Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
“Seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness” mean we are into the autumn racing season, and this Saturday, we have two cracking meetings to look forward to as the nights draw in.
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The main meeting on ITV Racing is at Wetherby, where the highlight is the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase, and this is backed up by a Grade 2 Hurdle, a Listed race and a Class 3 handicap. The other meeting on offer is at Ascot, with four handicaps being televised, two of which are Class 1 chases, so there’s an exciting afternoon to look forward to.
I am sure the UK trainers are feeling suitably chastened by their experience at the hands of the Irish last Saturday at Cheltenham, but they can take heart that there are fewer Gaelic opponents crossing the water this week, giving the Brits a chance to pick up some prize money. Here are my thoughts on the best value amongst the small fields in the televised races.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.05 Ascot. Matterhorn
3.15 Ascot. Stream Of Stars
3.45 Ascot. Chianti Classico
2.58 Wetherby. French Dynamite
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
Beginning at Ascot with the 2.05 the Byrne Group Handicap Chase, this is a Class 1 handicap run over 2m 1f. Nigel Twiston-Davies has the top weight here, with Master Chewy due to carry 12st. He was running in Grade 1 novice chases at Aintree and Cheltenham at the end of last season and won a Grade 2 at Kempton in December.
However, there are better-handicapped horses in this race. One of those is Venetia Williams’s Martator, who rattled up a hat-trick of wins last Mar/Apr, including over this course and distance. He moves up in class here but is expected to go well.
Jane Williams’s Saint Segal is fancied in some quarters after running third in this race last year. He ran fourth on his seasonal reappearance earlier this month at Chepstow, but more is required here.
Kieron Burke’s Madara won at Leopardstown in a Listed race last February but disappointed when fancied in a Grade 3 at the Cheltenham Festival.
Willie Mullins has a runner here with Uncle Phil, who was victorious on three occasions last season but has been pretty underwhelming on his two runs this term at Punchestown in the summer. He seems to have plenty of weight – but don’t discount Willie!
But my preference is for Paul Nicholls’s Matterhorn, who rocked through the grades last summer, winning four times on the trot. He made a mistake early on his last run in August at Newton Abbot and was pulled up. He has had a break since then and can get back to where he left off last July.
The 3.15 is the Lavazza Handicap Hurdle, a Class 2 contest run over 1m 7 1/2f. Chris Gordon’s Our Champ won at Plumpton at the end of March but ran poorly on his seasonal reappearance at Market Rasen last month.
Ben Pauling’s Fiercely Proud won two Class 4s in Nov/Dec last year but disappointed when stepped up in class.
Fergal O’Brien’s Tintintin was a triple winner last season but didn’t show that sort of form on his first run since May earlier this month at Wetherby.
Rightsotom was 6th in the 2023 Triumph Hurdle for trainer Joe Tizzard. He won at Cork in May of that year but has not been seen since. He is probably best watched after an 18-month break.
Hughie Morrison’s Secret Squirrel has some patches of good form but steps up in class here.
Suzy Smith’s Tapley won a Class 4 at Plumpton last week but is upped in class here.
I like Henry Daly’s bottom weight Jour d’Evasion, who ran consistently well last season and can hit the frame at a nice price.
But my idea of the winner is Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Stream Of Stars who has won twice at Fontwell already this term. He makes a fully deserved step up in class in this race.
The Sodexo Live! Gold Cup Handicap Chase is at 3.45, this is a 3 mile Grade 3 contest with 11 runners. Top weight and warm favourite is Kim Bailey’s Chianti Classico, who won three times last season, including the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival. He will be hard to beat despite top weight.
But there are several with chances, including Paul Nicholls’s Solo, who was lightly raced last year, and his best run was a fine second in the Halton Chase at Exeter, which is probably where he’s headed once again.
Sam Thomas’s Our Power is a Grade 3 winner but is having his first run since last December, so is probably best watched.
There is an Irish challenger from Henry de Bromhead’s yard, Amirite, whose form in Graded races is sketchy to say the least. He has not won for two years but we saw what these second string Irish runners can do last week at Cheltenham.
Neil Mulholland’s Hidden Depths has made a fine start to the season but steps up in class here. I can see no further than Chianti Classico.
For my final selection, I move to Wetherby for the 2.58 the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase, a Grade 2 contest run over 3 miles. Paul Nicholls’s Bravemansgame returns to try and win the race in which he was victorious in 2022. He was second last year after making a mess of the last, then this King George winner went the whole of last season without a win, so he will be trying hard to make amends for that.
Dan Skelton’s Grey Dawning was Britain’s top novice chaser last season after winning the Turners at the Cheltenham Festival. He is sure to be in the shake-up.
Patrick Neville’s The Real Whacker was a Festival winner in 2023, but disappointed last season, he unseated his rider at Listowel on his first run this term last month.
I take a chance with the Irish raider, Mouse Morris’s French Dynamite, who won a Grade 3 at Punchestown earlier this month, proving his fitness, so I make it another big pot for the Irish.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.05 Ascot. Matterhorn
3.15 Ascot. Stream Of Stars
3.45 Ascot. Chianti Classico
2.58 Wetherby. French Dynamite
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
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