Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
This week’s ITV Racing programme covers no fewer than 10 races from four different venues, but that certainly doesn’t mean that winners will be easy to find as five of those races are 3-year-old contests, and they are notoriously difficult to solve prior to Royal Ascot.
This week’s main meeting is at Haydock Park, with no fewer than five races being televised and two Group 2s and three handicaps on offer.
This is backed up by two races from Goodwood, a Listed race and a handicap. There are also two races from York with a Group 2 and a handicap.
Added to these, ITV are also covering the Irish 2000Gns from the Curragh, where, as usual, Aidan O’Brien has a very strong hand.
River Tiber looks the best of the bunch, but Richard Hannon’s Rosallion looks a top-class challenger. So, a very busy day to look forward to, and here are my thoughts for the best value along with this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.15 Haydock. Blue Lemons
3.30 Haydock. Zimmerman
1.30 Goodwood. Mission To Moon
2.45 York. Brooklyn Nine Nine
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at Haydock with the 1.15, the Betfred Silver Bowl Handicap, this is a Class 2 contest for 3-year-olds run over a mile. The bookies’ choice is Kevin Ryan’s Volterra, who won at Newmarket earlier this month, coming home very easily. He steps up in class here.
Tom Dascombe’s Nellie Leylax has won twice here at Haydock, including last time in April. This local trainer is sure to go close.
Harry Eustace runs Sir Les Patterson, who is having his first run on turf. He has won twice on the all-weather and looks like an interesting contestant.
Richard Fahey’s Silent Move was a winner here at Haydock a fortnight ago, and although he is stepping up in class, he comes here with a very lightweight.
Similarly with Candonomore, trained by Tim Easterby, who also won here last month but on soft ground and although he is another stepping up in class he is capable of winning this.
The top weight is Richard Hannon’s Blue Lemons, who was a close second in a Class 2 at Sandown in April. With drying ground, he can be expected to go well. However, he did win his maiden on soft. So he just gets the nod over Candonomore unless the heavens open.
The 3.30 is the Betfred Nifty 50 Hell Nook Handicap, a Class 2 race run over 2 miles. The going will be a big issue here. It is currently good to firm but the forecast for the north-west is rain and more rain.
The top weight is Ralph Beckett’s Nothing To Sea who won twice last summer but has not been seen since July. This is his first time over this distance.
Ian Williams’s Law Of The Sea ran third at Chester earlier this month over two and a half furlongs further. He was last in his two previous races.
Harry Eustace’s Divine Comedy won here at Haydock last May over 1m 6f. He ran a good third at Doncaster last month and can go close here.
Last year’s winner, Hugo Palmer’s Solent Gateway, has shown little form this season, and I discount him.
My preference is for Tim Easterby’s Zimmerman, who ran consistently well last season and was a fair fourth on his first run this season last month. He won over this course and distance on heavy ground last season, and I’m hoping the heavens open for him.
Moving down south to Goodwood, and the 1.30 is the William Hill Harroways Handicap a Class 2 contest over 7 furlongs for 3-year-olds. Top weight is Richard Fahey’s Native American who drops back in trip after finishing 8th in a 9 furlong Listed race at Newmarket last month. He also drops back to handicap company.
Clive Cox’s Dragon Leader had a fine career as a 2-year-old but disappointed on his seasonal reappearance earlier this month finishing 3rd at Ascot.
Balmacara has won twice at Doncaster this season for trainer Eve Johnson Houghton, and he may require some cut in the ground to score in this grade.
Kevin de Foy’s Newsreader has won twice on the all-weather. However, those were lowly contests and this is a major step up in class.
Andrew Balding’s Al Shabab Storm was a course winner last October. However he has done little since and was a beaten favourite last time at Chester.
Goodwood can prove to be a course that horses love or hate, and Roger Varian’s Mission To Moon seems to love it, having won here twice in his short career. He won on his seasonal reappearance earlier this month over this distance and can do so once again.
Going back up north to York and the 2.45 is the William Hill Extra Place Races Daily Handicap, a Class 2 contest run over 5 furlongs. This sprint sees old-timer and course specialist Copper Knight come in at bottom weight. He has won here seven times and the 10-year-old cannot be discounted off his low weight. However, he has not won in eleven outings for trainer Tim Easterby.
Top weight is Karl Burke’s Korker, a course and distance winner in 2022. He ran fourth when favourite at last week’s Dante meeting and can go close.
Charles Hills’ Rabaah is dropping down in trip after a poor run at Newmarket earlier this month.
Richard Fahey has two runners. Vintage Clarets is a course and distance winner but has run poorly this season. His other runner is Brooklyn Nine Nine who found himself short of room last time at Thirsk but was an eyecatcher and he is my selection in this sprint.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.15 Haydock. Blue Lemons
3.30 Haydock. Zimmerman
1.30 Goodwood. Mission To Moon
2.45 York. Brooklyn Nine Nine
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Related Reading