Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
There are eight races being covered by ITV this Saturday over three different courses giving us plenty of choice for this week’s selections. The main meeting is Haydock from where four races are being televised. There are two Group 2’s on the card along with a couple of handicaps.
Two races are being shown from the Goodwood card, one of which is a Listed contest and the other a handicap.
Two more are featured from York where there is a Group 3 and a handicap on offer. So plenty to get the juices flowing this week.
I have run the rule over these three meetings to try and find some value among the contestants and of course, some winners, so here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.00 Haydock. Just Hubert
2.35 Haydock. Spirit Catcher
2.55 York. Alligator Alley
1.45 Goodwood. Alotaiby
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
The 2.00 at Haydock is the Hell Nook Handicap a 2-mile contest which has Keith Dalgleish’s Alright Sunshine due to carry top weight but he has been behind a couple of the horses he meets here and with the weight, he has to carry I cannot see him reversing that form. One of the horses that beat him is Charlie Appleby’s Bandinelli who is proving to be a very good two-miler having won twice over the trip on the all-weather at Kempton but he is highly weighted here.
Tim Easterby’s Dark Jedi has been unsuccessful so far this term and it was disappointing to see him weakening quickly last time at York.
Goobinator won twice last season for trainer Donald McCain, including once over this course and distance last September but this is his first run of the season.
Andrew Balding’s Valley Forge is trying this distance for the first time but should go close on his best form.
My preference is for William Muir and Chris Grassick’s Just Hubert who won twice over this distance at Goodwood and Ascot last season. His only run this year was over a woefully inadequate 12 furlongs where he was squeezed for the room I expect a better run here.
The Silver Bowl Handicap is at 2.35 and John Gosden’s Mighty Ulysses is highly fancied for this Class 2, one-mile handicap. He was beaten on his seasonal reappearance but then returned to action last week and won comfortably at Newmarket. He looks the one to beat.
Daniel and Claire Kubler’s Outgate is a very consistent sort who has only been out of the first three once in seven races, including a win earlier this month at Chester but this looks tougher.
Clive Cox’s Whoputfiftyinyou is unbeaten in three starts, including once here at Haydock but he steps up in distance to a mile for the first time.
Tollard Royal won over the extended mile at Beverley last time for trainer George Boughey but this is a major step up in class. One to trouble the favourite is Charlie and Mark Johnston’s Spirit Catcher who won at Musselburgh in April but seemed unsuited by the undulations at Newmarket last month. He had previously been tried in Group company and can improve on that Newmarket run.
Moving to York and there is a 5-furlong sprint at 2.55 the William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap. There is a Knavesmire favourite in the field with Tim Easterby’s Copper Knight who has won here six times over this distance. His form this year has not been wonderful but he will shine at some period this year, write him off at your peril!
Robert Cowell’s Atalis Bay has top weight he won a Listed race at Sandown last June but was well beaten at Newmarket last month after trying front running tactics.
Look Out Louis won at Chester earlier this month for trainer Julie Camacho. He is a very consistent sort and will be there or thereabouts.
David O’Meara’s Alligator Alley was 4th here at York just over a week ago and won a Listed race here in 2019, a repeat of anything nearing that sort of form could see him being successful here.
Moving south to Goodwood at 1.45 we have the William Hill Harroways Handicap, a 7-furlong contest. The top weight here is Richard Hannon’s Gisburn who is making his seasonal debut. He won at Newbury last October but this is a step up in class.
Hannon also has River Pride in the lineup, who after winning at Salisbury at the beginning of this month and then ran a good second at Newmarket last week. He looks on the upgrade and may be placed again.
Evocative Spark won for trainer George Boughey at Beverley last month and he is another who could go well.
Charlie and Mark Johnston run My Dubawi who has been very successful on the all-weather but this is his first run on turf since last September and the anomalies of the Goodwood track may find him out.
As the course takes some getting used to, I will side with a horse that has previous experience of it and John Gosden’s Alotaiby ticks the boxes. He was a winner as a 2-year-old then he ran here at the end of April, finishing a close second after being hampered at the start. I take him to continue his successful career.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.00 Haydock. Just Hubert
2.35 Haydock. Spirit Catcher
2.55 York. Alligator Alley
1.45 Goodwood. Alotaiby
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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