Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Two meetings being televised this week from Newmarket and Haydock with just six races being covered. Newmarket takes centre stage where the best of this season’s crop of 2-year-olds are ready to strut their stuff with three races that should give us pointers to next year’s Classics.
Aidan O’Brien has sent a very strong team for these races and although the stable has had a poor season by their standards, I expect the string to put up a good show here.
It’s also the first leg of the Autumn double with the Cambridgeshire being the highlight of the day. It’s always a thrilling sight to see these top class middle distance horses thundering down the Rowley Mile, and I have judged the contest below.
Backing up the Cambridgeshire meeting are a couple of handicaps from Haydock and the racing is always competitive on the Merseyside course, so these two races make up my three tips for this week’s bet, which for a change is a Patent, 3 singles – 3 doubles – 1 treble. So just seven bets this week and here are my thoughts.
Saturday Patent
2.05 Haydock. Boardman
2.40 Haydock. Count d’Orsay
3.40 Newmarket. Jimi Hendrix
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at Haydock Park with the 2.05 the Old Boston Handicap run over a mile. The top weight here is Sir Michael Stoute’s Astro King who was last seen in July running in a Listed race at Pontefract. Now he drops back to handicap company after being unsuccessful there. I expect him to go well, but he has a lot of weight to carry.
David O’Meara’s Young Fire is a popular horse at the Merseyside track, having won there three times, but he has shown very little form this season and he is difficult to support.
Encourageable won at Thirsk at the beginning of this month for trainer James Horton. He has run consistently all season but this is tougher.
Another who has been consistent is Freddie and Martyn Meade’s Auditor who stepped up in class last time after two victories and ran a fine second at Newbury. I expect him to put up a bold show.
But my preference is for Tim Easterby’s Boardman who is having a fine season winning on three occasions, including once here at Haydock, his second victory at the course, his latest run at Ripon where he was a good second showed his fighting qualities and he can go one better here.
The Lester Piggott First To Last Handicap is at 2.40 and this 5-furlong sprint has seen some famous winners over the years.
David and Nicola Barron’s Zarzyni is saddled with top weight after being tried in some top class handicaps. He drops back in distance to try a find his earlier season form but he’s up against some 5f specialists.
One of which is Robert Cowell’s Isle Of Lismore who has won twice at this distance this year, including last time at Newmarket but this is much tougher.
Ian Williams’s Night On Earth was a winner last time at Nottingham in August and he can go well here.
Copper Knight has been a fine servant for trainer Tim Easterby but he usually saves his best runs for when he is at York. He did however win at Chester in June but has disappointed since.
David O’Meara’s Alligator Alley was fourth here at Haydock earlier this month after previously winning a small race at Thirsk. He would need to show a major improvement to take this.
Another Tim Easterby horse Count d’Orsay was a fine third at Doncaster a fortnight ago. He has not won for two years and that was here at Haydock. He has dropped down the handicap but he has an opportunity here to break a long losing streak and carries my hopes.
Moving south to Newmarket the big handicap of the day is at 3.40 the bet365 Cambridgeshire Handicap, a 9 furlong contest down the Rowley Mile.
The current hot favourite is William Haggas’s Mujtaba who was unbeaten as a three-year-old and won going away at Doncaster earlier this month but he has a 4lb penalty for that win and added to that. A high draw is favourable here. He is drawn in the centre so he can be opposed.
The top weight is Paul and Oliver Cole’s Majestic Dawn, the 2020 winner, who won at Goodwood in May but has disappointed since. He drops back to handicap company looking for a reversal of fortune but has plenty of weight.
Another with lumps of weight is John and Thady Gosden’s Magical Morning who drops back to handicaps after being unsuccessful in a Listed race.
Andrew Balding’s Bell Rock is fancied in some quarters after running third behind Mujtaba at Doncaster but is only 1lb better off and is not well drawn.
Saeed Bin Suroor’s First View is another with a penalty after winning on the all-weather at Kempton and he is another badly drawn.
I like Ralph Beckett’s Jimi Hendrix who has had a fine season winning twice and placed twice in five outings. He can be excused for the Goodwood run where he raced wide and hated the course. He is on a fine mark and is well drawn in Stall 28 of 29.
As an outsider I look to Mick Channon’s Majestic who ran well at Newbury last week. He can be placed at a nice price, but it’s Jimi Hendrix who can play a fine tune.
Saturday Patent
2.05 Haydock. Boardman
2.40 Haydock. Count d’Orsay
3.40 Newmarket. Jimi Hendrix
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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