Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Three great meetings to look forward to this Saturday on ITV Racing, with a total of nine races being televised. The main meeting is at Haydock Park, where five of their contests are being shown, one of which is the Merseyside track’s only Group 1 of the season, The Sprint Cup, which looks like a really open contest this year.
This tremendous race is backed up by a Group 3 and three top-class handicaps. There are two handicaps being shown from Ascot, both of which look very open contests.
While there are also two races on the all-weather at Kempton on ITV, one is a Group 3 and the other a Series Final Handicap. So, no fewer than six handicaps to enjoy and for me to find value for this week’s Lucky Fifteen, and here are my thoughts.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.25 Haydock. Epic Poet
3.00 Haydock. Jumbeau
3.35 Haydock. Inisherin
1.35 Ascot. Spangled Mac
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning with the Haydock card and the 2.25 the Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup Handicap a Class2 race run over 1m 6f. The top weight here is Charlie Fellowes Grand Alliance, who is having his first run of the season after competing last season in Group 2 and 3 company. He won a Group 3 in April but perhaps is best watched on his first run for 12 months.
Another having his first run of the year is Hugo Palmer’s Rajinsky, who won a Listed race at Nottingham last season. He has won first time out the last two seasons, so don’t rule him out. He can be backed each-way at a big price.
Ian Williams has three in this, Oneforthegutter, Law Of The Sea and Dancing In Paris, and it’s the latter that interests me. He has had a long, hard season but has won 3 times including last week at Southwell – he may go close.
Ivan Furtado’s Lincoln Rockstar has had a great season running in and winning lower-grade contests. Even off-bottom weight, he has little chance against these higher-rated opponents.
My preference is for David O’Meara’s Epic Poet, who ran a fine 4th at York in August when moving up in distance for the first time, and he will have learnt from that.
The 3.00 is the Betfair Be Friendly Handicap, a 5 furlong Class 2 contest. Top weight here is Michael Appleby’s Shagran, who ran 5th when going off favourite at York last month.
The 3rd horse in that race was bottom weight Karl Burke’s Looking For Lynda, who has improved greatly this season and may gain his first victory here.
Brian Meehan’s Toca Madera and David & Nicola Barron’s Jer Batt ran badly at Southwell last week, finishing 9th and 12th, respectively.
Ian Williams runs Night On Earth, who won at Catterick last week. More is required here.
I like Tom Clover’s Jumbeau, who ran a fine 3rd in a Class 2 contest at York last month, and a reproduction of that form could see here become successful here.
At 3.35, it is Haydock’s only Grade 1 race of the year, the Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes, a 6-furlong contest. This is one of the most open runnings of this race for several years and a case can be made for many of the entrants.
Michael Appleby’s Annaf has been talked up in many quarters after winning a Group 2 at Riyadh worth over £900k in February, but it is reported he had a bout of pneumonia after that, and this is his first run since.
William Haggas’s Montassib has won two Class 1s this season at Doncaster and Newcastle but steps up in class here.
An Irish raider is Adrian Murray’s Bucanero Fuerte, who won a Group 1 as a 2-year-old. This season, he won a Group 3 at Naas on his only outing, and I expect him to go close as he beat Mrs John Harrington’s Givemethebeatboys, who went on to win a Group 3 at The Curragh last month.
Karl Burke has a couple in this: Elite Status, who has won two Class 1s at Newbury this season and Swingalong, who has run second twice in Group 1s this year- the latter looks the one with the best chance.
Clive Cox is renowned for his sprinters, and he runs Jasour, who won a Group 3 in May but then disappointed when he tried at Group 1 company.
Proven at Group 1 level is imperative here, and the only horse that fits the bill is Inisherin, trained by Kevin Ryan. He won a Group 2 here at Haydock in May, then won the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. He then disappointed in the July Cup at Newmarket but back on a flat track that he has already won on he looks the business.
Moving south to Ascot and the 1.35 is the bet365 Handicap a Class 2 contest run over 7 furlongs. Fancied here is Charlie Fellowes’s The Wizard Of Eye who was a winner here in May. He then ran down the field over the same course and distance in June. He looks too high in the weights to me.
David Evans’s Blue Prince was a winner at Goodwood in July then ran third at the same course when upped in grade to a Class 2. He can be placed once more.
Andrew Balding’s Miss Information won a couple of lowly races in July then ran a fine race when 3rd at York in a Class 2 last month.
Richard Spencer’s Run Boy Run has won his last two, both Class 3s, both at Newmarket, both in August, but more is required here.
I prefer George Boughey’s Spangled Mac who promised a lot after winning twice last season. He made a decent effort at Newbury last month finishing 4th in a hot contest then had a terrible draw at Chester last week giving him no chance. He can make amends for his poor season here.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.25 Haydock. Epic Poet
3.00 Haydock. Jumbeau
3.35 Haydock. Inisherin
1.35 Ascot. Spangled Mac
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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