Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
We have a fantastic day’s racing to look forward to this Saturday at Sandown where Nicky Henderson will wear his heart on his sleeve in a couple of Grade 1 races at the Esher track. He runs both Constitution Hill and Jonbon in the rerouted Fighting Fifth Hurdle and the Tingle Creek Chase respectively giving us really something to look forward to.
These two races are on a card with a further Grade 1, the Henry VIII Novices Chase, and two Class 2 Handicaps all of which are being televised. If that’s not enough Sandown is backed up by four races from Aintree three of which are Class 1s and they feature the Becher Chase where the horses will jump 21 of the Grand National fences.
So a real pre-Christmas treat with these nine marvellous contests for punters to get their teeth into and here are my thoughts for the best value and my Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.25 Sandown. Langer Dan
3.35 Sandown. Truckers Lodge
2.05 Aintree. Highland Hunter
3.15 Aintree. Benson
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at Sandown with the 2.25 the Rachel Blackmore Serial Winners Final Handicap Hurdle a Class 2 contest over 2 miles. The favourite here is Nicky Henderson’s Impose Toi who has won twice already this season latterly at Cheltenham last month, he steps up in class here and will take all the beating.
James Owen’s Too Friendly won twice in the summer and has since been tried in Graded races but he was pulled up last time at Cheltenham and that is a worry.
Spirit d’Aunou won four on the trot for trainer Gary Moore last season but disappointed when going off favourite at Cheltenham in October finishing only fourth, more is required.
My preference here is for Langer Dan who won a Grade 3 race at the Cheltenham Festival for trainer Dan Skelton. He had a prep run at Kempton last month and although he has plenty of weight, he also has plenty of ability.
The 3.35 at Sandown is the Betfair Exchange London National Handicap Chase a Class 2 race run over 3m 4 1/2f. Nigel Twiston-Davies’s Beauport is highly fancied after good runs at the end of last season. He ran fairly well to finish fifth at Ascot last month in a Graded race when going off favourite but he looks hard to win with.
Venetia Williams’s Fontaine Collonges was pulled up in last season’s Festival and prior to that was well beaten at Haydock. She wants as much rain as possible as she relishes heavy going.
Paul Nicholls has two in this, Truckers Lodge and Broken Halo, it is the former that interests me most after winning at Ffos Las at the end of last season. He had a run at Cheltenham last month where he was unluckily brought down – he can gain recompense here.
Another trainer with two runners here is Henry Daly with Rapper and Fortescue. The former has been pulled up on the last two occasions and is probably best watched while Fortescue is a past Sandown winner and is on his way to the Grand National where he finished 13th last season. He can be placed at a nice price but it’s Truckers Lodge for me.
Moving north to Liverpool and at 2.05 the BoyleSports Becher Handicap Chase is the feature race at Aintree. This is a 3m 2f Grade 3 contest with 21 of the Grand National fences to be jumped. The current favourite is last year’s winner Dan Skelton’s Ashtown Lad but he has disappointed since then and has been pulled up in his last two contests making him hard to support.
The other market leader is L J Morgan’s Percussion who was second over these fences in October in the Grand Sefton and third in this last year. Prior to these runs, his wins have come in low-grade races.
Joe Tizzard’s The Big Breakaway didn’t get far in last year’s National. He fell at the 2nd, but he has had a prep run at Wincanton and with a clear round can go close.
The Irish-trained horse Coko Beach trained by Gordon Elliott has been given a huge weight and I’m surprised he has stood his ground. But he won well at Navan last month. To win with 12st looks nigh on impossible.
The other Irish runner is SRB Crawford’s Now Where Or When who ran 5th at Navan in November, more is required here.
I like Fergal O’Brien’s Highland Hunter who returned to racing after a 20-month break and finished a fine second at Kelso in October. He was second in the Welsh National in 2021 and is probably headed there again he can pick this up on the way.
A big outsider is Henry Daly’s Lounge Lizard. He may be worth an each-way bet where bookies pay five or more places.
The 3.15 at Aintree is the BoyleSports Extra Place Races Handicap Hurdle a Class 2 race run over 2m 4f. The favourite and top weight here is Paul Nicholls’s Sonigino who won three times last season in handicap company. Last time he ran a good fourth in a Grade 3 at Cheltenham he drops back to handicaps here but has plenty of weight.
Peter Atkinson’s Fingal’s Hill has been winning some small contests in the north of England but last month won a Class 2 at Carlisle but then he was well beaten at Haydock last time. More is required.
Badgers Reflection trained by Ben Case won at Wetherby last month but steps up in class here.
Irish raider Holmes St George trained by SRB Crawford is having his first run since May and may go close here.
Joint top weight Sandy Thomson’s Benson looks the one for me after finishing fourth at Carlisle in October. The jockey’s saddle slipped that day after the horse was hampered he can make amends for that here.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.25 Sandown. Langer Dan
3.35 Sandown. Truckers Lodge
2.05 Aintree. Highland Hunter
3.15 Aintree. Benson
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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