Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
The jumps have arrived! Well sort of with Cheltenham’s first meeting of the season, but there is a very important 2-year-old trial at Doncaster and a couple of Group 3s at Newbury. ITV are televising four races from Prestbury Park with some great action for the first meeting of their year including three handicaps.
The Futurity meeting at Town Moor has three races on television including a Class 2 handicap and add to these the Newbury pair that gives us nine races from all parts of the country. Plenty of action to warm up an autumn Saturday.
So I have looked through the nine races for the best value and here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.05 Cheltenham. Tullybeg
3.15 Cheltenham. The Widdow Maker
3.50 Cheltenham. Didtheyleaveuoutto
4.10 Doncaster. Count d’Orsay
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at Cheltenham with the 888Sport What’s Your Thinking Handicap Chase at 2.05 run over 3m 1f. Top weight here is Tom Lacey’s Neville’s Cross who won at Bangor in July but he seems too high in the handicap here.
The Wolf is having his first run of the season for Olly Murphy but he has not won since 2020.
Fergal O’Brien’s Captain Cattistock won here at Cheltenham in April adding to a previous victory at Musselburgh in February. He likes it around here and should go close.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’s The Hollow Ginge has been highly tried and reverts to handicap company here. I think he should be watched on his first run of the season.
Irish trainer Gordon Elliott has two runners and the best of which should be Tullybeg who won at Wexford last month. He can add to his tally.
At 3.15 it is the 888Sport Handicap Chase which is a 2m contest. The top weight is Gary Moore’s Editeur Du Gite who was fourth here last March then was pulled up at Aintree over 2m 4f. He reverts to the minimum trip but has plenty of weight.
Laura Morgan sends Clear The Runway here after a successful summer campaign where he won four races and has gradually climbed the rankings. However, this is tougher.
Oliver Greenall has El Borracho in the lineup. The gelding has won his last three but steps up in class here.
The best of the two Irish runners is possibly Cian Collins’s Effernock Fizz who won at Ffos Las earlier this month. He can go close here.
I just prefer Joe Tizzard’s The Widdow Maker who ran well in a Grade 1 Novices Chase at Aintree in April finishing third. He can improve on that fine run here.
The biggest field of the day is in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle at 3.50, a 3 mile contest. Gordon Elliot has the top weight with Salvador Ziggy who is unbeaten this season in four outings the latest of which was at Down Royal in August, the weight may be a problem.
Gary Moore’s Botox Has is the current favourite who finished off last season with a victory at Fontwell in February. He is a dual winner here at Prestbury Park and is sure to go very close.
David Pipe’s Panic Attack won here in April before running a fine second at Haydock the following month and he is another who will be there or thereabouts.
I like the look of Fergal O’Brien’s Ted’s Friend who won at Worcester last month but maybe this contest might be a bit hot for this young horse. There will be easier pickings later in the season for him.
My choice is Nick Gifford’s Didtheyleaveuoutto who won a Listed bumper as a juvenile. It took him a while to get his jumping in order but since then has put in some good performances without success, his good run at Chepstow earlier this month when he ran fourth bodes well for the rest of the season.
For the final leg of the Lucky Fifteen, I will look back to the flat and the At The Races App Form Study Handicap at 4.10, a 5-furlong sprint. There are some old favourites here having their final run of the year including Tim Easterby’s Copper Knight who won this last year, but his only victory this year came at Chester in June and his best runs are behind him.
Ed Walker is very hopeful about Came From The Dark’s chances but he has had his wind problems and is probably best watched.
David O’Meara’s Nomadic Empire has been unsuccessful so far this term but he did come good at the end of the season last year and may go close.
Richard Hughes’s Kimngrace beat several of these at York last time and is sure to go well but she has risen in the handicap.
Third behind him at York was Tim Easterby’s Count d’Orsay and he is 8lbs better off here and can make that tell in this competitive handicap.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.05 Cheltenham. Tullybeg
3.15 Cheltenham. The Widdow Maker
3.50 Cheltenham. Didtheyleaveuoutto
4.10 Doncaster. Count d’Orsay
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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