Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
One of the big race days of Newbury’s jump season with the Coral Gold Cup the highlight of the day. ITV Racing are covering four races from the Berkshire course and besides the Coral Cup, they have the Gerry Fielden Hurdle (now given a ridiculous title) both of which are Class 1s.
They are backed up by two Class 2 handicaps. The other course being featured this week is Newcastle where the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth is being run with Constitution Hill making his seasonal reappearance. He will go off as a real short-priced favourite.
The other race being televised from Gosforth Park is the Rehearsal Chase and the big talking point here is whether Shishkin will get over the start line after last week’s debacle when he refused to race.
So with just six races to choose from here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Newbury Lucky Fifteen
1.40 Soaring Glory/Cobblers Dream
2.15 Brentford Hope
2.50 Mahler Mission
3.25 Nutz Elixir
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
I will stick to Newbury for this week’s Lucky Fifteen and ITV Racing’s first contest from the course is the 1.40 the Coral Racing Club Handicap Hurdle a Class 2 race run over 2m 4 1/2f.
Top weight here is Tom Lacey’s Sebastopol who won at Newton Abbot in September then ran disappointingly under top weight at Kelso later in the month.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Uncle Bert is the current favourite. He won well at Ayr in April but fell on his reappearance at Cheltenham in November. He can be placed off his low weight.
Nicky Henderson’s Jet Powered won his maiden by 11 lengths here at Newbury 12 months ago then returned here on New Year’s Eve and went off odds-on but could finish only fifth. He has not been seen since and I think he is probably best watched.
Dan Skelton’s Get A Tonic ran fourth at Warwick earlier this month, more is required here.
The same is the case for Paul Nicholls’s Irish Hill who ran up a hat-trick last season but disappointed at Kempton earlier this month.
I like the horse who finished a place in front of Irish Hill, Ben Case’s Cobblers Dream. He won’t want it too soft but can triumph here.
Also, keep an eye out in the betting for Jonjo O’Neill’s Soaring Glory who finished 28 lengths behind Irish Hill at Kempton but he is a past Grade 3 winner here at Newbury and if he has got over that setback he can spring a surprise.
The 2.15 is the Coral Bet Bundles Intermediate Handicap Hurdle (or the Gerry Fielden) this is a 2m 1/2f Grade3 contest where the warm favourite is Nicky Henderson’s Under Control, who after winning her first two races, fell apart in the Mare’s Novices at the Cheltenham Festival then won the final two races of the season including a Grade 3. She looks the one to beat.
Bed Pauling’s Bad finished a couple of places in front of Our Champ at Ascot earlier this month and he should confirm those placings and possibly hit the frame.
The main danger to Under Control looks to be Harry Derham’s Brentford Hope who steps up to Graded company for the first time after demolishing a good field over the course and distance in November, he showed fine form last season and is my preference.
The big race of the day is the Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase at 2.50. This is a Grade 3 contest run over 3m 2f. Two of the most fancied horses in the race are Irish raiders and after what has happened to many of our top handicaps this jumps season the UK trainers have every right to be quaking in their boots as they look at the possibility of another race getting away from them.
John McConnell sends Mahler Mission over. He disappointed at the Cheltenham Festival when falling in the National Hunt Cup. He had a run at Carlisle in early November and came home runner-up. He can make amends for Cheltenham here.
The other fancied Irish runner is Gavin Cromwell’s Stumptown who was only beaten a neck at the Festival but has not shown that sort of form on his runs in Ireland since. Top weight is Lucinda Russell’s Ahoy Senor who has been running in Grade 1s last season and ran a fine second to Shishkin at Aintree in April. On his seasonal reappearance he was pulled up after making mistakes at Wetherby in early November.
Paul Nicholls runs Complete Unknown who won a 3-runner race at Newton Abbot in October, he meets better horses here.
I was disappointed with Jonjo O’Neill’s Monbeg Genius at Ascot in early November where he made several mistakes and was forced to pull up, improved jumping is required.
As an outsider I look to Ga Law trained by Jamie Snowden, he has won Graded races in the past and can be placed here at a big price but it’s Mahler Mission for me.
The final race on the card is the 3.25 the Coral Get Closer To The Action Handicap Chase, a 2m 1/2f Class2 handicap. Nigel Twiston -Davies’s Master Chewy is fancied after winning at Aintree in October then returning in November to finish second.
Dan Skelton’s Real Stone won at Haydock last month but steps up in class here. Lucinda Russell’s Bollingerandkrug has won three times this season. All those victories coming at Kelso, but more is required here.
Xcitations won for trainer Pam Sly at Sandown and he may manage a place. But the top weight, Joe Tizzard’s Elixir de Nutz, takes the eye after winning a Grade 2 at Exeter in November. He can defy top weight to gain another success here.
Saturday Newbury Lucky Fifteen
1.40 Soaring Glory/Cobblers Dream
2.15 Brentford Hope
2.50 Mahler Mission
3.25 Nutz Elixir
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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