Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Two televised meetings this week from Newmarket and York with five races from Newmarket including the Cesarewitch and four from York where the Sprint Trophy is the highlight. But the day’s racing is dominated by two-year-olds as five of the nine races are run with just the younger generation in mind. The most important of which is the Dewhurst Stakes at HQ where Aidan O’Brien goes for his sixth win in the race with City Of Troy who is the warm favourite.
Here are my thoughts on this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.25 York. Significantly
3.35 York. Believe In Stars
2.40 Newmarket. Zenon
3.50 Newmarket. Knight
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I will start at York with the 2.25 the Coral Sprint Trophy a 6 furlong Class 2 handicap. The top weight here is a course favourite, David O’Meara’s Summerghand who won here for the second time in August when dead-heating with Albasheer since then he has run a good fourth at the Curragh, then last in the Ayr Gold Cup. He ran like a tired horse that day who has had a long season (12 runs) and has too much weight.
Archie Watson’s Albasheer has run twice since the dead heat latterly when fourth at Ayr in the Gold Cup but he also has plenty of weight.
The Ayr winner was Julie Camacho’s Significantly who has had a very consistent season and can go close again here.
Adrian Keatley’s Wobwobwob won the consolation cup at Ayr last month and can be placed here.
Andrew Balding’s King’s Lynn was a Group winner last season but has been bitterly disappointing this year. He can restore some pride by being placed here but I will side with Significantly.
At 3.35 it is the Coral Racing Bet Bundles Handicap a 1m 2 1/2f Class 2 contest. One of the possible favourites here is Sir Michael Stoute’s Believe In Stars who has run just once this year. that was when winning at Goodwood last month and he must have every chance of following up that win.
One of the fancied horses is William Haggas’s La Yakel who won at Doncaster last month after being beaten at Ascot a month earlier.
Andrew Balding’s Scampi won here at York in May but could manage only 10th on his return in August. He has had a prep run for this on the all-weather at Southwell and can go well.
Jack Channon’s Certain Lad was a course winner in 2020 in a Group race and he has not shown a semblance of that form until recently. He can go well off top weight but it’s Believe In Stars for me.
Moving south to Newmarket and at 2.40 it is the big race of the day the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap run over 2m 2f. This has been something of a benefit race for Irish jump trainers over the last five years with Willie Mullins winning it three times and Charles Byrnes once.
Gordon Elliott is looking to get in on the act with Pied Piper who ran sixth at Royal Ascot last season, he recently had a prep run at Killarney finishing third and is highly fancied here.
Hughie Morrison’s Not So Sleepy was third in this last year. He has run just once this year winning at Newbury last month but he has a penalty for that and is 11 years old now.
Noel Meade’s Jesse Evans has shown fine form this year winning twice in four starts over In Ireland. Emmet Mullins’s The Shunter comes over after just one seasonal outing finishing fourth at Gowan Park in August with this race in mind, the 10-year-old has a great chance.
But what of Willie Mullins’s four runners, none of them look special but don’t be fooled they are trained to the minute. The betting could be a pointer to his horses.
He trains Zenon and he looks the best of the Mullins four. He won at Killarney a year ago and has had just one run since – last month at Bellewstown in preparation for this, he finished fifth. I give him the nod as my selection but I do fear the short-priced Pied Piper.
Finally, we come to the 3.50- the Earthlight Darley Stakes a 9 furlongs Group 3. This looks like a close contest with no stand-out favourite. However, Charlie Appleby’s Highfield Avenue is high in the betting.
He has been in the first four on all four of his outings this year but has not won since he was a 2-year-old.
Richard Fahey’s Spirit Dancer has won his last three latterly a Group 3 at York which gives him a 3lb penalty.
Richard Hughes’s Real Gain has won twice this season but steps up massively in class here.
I prefer Simon and Ed Crisford’s Knight who was unbeaten as a 2-year-old and has only been beaten by the very smart Chindit and Angel Bleu on his last two outings. He can get his head in front here.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.25 York. Significantly
3.35 York. Believe In Stars
2.40 Newmarket. Zenon
3.50 Newmarket. Knight
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