Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Happy New Year everyone and may it be a prosperous one. We have eight races to look forward to this week with five from Sandown and three from Wincanton. The Sandown card features the Tolworth Hurdle where some of the best novices will be in action and Authorised Speed is highly fancied but I think Henry de Bromhead’s Arctic Bresil may challenge him.
Also on the card is the final of the Veterans Chase series and I have reviewed that below. It’s nice to see the ITV cameras at Wincanton and the Somerset course will have three handicaps televised for this week’s programme.
So I have trawled through this week’s cards for value and here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.15 Sandown. Certainly Red
3.00 Sandown. Ballyandy
3.35 Sandown. Dr T J Eckleberg
2.05 Wincanton. Interne de Sivola
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Starting at Sandown with the 1.15 the Read Nicky Henderson’s Unibet Blog Handicap Chase run over 2m 4f. Top weight here is Henry Daly’s Precious Eleanor who was well beaten in a Listed race at Market Rasen in November and although the stable was in top form over the Christmas period I fear she has too much weight.
Another stable going well is Venetia Williams’s and her Gemirande is likely to go off favourite after winning easily at Southwell in November but this is a step up in class and he has risen 9lbs in the weights.
Lower down the handicap Gary Moore’s Soprano Thor is having his first run of the season after finishing runner-up twice last April. He won the first time out last season and should go close.
Tom Lacey’s Scipion is very consistent and won at Chepstow last March. This season, he finished third on his only outing in October at Uttoxeter but this looks tougher.
I like the look of Lydia Richards’s Certainly Red who won by 17 lengths at Wincanton at the beginning of December after unluckily being brought down a fortnight earlier at Lingfield. He can carry on his winning ways.
The 3.00 is the Unibet Veterans Handicap Chase, the final of the series which is run over 3 miles. This is a very open contest for these old favourites but possibly the head of the betting will be David Pipe’s Ramses de Teillee who won at Warwick on his seasonal reappearance but top weight may anchor him.
Nick Kent’s Crosspark had a run of seconds last season and ran poorly at Haydock in November. He is another with too much weight.
Snow Leopardess won three times last season, including a Listed race at Exeter but has not shown anything like that sort of form for trainer Charlie Longsden this time around.
Last year’s winner of this, Prime Venture trained by Evan Williams has not shown that sort of form this season and he has 2lbs more than last year.
Richard Hobson’s Saint Xavier won at Haydock in November beating Up Helly AA King. I expect him to confirm those placings but that form may not be strong enough to take this.
There is a lot to like about Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Ballyandy who has run two close-up third places this term latterly in a hot contest at Cheltenham, a reproduction of that form could see him take this.
The last race on the Sandown card is the Unibet New And Improved Bet Builder Handicap Hurdle, a 2 mile contest. There are some hot prospects in the lineup including Paul Nicholls’s Iceo who showed fine form last season by winning two hurdle handicaps then running fourth in a couple of Grade2 races. He will be tough to beat.
Another young horse who looks to have a great future is Venetia Williams’s Djelo who won at Exeter in November then ran a fine second when carrying a penalty at Haydock at the end of that month.
Of the older horses Harry Fry’s Lightly Squeeze looks to be the best after winning at Kempton in November where he cruised home from the opposition.
But I return to the young horses for my fancy in the race and that is Olly Murphy’s Dr T J Eckleburg who was 2 from 4 last season and put up a brave show under top weight to finish second at Leicester last time out. He can go one better here.
Moving to “where the cider apples grow” Wincanton and the 2.05 is the Virgin Bet Fives Handicap Chase run over just under 2 miles where the top weight is Joe Tizzard’s Kauto The King who won three times in the summer but he was well beaten last time and pulled up the time before. He has too much weight.
The race where he was well beaten was won by Philip Hobbs’ Midnight Midge who himself was well beaten here at Wincanton on Boxing Day after jumping left on occasions.
Venetia Williams looks to have a hot candidate with Desque de L’Isle who has won twice at Ludlow this season and the 10-year-old is sure to go well but there are a couple who could upset these fancied horses.
Firstly Jeremy Scott’s Native Robin who is a course specialist has won here five times but he has plenty of weight so I just give the nod to Jane Williams’s Interne de Sivola who showed plenty of class last season winning on two occasions. This young horse has not shown that form this time around but off his low weight, he can improve on his first two runs of the season and spring a surprise here.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
1.15 Sandown. Certainly Red
3.00 Sandown. Ballyandy
3.35 Sandown. Dr T J Eckleberg
2.05 Wincanton. Interne de Sivola
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Related Reading