Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
We have seven races from three different venues, all in the North of England, this Saturday on ITV Racing, and it’s pretty meagre fare in the week before the Derby.
The main meeting for the second week running is at Haydock Park, from where four of the races are being televised. The main race of the day is the Group 3 John Of Gaunt Stakes, which is backed up by a further Group 3 for Fillies, a Listed race and a Handicap.
There are two contests from York, another Group 3 Fillies race and a Handicap, whilst the one race from Chester is also a Handicap. So from these contests, I have looked through to find some value and here are my thoughts and this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.48 Haydock. Fine Interview
3.33 Haydock. Audience
2.10 Chester. Witch Hunter
2.40 York. Duran
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
I will begin at Haydock with the 1.48, the Betfred SupportsJack Berry House Reverance Handicap, a Class 3 race run over 6 furlongs. The top weight here is Kevin Ryan’s Sergeant Wilko, who ran up a treble last season on good/soft going, but he has disappointed so far this season. He needs to drop down the weights.
Fine Interview is trained by Hamad Al Jehani. He ran third on his seasonal reappearance in March at Doncaster, when failing to last home. He will strip fitter after that run and should go close.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s Durham Castle won a couple of lowly races at the end of last season, but this race is a step up in class.
Michael Dods’ prolific winner, Dakota Gold, is entered. This 11-year-old is a past Class 1 winner and won a Class 3 at Ripon last month, but this is much tougher.
Sam England’s Trilby is a course and distance winner and has won at Beverley already this season. He can go well off a lightweight, but I just prefer Fine Interview.
The Betfred John Of Gaunt Stakes is at 3.33. This is a Group 3 race run over 7 furlongs where Ralph Beckett’s Kinross is entered to try and win the race he won in 2021. He is a prolific Group 2 winner and won Group 1s at Longchamp and Ascot in October 2022. His latest victory was in a Group 2 last September, and he finds himself saddled with a 5lb penalty for that win. That could make a difference.
Owen Burrows’s Alyanaabi won here at Haydock over 7 furlongs earlier this month in a Listed race. He is highly fancied after that victory, and a bold run is expected.
Harry Charlton’s Kikkuli was fourth in Alyanaabi’s race here this month. He was bumped at the start, but I don’t think that altered the outcome. A major improvement is required for him to figure.
Karl Burke’s Spycatcher won a Listed race at Doncaster in March. His best runs have come on soft ground.
Ed Walker’s Ten Bob Tony looks a lively outsider after running well in Class 1 company at the end of last season. He can spring a surprise and be placed at a big price.
My preference is for John and Thady Gosden’s Audience, who is a Group 1 winner after winning last year’s Lockinge at Newbury. He hated the soft going at Ascot in October and has since spent some time in the Middle East, where he made no impression in a Group 1. He can get his season off to a flying start.
Moving just 26 miles to Chester and the 2.10 is the Ladbrokes Handicap, a Class 2, 7 furlongs race. Chester is not my favourite course as very often the draw is more important than the class of horse that is running, so I will deal with it with that in mind.
David O’Meara’s Cerulean Bay is drawn in Stall 1. He ran up a treble last season but has disappointed so far this term in two outings. Top weight is Richard Hannon’s Witch Hunter, who is drawn 2. He won Group 2 at Newbury in 2023 and has been highly tried since then. He was placed six times in eleven starts last term but has just one second to show this season to date in a Listed race at Wolverhampton. He can prove himself in this company.
William Haggas’s Brewing is in Stall 3, and he does all his running on the all-weather. He won a Class 3 at Newcastle in January. His last turf race was last October, where he was 15th out of 18.
Of the rest, Andrew Balding’s Never So Brave was a course winner last season, but his form petered off after that. He comes from Stall 6.
Steph Hollinshead’s Myal ran up a four-timer at the end of last season and won a hot handicap at Haydock last month. Since then, he ran 8th, one place behind Witch Hunter at Ascot earlier this month. He is in Stall 11.
Finally, we have the 2.40 from York, the William Hill More Top Prices Handicap, a Class 2 race run over a speedy 5 furlongs. Top weight and favourite is John and Sean Quinn’s Jm Jungle, who was a course winner last season. He finished second here to a hot handicapper earlier this month but has plenty of weight and may have to settle for a place once again.
TJ Kent’s Habooba reverts to turf after winning on the all-weather at Kempton in March. Mark Walford’s Kodiak Thriller won a Class 4 at Thirsk earlier this month. This is much tougher.
Spirit Of Applause is blessed with a featherweight for trainer Tim Easterby. He has been placed on his last two outings and can go well, being placed at a nice price.
Kevin Ryan’s Venture Capital has climbed up the weights since winning at Ripon last month, but this is tougher.
I prefer Nigel Tinkler’s Duran. He is a former course and distance winner whose form has improved this season. After finishing runner-up on two occasions, he went to Haydock last week and won a Class 3 running on in the final furlong. He will be fit for this.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.48 Haydock. Fine Interview
3.33 Haydock. Audience
2.10 Chester. Witch Hunter
2.40 York. Duran
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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