Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
There are races being televised from three different courses this week, but the season really has an end-of-term feel to it after the thrilling Ebor meeting at York.
There is plenty of great racing to come with the Doncaster Leger meeting, Haydock, Ayr and finally, the Champions meeting at Ascot in October. Then, the focus shifts to France and the USA Breeders Cup- all that is to come.
But back to this week and the three meetings on offer. There are four races from Sandown, two handicaps and two Class 1s, a handicap and a Class 1 from Chester and Beverley’s big day of the year with a handicap and the Listed Beverley Bullet being highlighted on ITV Racing. This is where the former Group 1 Sprint Cup winner Emaraaty Ana will be looking to add to his list of victories. So here are my thoughts for this week’s value bets and my Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.50 Sandown. Spanish Blaze
2.25 Sandown. Spiritual
2.40 Chester. Two Tempting
3.15 Chester. Samui
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at Sandown with the 1.50 the Sky Bet Extra Places Every Day Handicap, this is a Class 3 contest run over 7 furlongs. Top weight is Eve Johnson-Houghton’s Star Of Orion who seems to save himself for runs at Newmarket. He ran a fine second there earlier this month, beaten only half a length. The horse that beat him was Waiting All Night, trained by Richard Spencer, but Star Of Orion is 2lbs better off here.
Julie Camacho’s Havana Blue won a Class 4 at Beverley two weeks ago. More is required.
Near the bottom of the handicap, J&R Flint’s Lyndon B has won twice here at Sandown. He was a good second at Newbury earlier this month and could possibly have won if he had been given a clear run.
Spanish Blaze is another Sandown specialist, having also won here twice for trainer Marcus Tregoning. His latest run was at Newbury, where he ran fifth, just 1 1/2 lengths behind the winner. So, I feel the race could be between these two Sandown specialists, and I just give Spanish Blaze the nod.
The 2.25 is the Sky Bet Atalanta Stakes. This is a Group 3 for Fillies and Mares run over a Mile. There is a very hot favourite here called Tamfana, trained by David Menuisier. She ran 4th in the 1000Gns, and since then, she has won over 1m 2f at Chantilly in a Group 3. She then ran 4th in the French Oaks at Longchamp over 1m 4f. Despite these fine runs in Group 1s, I am uncertain about her drop in trip here where she is going to be meeting some speedsters bred purely for a mile.
Simon & Ed Crisford’s Choisya won a Listed race at Haydock earlier this month, and she is a proven miler.
Ralph Beckett’s Doha ran second in a Listed race over a mile at Pontefract, then was 5th in a Group 1 at Goodwood at the beginning of this month over 1m 2f.
Karl Burke’s Bright Thunder was untraced as a 2-year-old but is 2 from 4 this year. She has won over a mile at Haydock and Chantilly latterly in a Listed race.
My preference is for John & Thady Gosden’s Spiritual who won a Listed race here at Sandown over this distance in July. She seemed unsuited by the track at Deauville last time out two weeks ago and can upset Tamfana.
Moving north to the walled city of Chester and the 2.40 is the Livescore Bet Handicap, a Class 2 contest run over 7 1/2f. That distance is once around the RooDee track. Top weight is Michael Bell’s Carrytheone, who has won twice this season but has plenty of weight here.
Daniel & Claire Kubler’s Percy’s Lad is a dual course and distance winner and ran 4th here earlier this month. He is drawn in Stall 1, a perfect position, and is expected to go well.
I like George Boughey’s Spangled Mac, but from Stall 12, he has a lot to do.
Harriet Bethell’s Yanifer won here in early August but has gone up in the weights since then. He meets several he beat that day and should go well from Stall 6.
Andrew Balding’s Under Siege is just a 3-year-old but won his maiden well at Chelmsford and can go well under a low weight from Stall 3.
But I do like Roger Portman’s Too Tempting, who has won four times this season. He was unsuited by the course at Goodwood last time and can go well from Stall 7.
The Virgin Bet Chester Stakes is at 3.15, this Listed contest is run over 1m 6 1/2f which is twice around this small track. David Menuisier has the favourite here with Caius Chorister who has been running in Group contests this season after winning at St Cloud last October. He drops back into Listed company looking for his first win of the season.
I fancied Andrew Balding’s Fairbanks last week in the Ebor, but he was disappointing. This race looks out of his class.
Hugo Palmer’s Rajinsky is having his first run of the season. He was 5th in last year’s Chester Cup and has won first time out in the last two seasons, but this looks tough.
Willie Mullins sends Absurde over from Ireland, last year’s Ebor winner. He had his first run of the season at the Curragh a fortnight ago in a Group 3, finishing a creditable 4th. Plus, he is drawn in Stall 1, so he has an excellent chance.
But my preference is for another Irish challenger, Gordon Elliott’s Samui, who has won twice this season and ran a fine second at York last week. I take him to go one better here, coming out of Stall 5.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.50 Sandown. Spanish Blaze
2.25 Sandown. Spiritual
2.40 Chester. Two Tempting
3.15 Chester. Samui
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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