Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Two excellent meetings this week with the ITV cameras covering four races from Ascot and four from Wetherby. I always enjoy National Hunt racing from Ascot. It is a very fair course with an excellent run-in and this first meeting of the season always gives us pointers to the coming months.
Meanwhile, at Wetherby, it is their big meeting of the year. It is a pity to see such disappointing fields when there are three Class 1’s amongst their four televised races with the highlight being the Charlie Hall Chase where the two youngest horses in the field come up against each other once again after their novice season, Ahoy Senor and Bravemansgame.
The former just gets the nod from me due to his course and distance victory last February and he can put himself 3-1 up in their head-to-head battles. Here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen at these two meetings.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.05 Ascot. Call Of The Wild
2.40 Ascot. Frero Banbou
3.15 Ascot. Our Power
1.50 Wetherby. Learntalot
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at Ascot with the 2.05 the Bateaux London Handicap Hurdle, run over just under 2 miles. Here Paul Nicholls has the top weight with Hacker Des Places who rounded off last season with a fine win in an amateur riders event at Aintree in April. He had a previous victory at Chepstow in February. The weight may be a problem for him.
Nicholls’s other entrant is Magistrato, who is at the other end of the handicap. He won first time out last season and can go well off a low weight.
Jonjo O’Neill runs Anyharminasking who won twice in January at Catterick and Sedgefield but steps up in class here.
Chris Gordon’s Broomfield Burg was running in Graded races last season without success. He has reverted to handicaps this term and run third on both occasions. He would do well to claim a place.
Highway One O Two started the season well for trainer Chris Gordon with a close-up second at Fontwell at the beginning of this month. He should go well but this is tougher.
I like Alan King’s Call Of The Wild, who had a fine Novice season winning three times. In his final run at Cheltenham in April, he was just run out of it for a second. He can take this in his first effort in handicap company as a bold start to a fine season.
The Byrne Group Handicap Chase is at 2.40 and this 2m 1f Class 1 contest has no fewer than three former winners returning to try and capture the spoils once again.
Paul Nicholls’s Diego Du Charmil was successful in 2019 and the 10-year-old showed he still retains his ability by running second in May at Kempton. He may be placed here.
Amoola Gold was victorious for Dan Skelton in 2020 but was unsuccessful throughout last season being disqualified on the only occasion he passed the post in the first place.
Last year’s winner, Jane Williams’s Monsieur Lecoq finished last season off with a win at Newbury. He has had a prep run at Chepstow finishing fourth three weeks ago. He is sure to go well.
Gary Moore’s Nassalam was super consistent last season with three wins and two seconds in his five outings. He is expected to do well in his first effort in handicap company but may have to settle for a place on his first run of the season.
My preference is Venetia Williams’s Frero Banbou who had a fair campaign last year. In his last race, he ran like a horse who had had a hard season. He will be a different horse after the summer off and is expected to put up a good effort.
At 3.15, it is the Bateaux London Gold Cup Handicap Chase, a 3-mile Class 1 Premier Handicap. The top weight here is Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Good Boy Bobby who showed some good form last year and was pulled up in the Grand National on his final outing. His weight will be a problem.
Richard Bandey’s Mister Malarkey was a fine second on his last outing at Cheltenham. He is a course and distance winner and can run into a place.
Tom Lacey’s Tea Clipper had a run at Chepstow three weeks ago finishing second. He may be placed once again.
Alan King’s Major Dundee was victorious twice last season in minor contests. His third in the Scottish National at Ayr was a fine run and a reproduction of that would see him go very close.
I like Henry Daly’s Rapper who was a dual winner last season but disappointed on his final outing at the Cheltenham Festival in March. This is his first run of the season and he is probably best watched.
So my vote goes to Sam Thomas’s Our Power who won two Novice Chases last season and then ran a fine fifth in the Ultima at the Festival. He is well-handicapped and can take this.
The first race at Wetherby is the bet365 Novices Hurdle which is run at just under two and a half miles. Here, we have a lot of point-to-point horses looking to show what they can do under rules.
Several of these horses have been brought over from Ireland. One of the most interesting entries is Ban Pauling’s Joe Dancer who fell in a PTP in Ireland with the race at his mercy last February. His price may not justify his chance.
Ruth Jefferson’s Autumn Return has won twice under rules and is sure to be there or thereabouts.
Another rules winner is Jedd O’Keefe’s Macavity, who was a fine winner at Aintree in May, more is expected.
Sue Smith’s Prairie Wolf won at Doncaster last January and on his first run this season ran third at Uttoxeter a fortnight ago, he can go close.
My preference is for Olly Murphy’s Learntalot who was close but no cigar in his three runs last season, the last of which was when he was a clear second here at Wetherby in March. I look to him to go one better here.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.05 Ascot. Call Of The Wild
2.40 Ascot. Frero Banbou
3.15 Ascot. Our Power
1.50 Wetherby. Learntalot
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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