Saturday’s Horse Racing Preview & Tips- 25th January 2025 – Seymour Biz

saturday horse racing tips and previews from expert tipster seymour biz on everytipFind all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.

This Saturday is billed as Cheltenham Trials Day, with five races being televised from Prestbury Park, but it has to be said the card bears little or no resemblance to the expected lineups next March. The only exception is the Unibet Hurdle race, formerly known as the International. This is where Nicky Henderson’s star Constitution Hill was due to take on Willie Mullins’s Lossiemouth once again. Unfortunately, the Irish horse has withdrawn, giving Constitution Hill a free hit.

There are four further races on ITV Racing, two of which are handicaps. I just feel the fields are on the small side. Perhaps some trainers don’t want to show their hands prior to the Festival!

The other featured course is Doncaster, where three more races are being shown, two Grade 2s, and the big betting race of the afternoon, the Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase, which has thrown up some big-priced winners in recent years.

Here are my thoughts on that contest and other value selections that make up this Saturday’s Lucky Fifteen laid out below.

Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.15 Cheltenham. Masaccio
1.50 Cheltenham. Il Ridoto
2.05 Doncaster. Ma Shantou
3.15 Doncaster. Sure Touch
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365

Beginning with the 1.15 at Cheltenham, the Timeform Novices Handicap Chase, a Class 2 contest run over 2m 4 1/2f. The Greenall & Guerriero trained Jagwar is the current favourite after two wins earlier in the season, but he flopped at Uttoxeter last month.

These trainers also run Billytherealbigred, who steps up in class after a couple of victories at a lower level. A good run is possible off a low weight.

Olly Murphy’s Resplendent Grey is having a fine season, and after a couple of wins in Class 3 company, he has been runner-up twice in Listed races. He drops back in class, looking for further success, and is sure to go close.

Ryan’s Rocket, trained by Fergal O’Brien, has had a good season running at lower levels than this, but this looks much tougher.

I prefer Alan King’s Masaccio, who won in November at Newbury. Since then, he has been placed in Grades 1 and 2 races and is headed for the Ultima at the Festival. This will make a fine stepping stone.

At 1.50, it is the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase. This is a Class 1 Premier Handicap and is also run over the 2m 4 1/2f course. Greenall & Guerriero have the current favourite in this race as well, with Iroko, who was second in a Grade 1 at Aintree at the end of last season but was just held at Haydock on his seasonal reappearance in November.

Last month at Ascot, he didn’t get very far when he was hampered and fell at the 1st fence. He was a warm favourite on both occasions and will be backed by punters wishing to reclaim their losses. But he has plenty of weight.

The other top weight is Paul Nicholls’s Ginny’s Destiny, a triple Cheltenham winner, who was pulled up on his first run of the season, then was a well-beaten third in Grade 2 at Huntingdon last month- another with a lot of weight.

Philip Hobbs’s Imperial Saint has won three times this season, all at Aintree. This move up in class may be tough, especially on an undulating course like Cheltenham.

Kieran Burke’s Soul Icon won a 2-mile Grade 2 contest at Kempton’s Christmas meeting. However, this extra distance may be a problem.

I like another Nicholls runner, the grey Il Ridoto, who was a course and distance winner in 2023. He won a Grade 3 here last November and was not given a hard race when finishing 6th here in Graded company last month in a race won by Venetia Williams’s Gemirande, who is now 3lbs worse off. So, Il Ridoto gets the nod.

Moving north to Doncaster and at 2.05, it is the River Don Novices Hurdle, a Grade 2 contest run over 2m 1/2f. The current favourite is Joe Tizzard’s Western Knight, who won twice in November, then stepped up to Graded company at Cheltenham in December but was a well-beaten second.

Kim Bailey’s Moon Rocket has won on both his outings this season, with wins at Southwell and Doncaster. So he can go close.

Greenall & Guerriero’s Gamesters Guy won a small race at Carlisle in December. He does not appear up to this class.

Ben Pauling’s Jig’s Forge also won a small race at Ffos Las in November, but he will find this a lot tougher.

My selection is Emma Lavelle’s Ma Shantou, who won a couple of races at Windsor and Warwick in November and December in circumstances which were described as easily (won by 9 lengths) and cosily (won by 1 3/4 lengths). He seems a classy individual.

The big betting race of the day is the Virgin Bet Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase. This is a Grade 3 run over 3 miles. Two of the runners are highly fancied and I have featured them both in previous Lucky Fifteens. They are The Changing Man and Forward Plan.

Joe Tizzard’s The Changing Man was narrowly beaten at Ascot in December in a Grade 2, and Anthony Honeyball’s Forward Plan ran a close third here at Doncaster in a Class 2 handicap in December. Both have excellent chances, but the favourites have a habit of getting turned over in this race.

The horse who defeated Forward Plan here in December was Dianne Sayer’s Charlie Uberalles who had been running consistently well prior to that victory. he can feature once again.

Emma Lavelle’s Tightenourbelts has won on his last two outings but they were minor contests at Exeter and Ludlow. This is much tougher.

Venetia Williams’s Frero Banbou seems a very honest character always giving his best. He won at Newcastle in November, beating The Changing Man in a Group 3, then running a well-beaten second at the Kempton Christmas meeting in an ordinary handicap.

But my preference is something of an outsider, Olly Murphy’s Sure Touch. He started this season by winning a Grade 3 at Market Rasen in July, then ran 5th over the National fences at Aintree in November. Last month, he was beaten 19 lengths at Cheltenham in a Grade 3 after being ridden off the pace. If ridden with a little more enterprise, his class could see him spring a surprise.

Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.15 Cheltenham. Masaccio
1.50 Cheltenham. Il Ridoto
2.05 Doncaster. Ma Shantou
3.15 Doncaster. Sure Touch
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365

Related Reading