Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
This week ITV are mainly concentrating on the Shergar Cup at Ascot. Now I don’t see horse racing as a team game and the day is not really conducive as a betting medium. However, the crowds always stream through the gates so I suppose we are stuck with it.
The format is 10 horses in each race and at the time of writing, I do not know which jockey rides what and some of them will never have seen Ascot never mind ridden there so, I’d recommend betting be kept to a minimum.
On a very busy Saturday ITV are also showing the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes from the Curragh, the Group 3 Sweet Solara Stakes from Newmarket and the Rose of Lancaster Stakes plus a handicap from Haydock. And these are the races I shall be concentrating on this week and leaving the guessing game that is the Shergar Cup alone. So here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.25 Haydock. Young Fire
3.00 Haydock. Intellogent
3.40 Newmarket. Novakal
4.15 Curragh. Shartash
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at Haydock with the 2.25 the Betfred “Play Fred’s 5 Million” Handicap run over a mile. Charlie and Mark Johnston’s Dutch Decoy looks the one to beat here after winning twice at Newmarket and Hamilton in July. He then went on to finish a good fourth at Goodwood last week.
Saeed Bin Suroor’s Electrical Storm won at York in June then ran third at Sandown when sent off favourite last month.
Les Eyre’s Fame And Acclaim won here at Haydock in June but was then well beaten at Hamilton. He is stepping up in class here.
David O’Meara’s Young Fire has not won for over a year and found himself short of room at Goodwood last week in an 18-runner handicap. However, he seems to save his best form for here at Haydock having won three times at this course. He has been running in this class of contest and is able to beat the Johnston’s hot-pot and can carry top weight to victory.
The Rose Of Lancaster Stakes is at 3.00 run over ten and a half furlongs. The bookies’ choice here is William Haggas’s Grocer Jack who is a short-priced favourite after romping home to a 9-length victory last month at Newbury. A repeat of that form looks like he would win here but I feel he beat very little in that Listed race.
Owen Burrow’s Anmaat has shown fine form in handicaps, especially when winning the John Smith’s Cup at York last month but can he step up to Group company?
Passion And Glory trained by Saeed Bin Suroor wintered in Dubai and then came back to the UK to win a Listed race at the beginning of July. He beat Andrew Balding’s Foxes Tales into fourth that day and I expect him to confirm that form, he will go close.
John and Thady Gosden’s Peter The Great is stepping up in class after a couple of handicap wins, that form may not be good enough.
Similarly, Roger Varian’s Royal Champion who is stepping up to try his luck in Group company.
The horse that looks interesting to me is Jane Chappell-Hyam’s Intellogent who was third beaten only three-quarters of a length behind Anmaat at York. He is a previous Group 1 and Group 3 winner in France and any reproduction of that form could see him take this.
The Sweet Solara Stakes is run at Newmarket at 3.40, a 7-furlong contest for 2-year-old fillies. Charlie and Mark Johnston’s Lakota Sioux won at Lingfield in May and then ran third at Royal Ascot. She is a tail flasher and not to be trusted. Ismail Mohammed trains Alseyoop who won on her only outing at Newmarket last month where she made all. She may not get away with those tactics here.
Hughie Morrison’s Mottisfont also won on her only outing, that was at Ffos Las where she came home at a big price when unfancied.
Karl Burke’s stable has been in fine form this year and he has Novakai in the lineup. She blasted home by over four lengths at Doncaster last month in what was really a poor contest however she could only beat what was in front of her and I expect her to repeat that feat.
At 4.15 it is the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh a 6-furlong contest for 2-year-olds. Once again it is dominated by Aidan O’Brien who has won this race 16 times since 1998. However, the stable has not been firing on all cylinders and his stars can be opposed.
At the time of writing, he has five runners the best of which is reported to be Little Big Bear who won the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and followed that up with a decisive win here at the Curragh last month. He looks difficult to beat but is very short-priced.
Archie Watson sends over Bradsell who was last seen when winning the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot where he beat Richard Hannon’s Persian Force who reopposes. I expect that result to be confirmed.
But my preference is for the Aga Khan’s Shartash trained by J P Murtagh who had to squeeze through gaps between O’Brien horses last time at the Curragh to win the Railway Stakes and beat Blackbeard by a short-head. Given a clearer run, I would expect him to get further away from the rest of the field this time.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.25 Haydock. Young Fire
3.00 Haydock. Intellogent
3.40 Newmarket. Novakal
4.15 Curragh. Shartash
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