolation race. So it’s a busy tour around the country this week with nine races on offer several of which are good handicaps so here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.20 Newbury. Rogue Rocket
3.00 Newbury. Silent Film
3.18 Newmarket. Strike
2.50 Ripon. Fortamour
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
The first race at Newbury is the 1.20 the BetVictor Handicap a 10-furlong contest. William Haggas has the probable favourite, Frantanck, in this 8-runner race and small fields look the order of the day here at Newbury.
Haggas’s charge won his maiden at Goodwood in April but has been unsuccessful on two occasions since then. His latest run was particularly poor when last of four after going off a warm favourite.
The top weight is Paul and Oliver Cole’s General Lee who had good form as a three-year-old but has not brought that into this season. He has been down the field on both his starts and although he is dropping in class, he is hard to fancy.
Ralph Beckett’s Definite is bottom weight won a small contest at Haydock in June and ran a good second at Nottingham last month, he can go well.
My preference is for Tom Clover’s Rogue Rocket who won at Salisbury last month, then disappointed at Sandown later in the month in a hot contest, he can get back to winning ways.
At 3.00 it is the BetVictor Handicap over the straight 7 furlongs. The top weight is Charlie Appleby’s Silent Film, who started off 2022 by winning twice in the Middle East. He has been well beaten in his two runs since at Royal Ascot and in the Bunbury Cup. He must have a major chance here.
Clive Cox’s Dance Fever has run well on his last two outings, especially last time at Glorious Goodwood where he ran third.
Able Kane won at Ffos Las for Rod Millman but was very poor at Goodwood last time.
Richard Hannon’s Gisburn ran his best ever race at Goodwood last time coming home a good second. He can go well here.
But my thoughts are with Silent Film who has been highly tried this summer. I think he can restore Appleby’s confidence in him.
More small fields, this time at Newmarket but I will put in the 7 runner Grey Horse Handicap at 3.18 because I love the spectacle of this race. Heather Main’s Mister Bluebird has top weight. He has had a busy season winning twice but his weight may be a problem here.
Stuart Williams’s Lord Rapscallion has not won for two years and I cannot see him ending that run here.
Geoffrey Harker’s Wentworth Falls is now a 10-year-old and has shown his age on his last two runs. I have little confidence in him.
Michael Appleby’s Come On Girl is a Lingfield all-weather specialist with four wins there. His turf form is less noticeable.
Jonathan Portman’s Strike has proved expensive to follow as he has lost four times when sent off favourite. This has to be his opportunity to finally get his head in front. He showed reasonable form on his latest run but was slowly away. If he has learned from that this is his chance.
So finally it’s a move north to Ripon and a decent handicap at last but the consolation race has dropped off the card, lack of runners? The William Hill Great St Wilfred Handicap is at 2.50 and this 6-furlong contest is always an exciting race.
A high draw is usually preferable but as there are only 15 runners compared to the usual 20 that may not be the case this year.
Kevin Ryan’s Justanotherbottle returns to defend the crown he won last year. He has a good draw, 11, near the stands side but has 10lbs more to carry than last year but his last three wins have come at this course.
The top weight is Tom Dascombe’s Misty Grey but he seems more of an all-weather horse despite his recent consistent turf form.
David O’Meara’s Summerghand is a class performer with Group and Listed wins to his name but he would do well to win from stall 3.
Steph Hollingshead Al Simmo is a course and distance winner and she has won three times already this season but steps up in class here and is drawn 8 in the centre of the field.
I like Ben Haslam’s Fortamour who is a course specialist having won here twice already this year, since then he has moved up in class and has not been disgraced. He has a favourable draw in stall 10 and can make that pay and take this.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.20 Newbury. Rogue Rocket
3.00 Newbury. Silent Film
3.18 Newmarket. Strike
2.50 Ripon. Fortamour
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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