Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
There are three meetings and no fewer than ten races being covered this Saturday on ITV Racing, giving us plenty to choose from this week. Kelso stage their big meeting of the season, and ITV are showing five races from the Roxburghshire track, two Class 1s, two Class 2s, and a Class 3.
The two races being covered from Newbury are a Class 1 and a Class 2, while Doncaster features a Class 1 and two Class 2s. Seven of these contests are handicaps, so plenty to get our teeth into this week, and here are my thoughts for the best value and this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.30 Doncaster. Jasmin Du Grugy
3.30 Kelso. Hamlet’s Night
3.15 Newbury. Torn And Frayed
3.45 Newbury. Vincenzo
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
Beginning at Doncaster with the 2.30, the Virgin Bet Grimthorpe Handicap Chase, this Class 2 contest is run over 3m 2f. The current favourite is the top weight Emma Lavelle’s King’s Threshold, who was a fine winner at Newbury in December. Lavelle states he would want plenty of give in the ground, and he also has the Kim Muir at Cheltenham as a target.
Charlie Longsden’s New Order has been placed on his last three outings latterly when second here at Doncaster behind Dartmoor Pirate. He is 5lbs better off here.
Richard Hobson’s Some Scope won here at Doncaster in December, then ran poorly in the Cross-Country at Cheltenham the following month. I discount that run due to problems losing a shoe. He may be placed.
Neil Mulholland’s Bromfield’s Cave won at Wincanton in December in a Class 3. He may run well off a low weight. But Anthony Honeyball may have the answer here with his two runners, Dartmoor Pirate and Jasmin Du Grugy.
Dartmoor Pirate is on a hat-trick after wins at Lingfield and here at Doncaster, while Jasmin Du Grugy has been running well in Class 1 company but didn’t take to the Cheltenham fences last time. He gets the nod.
Kelso’s 3.30 is the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle. This handicap has a Class 2 rating and is run over 2 miles. I have to start with Ewan Williams’s Cracking Rhapsody who has won the last two runnings of this race. He has 6lbs more to carry than last season, but has been aimed at this ever since he passed the winning post last year. His form this season has been mediocre to say the least, and I have a feeling that those extra pounds will be a telling factor.
Tom Dascombe’s Hot Fuss finally won this season last month at Windsor. He has been running well without success, especially when finishing second in a Group 3 contest at Ascot in December, but he has been raised 5lb for that Windsor win.
Nigel and Willie Twiston-Davies’s Spectacularsunrise was only 6th in that Windsor contest, but he had won twice in December, including here at Kelso, which was just a Class 3 race, and this is tougher.
Oliver Digny’s Bespoke Tailor has been running consistently well this term and has been placed in all four of his races. He is expected to go close once more.
But my preference is for James Owen’s Hamlet’s Night, who showed fine form before Christmas, winning twice and finishing runner-up on three other occasions. He had a prep run on the flat at Kempton last week and won it, so he showed his fitness in readiness for this.
Moving south to Newbury and the 3.15 is the BetVictor Super Boost Has Arrived Veterans Handicap Chase. This is a Class 2 race run over a distance of 3m 2f. Top weight is Neil Mulholland’s Capodanno, who has not been seen since running in Graded contests in Ireland a year ago. He is probably best watched.
Nicky Henderson’s Mister Coffey ran second at Cheltenham in November, then flopped badly the following month when running in a Cross-Country race at the same course.
Nigel and Willie Twiston-Davies’s Torn And Frayed has been very consistent this season, following up a victory at Aintree with two runner-up spots. A bold run is expected.
Paul Nicholls runs Brave Kingdom, who ran second at Taunton earlier this month, but he had failed to complete in his previous two contests.
I like old stager Eldorado Allen, trained by Joe Tizzard. He won at Cheltenham in November, and while I expect him to run well, I go for Torn And Frayed.
The big race of the day is at 3.45, the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap. This is a Grade 3 Premier Handicap run over 2m 4f. Top weight is Paul Nicholls’s Twinjets, who won over this course and distance in November, then made a silly mistake at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day when highly fancied, sure to go well.
Tom Symonds Issam second win of the season came earlier this month, but he is raised in class here.
Dan Skelton’s Heltenham won this race in 2024 but has not shown anything like that form so far this season.
Gary and Josh Moore run Blow Your Wad, who has not won for two years but ran well in a Grade 1 at Ascot two weeks ago, finishing third. He has plenty of weight.
I go for Sam Thomas’s Vincenzo, who was second last year. He notched up a fine victory at Ascot last month after two close runner-up spots. Twinjets is the big danger, but gives Vincenzo 6lbs here.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.30 Doncaster. Jasmin Du Grugy
3.30 Kelso. Hamlet’s Night
3.15 Newbury. Torn And Frayed
3.45 Newbury. Vincenzo
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
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