Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
It’s the final Classic of the season this Saturday at Doncaster with the 250th running of the St Leger Stakes, a race won four times in the last eight runnings by Aidan O’Brien. He has a very strong hand once again, especially with Lambourn, who has not received the credit he deserves this season despite winning two Derbys. He can be the first horse since Reference Point in 1987 to win both the Derby and the St Leger.
There are four additional races from Town Moor, in addition to this Group 1, comprising two Group 2s and two Class 2 handicaps. The secondary meeting is from Chester, where a Listed race and a Class 2 handicap are being televised. So just six races from which to choose this week, and here are my thoughts and this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.15 Doncaster. Hawksbill
2.25 Doncaster. Jakajaro
3.00 Doncaster. Ten Bob Tony
2.40 Chester. Prydwen
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
The first race on the Doncaster card is the 1.15, the PJ Towey Construction Handicap, which is a Class 2 race run over the straight mile. Top weight Cash trained by David Simcock, who has been running in Listed company this season without success. His latest run at Goodwood was in a handicap, and he was well beaten.
Oliver Cole’s Great Chieftain has won two Class 3s this season but steps up in class here.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s Treble Tee has been runner-up on his last two outings in good company and merits consideration.
At the bottom of the handicap, Andrew Balding’s Point Of Contact and William Knight’s Atlantic Gamble have both shown small bits of form and either have a chance of being in the frame.
However, my preference lies with Hugo Palmer’s Hawksbill, who, even though he’s been expensive to follow, has finished second on four occasions this season. The latest of which was last week at Chester, and prior to that, beaten by a nose at Haydock earlier in the month. He deserves a victory.
The 2.25 is the Betfred Portland Handicap, another Class 2 handicap run over 5 1/2 furlongs. The bookmakers’ favourite is Geoff Oldroyd’s Air Force One, who won at York in July. Since then, he has been placed twice, both times at the Knavesmire.
Kevin de Foy’s Diablo Rojo won at Lingfield earlier in the season and has since been tried in Group races and finished second in a Group 3 at Ascot in April, but he has plenty of weight.
Charles Hills’ Trefor has won three of his last five and been placed in the other two. He won his latest outing at York last month, beating several horses he meets here, including Air Force One, who is 2 lb better off. But Trefor has risen in the handicap and may struggle.
Clive Cox’s Addison Grey has won two Class 4s this season, including last time at Newmarket. This is much tougher.
David O’Meara’s Aberama Gold seems to have found his mojo again after two Class 4 wins, but he is a 6-furlong horse.
Jim Goldie’s Eternal Sunshine has won two Class 3 races at Thirsk recently, but this is a lot tougher.
I give another chance to Robert Cowell’s Jakajaro, who has been placed in his last three contests, all of which were top-rated Class 2s. He has the ability to score here.
The Betfred Park Stakes is at 3.00. This is a Group 2 contest run over 7 furlongs. The very warm favourite here is Charlie Appleby’s Shadow Of Light, who was a dual Group 1 winner last season but has been unsuccessful as a 3-year-old. This drop back from Group 1 company could see him get his head in front, but he may be opposed.
John and Thady Gosden’s Audience is a past Group 1 winner but has struggled somewhat this season.
Stuart Williams’s Quinault won a Group 3 at York in June but was very disappointing at the same course last month.
Andrew Balding’s Marvelman ran a fair third at Newbury last month in a Group 2, but improvement is required to feature here. There is an Irish runner, David Marname’s East Hampton, who ran a good second on his penultimate start at the Curragh in July, but has shown very little else to feature in this.
I go with Ed Walker’s Ten Bob Tony who won a Group 3 at Haydock in May and has been waiting for some easier ground ever since, Walker says he is in “flying form” and he is my selection.
For the final leg, I move to the 2.40 at Chester, the Virgin Bet Supports Safe Gambling Watergate Cup, a 2-mile Class 2 handicap. An Irish raider is the current favourite, Gordon Elliott’s Ndaawi, who won a hurdle race at Galway in July, but it remains to be seen how he copes with the turns of the Roodee.
I think George Scott’s Prydwen will give a good account of himself. He ran here last month in a Listed race and finished a close 5th, beaten just 4 lengths.
Hugo Palmer’s Zoffee won here at Chester in May last year but has not won since and has shown very little.
Andrew Balding’s Spirit Mixer won this last year and has won three times here in all. His recent win in the Northumberland Plate shows he is in form, and he will go close.
Adrian McGuinness’s Tribal Star won at Dundalk last month, but this is tougher.
Charlie Johnson’s Artisan Star seems to find one or two too good too often and has no experience here.
So I am left with Spirit Mixer, drawn 6, and Prydwen, drawn 2, so I come down with George Scott’s charge.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.15 Doncaster. Hawksbill
2.25 Doncaster. Jakajaro
3.00 Doncaster. Ten Bob Tony
2.40 Chester. Prydwen
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
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