Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
A bumper Summer Saturday to look forward to this week, with plenty of runners to look forward to at the two televised meetings from Ascot and York.
ITV Racing are covering eight races in all, with five of those from their main meeting at Ascot, where the feature race is the Group 1 King George, where I fancy Jan Brueghel to defeat the French favourite. This is backed up with a couple of Group 3s and two Class 2 handicaps.
There are three televised races from the secondary meeting at York, and these feature a Group 2, a Class 2 handicap and the Class 4 ‘Nunthorpe’ Handicap for jump jockeys. This is always a great fun day out. However, these jockeys take this very seriously.
Here are my thoughts for the best value from the eight races and this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.20 Ascot. American Gal
3.00 Ascot. Fresh
3.35 Ascot. Sisyphean
2.00 York. Elmonjed
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
Beginning at Ascot with the 3.20 the Longines Valiant Stakes a Group 3 race for fillies and mares run over a mile on the round course. The bookies’ favourite is Ralph Beckett’s Chantilly Lace, who has run 5th on both her outings this year in Group 1, three-year-old races. She meets older horses for the first time.
James Tate’s Royal Dress won a Listed race at Pontefract earlier this month. This is a step up in class and is much tougher.
William Haggas’s Lou Lou’s Gift has won a couple of Class 4 races in her career, but this race is asking a lot of her.
Ireland-trained Jancis comes here after running 5th in a Group 1 at Leopardstown in June for trainer W McCreery. She is an interesting entry.
Ed Walker runs American Gal. He has trained the winner of this twice in the last four years and says this has been her target for some time. After winning a Listed race at Chantilly in May, expect a bold run.
But I also like John and Thady Gosden’s Cajole who has been moving through the ranks with a series of runner up spots, including in Listed contest at Sandown earlier this month. So between these two I just give Walkers charge the nod.
The Moet & Chandon International Handicap is at 3.00. This Class 2 Heritage Handicap is run over 7 furlongs on the straight course. The top weight here is Ralph Beckett’s Zoum Zoum, who ran second in a Listed race at Salisbury in May. They disappointed in a Class 2 at Royal Ascot. He has plenty of weight.
Michael Dods’ Northern Express has disappointed this season and looks too high in the handicap.
David O’Meara’s Akkadian Thunder is highly fancied after a fine second over this course and distance last month, but disappointed at Newmarket a fortnight ago.
Michael Appleby’s Kodi Lion won at Haydock at the end of May but disappointed at Salisbury in June. He steps up in trip here.
Ian Williams’s Aalto only lost on the nod at Newmarket earlier this month at a huge price, and he has a good chance to make amends here for that defeat.
I also like Richard Hannon’s Classic, who won at Sandown in early July. He is becoming a specialist at that course and has a 3lb penalty for that victory.
I go for James Fanshawe’s Ascot specialist, Fresh. He has won here on four occasions latterly last September. He had a prep run at Newcastle and comes here to make his mark in the second half of the season.
The 3.35 is the Betfred Handicap, a Class 2 contest run over the straight mile. The top weight here is William Haggas’s Bullet Point. He is highly fancied after winning at Newmarket in April, then running a fine second here at Royal Ascot, beating several he meets once again here. But he has risen in the weights and can be opposed.
David O’Meara’s Bopedro was third in that Royal Ascot race and is a pound better off here. However, the 9-year-old has not won for two years and seems to find one or two too good too often.
Fearnot is having a fine season for trainer Clive Cox, winning two 3-year-old handicaps. However, he meets his elders for the first time and will find this a different ball game.
Another 3yo is Roger Varian’s Teroomm, who won a race at Haydock in May for horses his age after winning a couple of maidens in April, but he was very disappointing at Royal Ascot. This is tougher.
I like Kevin Ryan’s Sisyphean, who ran second at York earlier this month, beaten just a neck with Bopedro back in third. He can go one better and take this.
Finally, I move to York for the final race of the Lucky Fifteen, the Sky Bet Dash Handicap at 2.00, this Class 2 race is run over 6 furlongs. The current favourite is Geoff Oldroyd’s Pocklington, who won twice on the all-weather at Newcastle last season. He ran second at the same course at the end of June beating several he meets here.
Top weight is David O’Meara’s Toyotomi, who won a Listed race at Deauville in April and has since been running in Group company. If he can transfer that form to UK courses, he is not without a chance despite his weight.
Richard Fahey has a couple of runners, the best of which could be Strike Red, who is a dual course and distance winner. His form this season is sketchy to say the least, but he is capable of popping up with a victory, as he proved last October. Rain would help.
Fahey’s other runner is at the bottom of the handicap, Brooklyn Nine Nine, who won at Hamilton last month in a Class 3. This is a step up in class, but the low weight will help. He can be placed at a nice price.
I go with William Haggas’s Elmonjed who won over this course and distance last August. He has been running well in Class 2 contests, and his latest run was a fine second at Windsor last month. He has the ability to go one better here.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.20 Ascot. American Gal
3.00 Ascot. Fresh
3.35 Ascot. Sisyphean
2.00 York. Elmonjed
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
Related Reading:
