Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
A veritable feast of racing this Saturday on ITV, with no fewer than ten races being televised from three different tracks. The bulk of the programme features Kelso, with five races being shown from the beautiful Roxburghshire course, including two Class 1s, two Class 2s, and a Class 3, making it their biggest day of the year.
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There are three races from Town Moor in Doncaster: a Class 1 and two Class 2s, one of which is the Grimthorpe Chase. Finally, there are two races from Newbury: a Class 2 Veterans Chase and the Class 1 Greatwood Gold Cup Chase.
So, plenty to look forward to this week on ITV Racing with many top-class handicaps and here are my thoughts for the best value and this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
3.30 Kelso. Petrol Head
2.40 Doncaster. Homme Publc
3.15 Doncaster. White Rhino
3.45 Newbury. Scarface / Tedley (ew)
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
Kelso’s big race of the day is at 3.30, the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle, a Class 2 race run over 2 miles. Vischio trained by Emmet Mullins is likely to go off favourite and the Irish trainer will be hoping for a victory so Vischio can then go to Cheltenham with a chance of winning the £100,000 bonus for completing the double. However, she has risen substantially in the weights after victories at Punchestown and Leopardstown in her last two races.
Top weight is Alan King’s Favour And Fortune, who won the Scottish Champion Hurdle last April. He needs good going but has plenty of weight.
Jonjo O’Neill’s Tellherthename was a Huntingdon winner in January but then found himself outclassed in two Grade 1s. He drops back in class, hoping to revive his fortunes.
Last year’s winner, Cracking Rhapsody, returns to try and regain his crown for trainer Ewan Williams. He disappointed at Windsor in January. However, he seems to save his best runs for here at Kelso.
Slugger has won his last three for trainer Harry Derham but is upped in class here.
I have good feelings about Neil Mulholland’s Petrol Head, who won twice in Ireland last summer prior to joining his new stable, for whom he is having his first run. He is another with Cheltenham entries, so he is going for the bonus and is my selection.
At Doncaster, the 2.40 is the Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Handicap Chase, a Class 2 contest run over 2m 1/2f. Top weight here is Ann Hamilton’s Tommy’s Oscar, a previous course and distance winner. He has run twice this season, both times at Kelso, and has finished third on both occasions.
Peter Niven’s Malystic is also a past course and distance winner but has disappointed so far this season. He was pulled up in a Grade 3 at Ascot in November, so in December, he was dropped back into the handicap company at Kelso but ran a poor 5th. In his latest run at Wetherby in December, he fell when well beaten.
Dan Skelton’s Calico won at Cheltenham in October but disappointed at the same course in November. He ran 4th here at Doncaster in January, beaten 14 lengths by Jonjo O’Neill’s Petit Tonnerre, who reopposes again.
Charlie Longsden’s Rare Edition won at Uttoxeter in October and was a fair 4th in a Grade 2 novice chase at Ascot in December; a good run is expected.
But my preference is for Greenall & Guerriero’s Homme Public, a course and distance winner when taking this race last season. He has since won here over 3 furlongs further and is capable of defending his crown.
Doncaster’s 3.15 is the Virgin Bet Grimthorpe Handicap Chase. This Class 2 chase is run over 3m 2f. The current favourite here is Richard Hobson’s Some Scope, who won a Grade 3 at Wetherby on Boxing Day, but his jumping let him down at Cheltenham the following month in a similar event, and he was pulled up two out. He drops back to handicap company to seek amends.
Tommy Lawes’s Surrey Quest ran a very good second in a Grade 3 at Cheltenham in November and was going well when he unseated his rider the following month. Since then, he was a well-beaten 3rd at Musselburgh, and more is required.
David Pipe’s King Turgeon ran up a fine treble at the end of last year, but after being saddled with top weight in his next two contests, he has been unable to reproduce that form. The handicapper has relented a little, and a better run is expected.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Weveallbeencaught was a winner here at Doncaster in January, coming home comfortably, but he steps up in class here, and this is tougher.
I like another Greenall & Guerriero horse in this, and that is the consistent White Rhino, who won his first two races this season at Ayr and Haydock. He didn’t get very far in a Grade 1 at Kempton on Boxing Day when he made a mistake and unseated his rider at the third fence. He can gain recompense for that error here.
For the final leg of this week’s Lucky Fifteen, I move to Newbury and the 3.45 the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase, a grade 3 run over 2m 4f. Paul Nicholls’s Kandoo Kid is one of the top weights and is highly fancied after winning here at Newbury last November, but he drops back 6 furlongs in trip after proving himself at 3m 2f in Graded company. The Grand National is his target.
Greenall & Guerriero’s Iroko is the other top weight, and he is also well fancied. He fell at the 1st at Ascot in December, then ran fourth at Cheltenham in a Grade 3 the following month, where an inquiry was held into his running. Better can be expected.
Dan Skelton’s Le Milos won for the first time in over two years last month in a Veterans race at Warwick. This is tougher.
Sam Thomas’s Vincenzo has won twice this season at Windsor and Sandown but is upped in trip here for the first time.
Jane Williams’s Saint Segal was a course and distance winner in December, then ran a good second behind Kalooki Kid at Musselburgh in early February. He is 13 lbs better off here and is sure to go well.
But I take a chance with Joe Tizzard’s Scarface, who is due a win after hitting the bar on several occasions. He won a Grade 3 last March and, since then, has run second at Newbury and Ascot. He deserves to win a race of this calibre.
As a bold outsider, I like another consistent sort, Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Tedley, who may hit the frame at a big price.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
3.30 Kelso. Petrol Head
2.40 Doncaster. Homme Publc
3.15 Doncaster. White Rhino
3.45 Newbury. Scarface / Tedley (ew)
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
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