Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
The flat really gets going this Easter weekend and we can expect bumper crowds at all the meetings over the Bank Holiday. The ITV is concentrating on two of those meetings at Newbury and Musselburgh.
The Newbury card features the Fred Darling for fillies and the Greenham for colts where we can expect to see the hopefuls for the 1000 and 2000 Guineas which are run at the end of the month.
Charlie Appleby has high hopes for Wild Beauty in the fillies race and Ralph Beckett’s Angel Bleu goes for the Greenham after two Group 1 victories over in France. But these two may be short prices and there is better value on offer in the handicaps featured including the Spring Cup at Newbury and The Queen’s Cup at Musselburgh.
I have highlighted those below and taken in a couple of other handicaps at the Scottish track to make up this week’s Lucky Fifteen, Happy Easter everyone.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.04 Musselburgh. Another Batt
2.39 Musselburgh. Dakota Gold
3.14 Musselburgh. Sir Rumi
3.35 Newbury. Irish Admiral
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at Musselburgh with the 2.04 the Betway Musselburgh Silver Arrow Handicap, a 7-furlong race. Heading the weights is Keith Dalgleish’s Gioia Cieca who was a winner here last June since then he has been unsuccessful, including an effort on the all-weather at Newcastle.
Mark Johnstown’s Gobi Sunset has had three runs on the a/w this year running consistently well but failing to get his head in front. I can’t see him improving on that record here.
Danzan has not won since 2018 and Tim Easterby’s gelding finished down the field at Doncaster on his last outing in November, a heroic effort is needed to trouble the judge.
Katie Scott’s Gweedore is a course and distance winner here at Musselburgh. However, his victories have come in distinctly lower class races. This step up in grade looks unlikely to provide a victory.
I like David Barron’s Another Batt who rounded off last season with a fine win at Doncaster. His run in the Lincoln can be forgiven as he struggled for room in a crucial part of the race yet was only beaten less than 5 lengths, he can make amends here.
The Betway Holyrood Handicap is at 2.39 and the weights in this 5-furlong sprint are headed by Tim Easterby’s fine sprinter Copper Knight. He finished off last season with a dead-heat victory at Doncaster last October. That day, he had several horses he may meet here behind him, including Michael Dods’ Dakota Gold.
Dods’ horse is another with an enviable record in sprinting Class 1 races but he meets Copper Knight 8 lbs better off than when they last met and he can reverse those placings here.
David Barron’s Zarzyni has competed well on the a/w this year with three runner-up finishes. He could make the frame again.
Michael Appleby’s Raasel is an up and coming sprinter having won his last five races, four of which were at Nottingham but this step up is a tough ask.
Another horse worth a mention is Scott Dixon’s Fine Wine who has run consistently well on the a/w, on trying his luck on turf he put up a good show to finish second in a Class2 at Pontefract. A repeat of that effort would see him in the shake-up here but it’s Dakota Gold for me.
Musselburgh’s big race of the day is the Betway Queen’s Cup at 3.14 a 1m 6f handicap. We have an Irish raider carrying top weight here in the shape of Emmet Mullins’s Zero Ten. This lightly flat raced 9-year-old was last seen in a Group 1 at Longchamp last October where he finished fifth. He could be anything but he has plenty of weight here.
Ian Williams’s Enemy has wintered in Dubai and in his latest race at Meydan, he finished a very creditable fourth at a huge price, he can be placed here.
HMS President trained by Eve Johnson-Houghton ran consistently well last year without getting his nose in front but steps up in class here.
I like the look of Richard Hannon’s Sir Rumi who won a couple of lowly handicaps at the beginning of last season since then he has run close in some hot contests. His only run this year was at Doncaster where he ran a fine second last month. I feel now is the time for this young horse to step up and resume his winning ways.
Moving south to Newbury, they have a big handicap on their card at 3.35, the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing 30th Anniversary Spring Cup Handicap run over the straight mile.
We have several protagonists who contested the Lincoln at Doncaster last month, one of these is the runner-up Saleymm trained by Simon and Ed Crisford and he is expected to go very close once again.
Tom Clover’s Rogue Bear was third that day and is a pound better off here. He is expected to go very close but I feel he will be better suited by 10 furlongs.
David Menuisier’s Migration has top weight. He finished the season disappointingly after victories at York and Goodwood but is expected to put up a bold show here.
Richard Hannon has a very strong hand with four runners and the best of which could be Teodolina who was disappointing in the Lincoln, a better performance is expected.
My idea of the winner was also a Lincoln runner finishing fourth. That was William Haggas’s Irish Admiral who can expect firmer going here at Newbury. He was a winner in his penultimate race at Redcar last August but was then unsuited by Newmarket’s undulations. He can improve on his first run of the season.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.04 Musselburgh. Another Batt
2.39 Musselburgh. Dakota Gold
3.14 Musselburgh. Sir Rumi
3.35 Newbury. Irish Admiral
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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