Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Cheltenham stages its pre-Christmas meeting this week, with Saturday’s December Gold Cup being the highlight, where Richard Hobson’s Fugitif returns to try and retain the crown he won last year.
There are two Class 1s being televised on Saturday from Prestbury Park, along with a couple of Class 2 handicaps, and this card is backed up by three races from Doncaster, which include a Class 1 Listed contest and two top-rated handicaps.
So, a couple of very good cards to look forward to this week, and here are my thoughts with the best value bets and this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.05 Doncaster. Forward Plan
3.15 Doncaster. Jungle Jack
1.50 Cheltenham. In Excelsis Deo
3.35 Cheltenham. Wodhooh
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
Beginning at Doncaster with the 2.05 bet365 Handicap Chase, this is a Class 2 contest run over 3 miles on the Town Moor course. One of the top weights is NW Alexander’s Elvis Mail, who won twice last season and began this campaign with a victory at Kelso in October.
The other entrant carrying 12stone is Kim Bailey’s Does He Know, who has run twice at Cheltenham this term and finished fourth on both occasions latterly in a Grade 3 contest, both of these challengers have a lot of weight to carry.
Sam England’s Kinondo Kwetu won a couple of times on good ground in the summer but has done little to recommend him since.
The Greenall & Guerriero partnership run the classy Gaboriot, who is a past course and distance winner. He won twice at the beginning of this season last May and ran a good third over the Grand National fences at Aintree last month. He’s a live contender.
But I prefer Anthony Honeyball’s Forward Plan who started this season with a good 4th in a Grade 3 at Wincanton last month. He is a c&d winner and seems to have everything going for him.
Doncaster’s 3.15 is the bet365 Handicap Hurdle, a Class 2 contest run over a 2m 1/2f trip. Top of the handicap is Dan Skelton’s Pembroke, who won a couple of times last year but has been disappointed in his two runs so far this time around.
Jungle Jack has not shown the form he had when he was flying two or three years ago for trainer Donald McCain, but he has shown promise in his last two outings.
Olly Murphy’s Deploy To Spy has won his last three races, all Class 4 contests. He steps up in class here.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Norman Fletcher was second at Cheltenham in October then won at Huntingdon last month. Both were Class 3 races he is in upped in class here.
Harry Fry’s Altobelli is having his first run of the season. He was third last December in a Grade 3 race at Ascot. Could this be a prep run for another tilt at that same race?
So, in what looks like a weak race, I take a chance with McCain’s Jungle Jack.
Moving south to the Cotswolds and to Cheltenham for their Christmas meeting, the big race on their card is the Nyetimber December Gold Cup Handicap Chase. This is a Grade 3 contest run over 2m 4 1/2f. Trainer Richard Hobson won this last year with his stable star Fugitif, but he disappointed after that victory, being pulled up on his final two runs of the season. He ran a fair 5th on his seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham in November as a prep for this, but the form is iffy.
Top weight is Paul Nicholls’s Stage Star, who loves it around here and ran well, finishing 4th in a Grade 2 at Aintree in October. His weight is the only drawback.
Nicholls also runs Il Ridoto, who won here at Cheltenham last month, beating several opponents he meets once again. However, he has risen 8 lbs in the weight since that victory.
Dan Skelton’s Madara finished 4th to Il Ridoto and the stable are going well so I expect him to make a bold effort..
Alan King’s Grandeur D’Ame won at Chepstow in October when he beat Ga Law, and his charge has been aimed at this for some time.
I also like Harry Fry’s In Excelsis Deo who won a Grade 2 here at Cheltenham in April. He made a bad mistake in Il Ridoto’s race and I am between him and Grandeur D’Ame. I just give In Excelsis Deo the nod.
Cheltenham’s 3.35 the BetMGM Mares Handicap Hurdle is a Class 2 race run over 2m 4 1/2f. There is a very warm favourite here, Nicky Henderson’s Joyeuse, who was a winner at Taunton last January, but she ran into a hot-pot at Ascot on her seasonal debut, finishing third. She is expected to go well.
Charlie Longsden’s Molto Bene won at Chepstow last month and is another who can put up a bold show.
Gordon Elliott sends Wodhooh over from Ireland, and with what form she showed last season, winning five on the bounce, including two Listed hurdles at Newbury and Doncaster, she looks a star in the making.
Hobbs and White’s Georgi Girl won a Class 3 at Warwick last month. This is tougher.
Dan Skelton’s Take No Chances won a Listed race at Wetherby in early November, then was well beaten in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle, but she looks like she can give Wodhooh a race.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.05 Doncaster. Forward Plan
3.15 Doncaster. Jungle Jack
1.50 Cheltenham. In Excelsis Deo
3.35 Cheltenham. Wodhooh
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
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