Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Lingfield Park have switched their Saturday card to the all-weather course and reopened the entries. Final declarations are not until Friday morning, so I cannot feature their races here this week. It’s such a shame as I was really looking forward to their Oaks and Derby trials. I think they will now be that in name only.
So we are left with the meetings at Ascot and Haydock, which are also being televised. Ascot features three tricky handicaps and ITV are showing the top-class Swinton Hurdle from the mixed meeting at Haydock. So here are my thoughts for these televised races and this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.30 Ascot. Nathanael Greene
2.05 Ascot. Belhaven
2.40 Ascot. Biggles
3.15 Haydock. Teddy Blue
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
The first of three handicaps being televised from Ascot is at 1.30 the Peroni Nastro Azzurro Handicap, a 1m 4f contest. Top weight here is Richard Hannon’s Sir Rumi who had three runs last month winning on the final outing at Epsom but with his weight this looks a tougher challenge.
Charles Hills’s Saratoga Gold ran up a treble last season but those wins were in lower-grade races than this. However, he may still make the frame.
Savvy Knight trained by S Woods is another who won Class 4 and 5 contests last season but found the going hard when moved up in class. He was fourth last month in a Class 2 and drops down a grade to try and get his head in front. He would do well to be placed.
Harry Fry’s lightly raced High Fibre has not been seen for 13 months when he ran second at Newmarket. If Fry has sorted out his problems, he can go well.
But my preference is for William Haggas’s Nathanael Greene. His last run at Doncaster in November can be discounted as the ground was bottomless. Prior to that, he had run a fine second in a Class 2 at York after winning at Haydock. He can get back to winning ways in this poor contest.
The Peroni Nastro Azzurro EBF Fillies Handicap is at 2.05. It is a Class 2 contest run over Ascot’s straight mile. Top weight is Roger Varian’s Julia Augusta who had just two runs as a 3-year-old winning at Thirsk then going off favourite at Newbury in July but was well beaten into third, she is sure to go close.
William Haggas’s Timeless Melody won last month at Leicester after a 12-month lay-off but this is a huge step up in class from that race.
Michael Bell’s One Morning won once in three outings last year but she is another who steps up in class.
Down at the bottom of the handicap is Charlie Appleby’s Mountain Song who won on the all-weather last month. She is another upped in class and may claim a place here.
Harry Eustace’s Belhaven comes here to try to add to a victory at Nottingham earlier this month. She won a Class 2 at Redcar last October proving she has the class to take this.
The big race of the day is at 2.40 the Victoria Cup, a 7-furlong Class 2 contest. One of the current favourites is George Boughey’s Baradar who ran a fine third in the Lincoln on heavy ground and he must have a bold chance.
Boughey’s other runner, Totally Charming, is not without a chance after a run at the Curragh where he ran seventh after going off favourite. He will improve after that run.
Top weight is K R Burke’s Spycatcher who won a small contest at Thirsk last month but had been racing in Group company last season.
Clive Cox sends the 2021 winner River Nymph here to try again but he hasn’t won since.
Last year’s winner Valfortino trained by Kevin De Foy returns to defend his crown but he has gone up 6lbs since that victory.
Last year’s second, Accidental Agent, trained by Eve Johnson Houghton has every chance after running a fair fifth at Newmarket earlier this month.
I am tempted by David O’Meara’s Rhoscolyn who I tipped last month but he was beaten by Marco Botti’s Rainbow Fire, O’Meara’s charge is now 6 lbs better off and can reverse those placings.
The third horse that day was Ralph Beckett’s Biggles who can add to his tally after last year’s fine season and take this.
Moving back to the jumps game for the final leg of the Lucky Fifteen I go to the 3.15 at Haydock the Pertemps Network Swinton Handicap Hurdle run over just short of 2 miles. There are a couple of Irish raiders here. Firstly, Byker- trained by Charles Byrnes has not been seen since running second in a Grade3 contest at the Cheltenham Festival. The other raider is A J Martin’s Nibiru who was pulled up at Aintree last month. Either of these pose a big threat to my selection.
Harry Derham’s Brentford Hope has won two races at Wincanton and Huntingdon recently but they were small affairs and this is a big step up in class.
Chris Gordon’s Aucunrisque has disappointed since winning at Newbury in February and top weight won’t help his cause.
When Aucunrisque won at Newbury, Gary Moore’s Teddy Blue was third at Plumpton last month. Teddy Blue got his revenge – his second win of the season. I take him to hold off the Irish and run out the winner.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.30 Ascot. Nathanael Greene
2.05 Ascot. Belhaven
2.40 Ascot. Biggles
3.15 Haydock. Teddy Blue
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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