Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Two excellent meetings to look forward to this week in the run-up to Christmas, with Aintree and Sandown being televised this Saturday.
The Sandown card is the premier meeting on ITV Racing with five races being shown, three Class 2 handicaps and two Grade 1s, one of which is a novice chase and the other the Tingle Creek Chase, where Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon goes for his third win in this prestigious race. I am sure that after the disastrous run of Constitution Hill last week, the stable is looking for a big victory to get them back on track.
The Aintree meeting features a Class 2 handicap, a Listed race, and the Class 1 Premier handicap, the Becher Chase, which is run over the National fences. I have reviewed that race below. So eight very competitive races to look forward to, and here are my thoughts and this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.25 Sandown. Go Dante
3.35 Sandown. O’Connell
2.40 Aintree. White Rhino
3.15 Aintree. Wellington Arch
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
Beginning with the 2.25 at Sandown, the Bet At Your Best With Betfair Handicap Hurdle is a Class 2 contest run over 2 miles. Dan Skelton has three runners in this. The top weight Kateira, the favourite Knickerbockerglory, and Honky Tonk Highway, and the one with the best chance is Knickerbockerglory, who won this last season. However, that was his only win of the year, and Kateira may be a better bet after her victory at Wetherby at the beginning of November.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Glynn Brae won here at Sandown last month. He is upped in class here and is dropped back in the trip. He may find some of these too speedy for him.
Evan Williams’s L’Astroboy looks interesting after not having run for almost three years. His best effort was second in a Grade 1 novice hurdle here at Sandown in January 2023. He is probably best watched.
Anthony Honeyball’s Dance And Glance won three times last term but has failed to fire this time around. This could be his chance as he is well weighted.
But I prefer Olly Murphy’s Go Dante. He is a dual course and distance winner. He had a prep run earlier this month at Bangor, where he had lumps of weight to carry, and a better run is expected here.
The 3.35 is the Betfair Exchange London National Handicap Chase, a Class 2 race which is run over 3m 4 1/2f. Top weight is Venetia Williams’s Tanganyika, who won a couple of small races last year, then ran a fine second in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter in March. He began this term by running in a Grade 3 at Cheltenham last month and was not disgraced in 5th, beaten 13 lengths, but he is giving lots of weight away.
Evan Williams’s Ask Brewster won a couple of lower-grade races at the end of last season, then came out in October and blew his rivals away in a Class 2 at Chepstow. He has every chance here, but this does look tougher.
Martin Keighley’s Hung Jury seems to save his best runs for Cheltenham and won an amateur riders’ race there last month. He is upped in class here.
Gary and Josh Moore’s Invincible Nao won a Class 3 here at Sandown last month and returns to try his luck in a Class 2. He can be placed.
I like Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith’s O’Connell, who won here last February when rattling up a hat-trick. This term, he ran at Carlisle last month with lumps of weight and finished third. A better performance is expected.
Moving north to Aintree and the 2.40 is the William Hill Half A Mill Becher Handicap Chase. This is a Grade 3 Premier Handicap run over 3m 2f, and they will be jumping the National fences. Top weight and favourite is Sara Bradstock’s Mr Vango, who won three from three last season, including the Midlands National at Uttoxeter last March. He carried 12 stones that day and is being asked to do the same here. So he must have a chance despite the weight.
Warren Greatrex runs Bill Baxter, who won the Topham here in 2023. He won at Punchestown last May and had a prep run for this over hurdles at Newbury last month, finishing a fine second. He is sure to go close.
Irish trainer Patrick Griffin sends over Roi Mage, who has done all his running in France and won a Listed 3m 6f race there last September. He could be anything.
Dan Skelton has Galia Des Liteaux in this. He has not won for two years and ran 5th on his seasonal reappearance at Carlisle last month.
Oliver Greenall and J Guerriero’s Gaboriot could be a blot on the handicap. The bottom weight won twice last season and finished a fine second here at Aintree last month over these fences.
But it’s his stablemate that interests me most, White Rhino, who was a dual winner last season. He also ran in the Grand Sefton last month, where he was hampered by a faller at The Chair and never recovered from that setback, and finished 9th. I expect both of these stablemates to run well, but White Rhino gets the nod.
Aintree’s 3.15 is the New William Hill Racing Bet Builder Handicap Hurdle, a Class 2 race run over a distance of 2m 4f. Olly Murphy has three of the top four in the weights, and the best of them is probably Rambo T, who won at Chepstow in October. He is on a good mark.
Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s Wellington Arch was highly consistent last season and finished up winning a Grade 3 over this course and distance. He will take all the stopping.
Mel Rowley’s Bear Market is a past winner here at Aintree. He has already got two wins to his credit this term, latterly at Southwell last month.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Stream Of Stars has run consistently well this term, and his latest run, where he finished second at Plumpton in a Class 2 last month, was a good effort, and he may be placed here.
Ewan Whillans’s Cracking Rhapsody comes down from Scotland, where he has had plenty of success. However, his latest run at Cheltenham last month was a disappointment, where he finished tailed off. I think class will tell, and I take Wellington Arch to win this.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.25 Sandown. Go Dante
3.35 Sandown. O’Connell
2.40 Aintree. White Rhino
3.15 Aintree. Wellington Arch
Bet this lucky 15 on Bet365
Related Reading:
