Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
There are no fewer than ten races being shown this Saturday from four different venues, covering one end of the country to the other, and even hopping across the Irish Sea to the Curragh. The main meeting is at Haydock for one of their highest-rated cards of the season, with three Class 1s, a Class 2 and a Class 3.
There are two Class 2 two-year-old races from Beverley and from Goodwood, a Class 2 handicap and a Class 1 Listed race.
Somewhere in the schedule, ITV Racing have managed to find the time to pop across to Ireland for the 2000 Gns from the Curragh to hopefully see Field Of Gold make amends for his defeat in the British equivalent at Newmarket. So a lot to peruse, and here are my thoughts and this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.50 Haydock. King Casper
3.00 Haydock. Arizona Blaze
3.35 Haydock. Mgheera
1.30 Goodwood. Power Fizz
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at Haydock with the 1.50, the Betfred Silver Bowl Handicap, which is a Class 2 contest run over one mile for 3-year-olds. One of the joint top weights here is Charlie Johnson’s Thunder Wonder, who won at Musselburgh in April but disappointed at Sandown a week later when carrying a penalty. He has a lot of weight.
The other top weight is having his first run of the season, Paul & Oliver Cole’s Afentiko, who ran consistently well and won twice as a 2-year-old, but he may need the run.
Roger Verian’s Teroomm has won twice already this season but is upped in class here.
Tom Ward’s Transparent won twice on the all-weather at the beginning of the year but was a well beaten second at Newmarket last month.
Simon & Ed Crisford’s Dixieland Blues is having his first run on turf after winning at Southwell at the end of April. He can go well.
Hugo Palmer has a couple of runners, including bottom-weight Triple Double A, who has been successful in three lowly contests this season and comes with a fly weight.
However, I prefer Palmer’s other runner, King Casper, despite a whopping 9lbs rise in the handicap after romping away at Newmarket last month. Surely, more to come from him.
The 3.00 is the Betfred Sandy Lane Stakes, a Group 2 race for 3-year-olds being run over 6 furlongs. Charlie Appleby runs his classy Symbol Of Honour, who won a Listed race at Newbury last week, but this may come a little too quickly for him.
William Haggas’s First Instinct was a course and distance winner last September. She won a Listed race at Cork earlier this month and can go close.
Powerful Glory is unbeaten for trainer Richard Fahey. He won a Grade 2 at Newbury last season, but it has not yet proven he has trained on.
Michael Appleby’s Big Mojo won at Ascot last month, beating several horses he meets once again here. I expect him to confirm his superiority over them. However, he meets some better opponents here.
Adrian Murray sends Arizona Blaze over from Ireland. He won a Group 3 at Chantilly in April to go with the Group 3 he won at the Curragh last year. He looks top class.
There is another Group 2 at 3.35, the Betfred Temple Stakes run over the sharp 5 furlongs. The current favourite is Jonathan Portman’s Rumstar, who disappointed all last season until winning a Listed race at Ascot on soft going last October. This season, he came out and won a Group 3 at Newmarket earlier this month. This is tougher.
Ralph Beckett’s Starlust went globetrotting after winning a Listed race at York last July. He sprung a surprise when winning a Group 1 at the Breeders Cup at Del Mar, but following that, he was well beaten at Sha Tin in December. He has a 5lb penalty for that Group 1 win.
Jim Goldie’s American Affair has come out firing on all cylinders this season, winning two hot handicaps at Musselburgh and York in April and May, but he’s playing with the big boys here.
Kevin Ryan’s Washington Heights has disappointed so far this season after winning a Group 3 last year at Newmarket.
I prefer Ed Walker’s Mgheera, who on her first run for her new stable romped away to win a Group 3 at Longchamp earlier this month. Walker considers her one of his best horses in the stable.
Finally, I move south to Goodwood and the 1.30 is the BetGoodwin Harroways Handicap, a Class 2 contest for 3-year-olds run over 7 furlongs. James Owen’s Pellitory has top weight after winning at Newmarket in April. However, he was well beaten at the same course a fortnight later when upped to Listed company. He drops back to handicaps but has plenty of weight.
Kevin de Foy’s So Darn Hot has won twice on the all-weather this year. He was placed in a good Newmarket contest this month and could be placed again.
Andrew Balding’s Brighton Boy won twice last season and comes here on a good mark.
Richard Hughes’s Rare Change beat Richard Hannon’s Best Rate by a nose at York earlier this month. With Best Rate, a pound better off, he can reverse that result, but they may have to settle for places.
My preference is for William Haggas’s Power Fizz, who has notched up three victories already this season. The latest was at Ascot a fortnight ago, and prior to that, he was only beaten a head here at Goodwood. He looks like the one to be on.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.50 Haydock. King Casper
3.00 Haydock. Arizona Blaze
3.35 Haydock. Mgheera
1.30 Goodwood. Power Fizz
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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