Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
We have plenty to look forward to this week after last week’s debacle at Ascot. ITV are covering eight races, five from Newbury and three from Newcastle and the good news is no fewer than seven of the eight races on offer are handicaps, so we should expect some decent fields without the withdrawals that spoilt last week’s programme.
The highlight at Newbury looks to be the Coral Gold Cup and that’s backed up with a great card, including the Gerry Fielden and Peter O’Sullevan Memorial handicaps. Meanwhile, the highlight at Newcastle should be the Fighting Fifth but my eye will be on the Rehearsal Chase which is the last race of the day at Gosforth Park.
So with plenty to get my teeth into here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.15 Haydock. Findthetime
2.25 Haydock. Complete Unknown
3.35 Haydock. Fontaine Collonges
3.15 Ascot. Frero Banbou
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at Newbury with the 1.20 the Sir Peter O’Sulleven Memorial Handicap Chase, a 2m 6 1/2f contest. Last year’s winner Kapcorse trained by Paul Nicholls returns to defend his crown but he has 9lbs more to carry than when he was victorious last season. J
oint top weight is Christian Williams’s Kitty’s Light who has had a couple of runs already this term and failed to fire.
The other joint top weight is Nicky Henderson’s Mister Coffey who ran a fine second at the Cheltenham Festival last March but ran poorly at Aintree the following month. He looks in the grip of the handicapper.
Kerry Lee’s Demachine won a Uttoxeter race last May and is having his first race after a summer break. He can be placed.
Tom George’s Java Point won here at Newbury last April his third win of the year, he is sure to go well in this company and can take this.
As to the rest of the field Alan King does not have high hopes for Senior Citizen and Joe Tizzard’s Killer Kane will be popular but was outpaced at Exeter earlier this month.
At 2.30 it is the Gerry Feilden now entitled the Coral Bet Bundles Intermediate Handicap Hurdle, a 2m 1/2f race. This race is usually run at a furious pace and has had some fine winners in the past. Looking to add to the roll of honour is Nicky Henderson’s Theatre Glory who has won on five of her six outings the latest being in a Listed novice race at Cheltenham last April. She will be tough to beat but has plenty of weight now she comes up against the big boys.
Henderson’s other runner is First Street who was highly tried after winning three small races last season. He has too much weight.
Dan Skelton’s Pikar had an easy task on his seasonal reappearance at Chepstow last time this is much tougher.
Nicky Richards’s Parisencore has proved himself very consistent having only been out of the first two once in 10 races and that was in his first appearance on a racecourse! He won at Wetherby after his summer break and deserves his position in the lineup but this is a big step up in class.
I have a liking for Gary Moore’s Teddy Blue who disappointed at the Festival but ran a close second in a Listed race in October then won a small maiden at Fontwell earlier this month when he went off at a very short price, he is well weighted here.
The big race of the day is at 3.05 the Coral Cold Cup Handicap Chase, formerly known as the Hennessy, run over 3m 2f.
Venetia Williams’s Fanion d’Estruval is due to carry top weight. He has won a couple of times here at Newbury, including at this meeting last season but the high weight is a worry.
Joe Tizzard’s Fiddlerontheroof was second in this last year but he has 5lb more this time around. One of Tizzard’s other runners is Lostintranslation but he needs to recapture some of his old form to feature here.
Tizzard has more chance with Oscar Elite who had a great season last time in novice chases. He ran fairly well on his seasonal reappearance at Wetherby last month. He can hit the frame.
Lucinda Russell’s Corach Rambler won the Ultima at the Festival but was disappointing on his reappearance at Carlisle in October, improvement on that run is required.
Dan Skelton’s Le Milos won at Bangor earlier this month and has a 4lb penalty for that win.
Paul Nicholls’s Threeunderthrufive has every chance to add to fine record of wins here. But he was somewhat outpaced at Wetherby recently so I will look lower down the handicap for my selection.
I like David Pipe’s Gericault Roque who was second in the Ultima and is now 6lbs better off with the winner but he was outpaced at Aintree earlier this month. He will come on for that run and go close.
I tipped up Sam Thomas’s Our Power last month and he duly obliged in a Grade 3 contest at Ascot in October, and I am going to stick with him. He stayed on well last time to beat some good horses and the further two furlongs should not be a problem.
Finally, I will move north to Newcastle and the Betfair Exchange Rehearsal Handicap Chase at 3.25 run over a distance of just under 3 miles round Gosforth Park.
There is a warm favourite here with Venetia Williams’s L’Homme Presse who was a Festival hero last March. He disappointed with his next run at Aintree in April and despite him winning on his last two seasonal reappearances I will oppose him here. I just feel he has too much weight.
Harriet Graham and Gary Rutherford’s Aye Right won this last year and ran a good second at Kelso last month considering he lost a shoe but he has 2 lbs more than when winning last year.
Mark Walford’s bottom weight Into Overdrive has won his last four but steps up massively in class here, he could secure a place.
Kim Bailey’s Happygolucky looked a star in the making when winning at Aintree in 2021 but he hasn’t been seen since and is probably best watched.
I will support an old timer, Sandy Thomson’s Dingo Dollar now a 10-year-old. He was third in this last year and has 3lbs less this year. He unseated his rider in the Grand National but went back to Aintree and won last month. If he carries on that sort of form he can take this.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.15 Haydock. Findthetime
2.25 Haydock. Complete Unknown
3.35 Haydock. Fontaine Collonges
3.15 Ascot. Frero Banbou
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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