Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
It’s Eclipse Day this Saturday at Sandown where the top crop of middle-distance horses meet their elder counterparts and it looks like we have a great race in the offing once again this year despite the fact there are no Irish horses in the lineup. We do however have the top French 3-year-old Valdeni who looks the business.
ITV are also showing a further three races from the Esher course, two of which are Class 1’s and they all look great contests.
All this is backed up by three races from Haydock which also has once again a fine card with the Lancashire Oaks and two top-class handicaps at the Merseyside track. So I have delved into the races being televised and here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.50 Sandown. Nymphadora
2.25 Sandown. Sinjaari
2.05 Haydock. Hello Jumeirah
3.15 Haydock. Trawlerman
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at Sandown with the 1.50 the Coral Charge, a 5-furlong sprint where Michael Appleby’s Raasel is the current favourite. He moved up from handicap company to take a good Listed race at Haydock in May. He moves up further in class here.
Mitbaahy for Roger Varian also won a Listed race and that was here at Sandown in June following on from a victory at Hamilton.
Charles Hill’s’ Equilateral raced at Meydan last spring and was not seen on a British racecourse all summer. His first run since was in the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot where he finished a good fifth, a reproduction of that form should see him there or thereabouts.
I was impressed with Nymphadora’s run at Royal Ascot, Andrew Balding’s filly was only beaten half a length in a 27-runner contest she will have more room to strut her stuff here.
The Coral Challenge Handicap is at 2.25 and this one-mile contest has attracted a particularly classy field. The top weight is David O’Meara’s Escobar who won at York in May. He has disappointed since then and his weight is a worry.
Grant Tuer’s Lion Tower also won at York last time but that was in June. But he would do well to be placed in this company.
Jamie Osbourne’s recruit Ouzo is having his third run for his new trainer. He was second here in May but was disappointing at Royal Ascot. He has not won for two years and some improvement is needed.
Down at the bottom of the handicap is Andrew Balding’s Flyin’ High who has been consistent this year and despite this step up in class could be placed at a nice price.
My preference is for Harry and Roger Charlton’s Sinjaari who is another horse who has moved stables this summer. He ran well at Newbury in May then a fine fifth in the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot a repeat of that effort could bring him success.
Moving north to Haydock Park at 2.05 it is the bet365 Handicap a 1m 6f race for 3-year-olds. The top weight is Sir Mark Prescott’s Sea King who was successful at Doncaster in April on his handicap debut. However, the stable has been in the doldrums recently and that coupled with top weight puts me off him.
William Haggas has a couple of nice horses here, Nathaniel Greene and Hello Jumeirah, and I prefer the latter who won at Kempton on the all-weather in April. Since then, he has been well beaten in a Listed race at Chester and ran second here at Haydock in May. He will go close.
Mostly Sunny has been running well for trainer Heather Main and he won at Leicester in June but steps up in class here.
Tom Ward’s Double Cherry ran exceptionally well at Goodwood last month where he beat Hughie Morrison’s Percy Jones by three lengths and I expect him to confirm that result. However, Goodwood is a course that doesn’t suit all horses and perhaps Double Cherry may not be the same on a flat track like Haydock, so I will just side with Haggas’s Hello Jumeirah.
The bet365 Old Newton Cup Handicap is at 3.15. This famous mile-and-a-half race is always hotly contested. This year it has a very warm favourite with William Haggas’s Gaassee who is a winner of his last four contests. He has only had one run this season when he was victorious at York in May. He will take all the beating on that form.
David O’Meara’s Get Shirty won well at Royal Ascot but has risen in the handicap since that win.
Kevin de Foy’s Liverpool Knight is fancied in some quarters and would be a popular winner at this course. Has has been winning on the all-weather and he sprang a surprise by winning at Windsor last month but this is a step up in class.
As an outsider, I like Alan King’s On To Victory. He was beaten 8 lengths by Gaassee at York last time but he is 10lbs better off in the weights here and may take a place at a nice price.
But I do like John and Thady Gosden’s Trawlerman, he won on the all-weather at Chelmsford in April then was slowly away at Royal Ascot losing all chance at the start and never got on terms so his jockey. Frankie Dettori, gave the favourite an easy ride, he can make amends here.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.50 Sandown. Nymphadora
2.25 Sandown. Sinjaari
2.05 Haydock. Hello Jumeirah
3.15 Haydock. Trawlerman
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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