Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
It is the last Classic of the season this week with the St Leger at Doncaster and ITV Racing making the meeting its main highlight this Saturday. They are covering four races from Town Moor and besides the St Leger, they are showing two Group 2s and the Portland Handicap with its 22 runners.
This is backed up by two races from Chester that include a Listed race and a handicap. So six races in all from which to choose this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.40 Chester. Baryshnikov
2.25 Doncaster. Annaf
3.00 Doncaster. Audience
3.35 Doncaster. Arrest
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
I have looked through these for value and here are my thoughts for this week’s bet. I am taking a couple of weeks’ break and will return for the Ascot meeting on the 7th October.
Starting at Chester with the 2.40 the Sealand Handicap a Class 3 contest run over 1m 2 1/2f round the bends of the RooDee. The joint top weight here is Richard Fahey’s Southern Voyage who is having his first run in 12 months when he won a small race at Newcastle. He is probably best watched.
The other top weight is Jonathan Portman’s Sweet Reward who comes here after two victories in his last three outings the latest of which was at Goodwood last month. He can go close.
Wisper has done most of his winning at Brighton for trainer Marcus Tregoning his latest run was a well beaten second at Sandown last month. It remains to be seen if he can cope with the Chester bends.
John Quinn’s First Impression was a course and distance winner here last month but he is not well drawn and this is tougher.
David and Nicola Barron run Baryshnikov who won here in 2021 and 2022. He takes a drop in class from that latest win and in his latest run, a seventh place at Yarmouth. He was slowly away that day but he’s well drawn here in Stall 2 and has the ability to dictate the pace and take this.
Moving north-east to Doncaster the big handicap of the day is at 2.25, the Betfred Portland Handicap a 5 1/2 furlong Class 2 race. Jim Goldie’s Call Me Ginger is currently a warm favourite after his fine win at Ascot last week which came on the back of a win at Chester a week earlier. He won this race last year after the winner was disqualified. I expect him to go well once again but maybe his winning run can come to an end.
David O’Meara’s Aberama Gold won two big handicaps at York and Goodwood in July and August but flopped on his latest run at York. Perhaps the handicapper has his measure.
Julie Camacho’s Badri won at Epsom in June and showed a return to form with a fine second at Newcastle a fortnight ago, he can go well.
Michael Appleby’s Annaf was 7th beaten 3 1/2 lengths in the Sprint Cup last week and is a former Group winner. It is only his weight that holds him back.
Another former Group winner is Richard Hannon’s Happy Romance who won a Listed race at Bath in April. He is another that has plenty of weight.
Roger Teal’s Chipstead was first past the post in this last year and was then disqualified. He can go very close to gaining recompense this time.
An outsider who can go well is Richard Fahey’s Vintage Clarets who ran sixth in a top-class handicap at York last month. He can be placed at a nice price.
But as to the winner, I go for the class horse in the race despite his weight and that is Annaf. He can go very close to gaining recompense this time.
An outsider who can go well is Richard Fahey’s Vintage Clarets who ran sixth in a top-class handicap at York last month. He can be placed at a nice price.
The Betfred Park Stakes is at 3.00. This is a Group 2 and is run over 7 furlongs. Karl Burke’s Spycatcher is the current favourite after running a fine second in Group 1 at Deauville having won there in July.
Eve Johnson-Houghton’s Jumby won a Group 3 at Haydock in June but could only manage 9th last month at York.
Sandrine ran third in that York race for trainer Andrew Balding but has failed to get her head in front this season.
I prefer John and Thady Gosden’s Audience who was second in the same race at York. Prior to that, he won at Newmarket in July beating Jumby and Pogo. He can win this.
So we come to the last of this year’s Classics. The Betfred St Leger Stakes is at 3.35 and this Group 1 is run over 1 m 6 1/2f.
Aidan O’Brien has four runners in this and Continuous seems to have the best chance after his second at Royal Ascot then winning the Great Voltiger at York last month.
Denmark should be interesting to watch to see if he tries to run sideways as he did at Haydock last week.
John and Thady Gosden have three runners and Dettori has deserted Gregory, who he was supposed to ride, to ride Arrest who he has won on at Chester and Newbury this season because he goes better with give in the ground.
Of the other two runners, l like William Haggas’s Desert Hero, owned by The King, who won at Royal Ascot then the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood last month.
So while I fancy Desert Herro to go well, I take Arrest to give Dettori his final British Classic.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.40 Chester. Baryshnikov
2.25 Doncaster. Annaf
3.00 Doncaster. Audience
3.35 Doncaster. Arrest
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Related Reading