By Tony Calvin - 21 September 2025
We have two days of ITV racing this week.
Newmarket has a three-day meeting starting on Thursday, getting on the box on Friday, alongside a 70k handicap hurdle at Worcester (strangely good there at the moment and not under-water),
Haydock probably is as they got a rather hefty 53mm on Saturday and they are now heavy, but at least it is dry next week at all three tracks (see below).
I cant see any prices for the valuable Worcester race, although on the National Hunt front at Listowel, be aware that AKBets have the on-course betting shop there now.
Give ’em hell.
Nine races have been priced up at Newmarket on Friday and Saturday, so go to the AKBets site to see what is on offer there.
The five-day fields are pretty small at Newmarket on Friday, and we have four early-closers there on Saturday.
There are currently 43 in the Royal Lodge (Montreal 2s fav), 26 in the Cheveley Park Stakes (Royal Fixation 2s), 17 in the Middle Park (Wise Approach is the 9-4 favourite ahead of Gstaad) and 82 in the Cambridgeshire (Treble Tee is the 6s jolly).
The ground at Newmarket is now good, good to firm in places, and they are putting 5mm on the track on Tuesday.
Not many firms have bothered to price up Friday’s ITV races at Newmarket, which is fair enough, as interest will be minimal at this stage and firms are only likely to see informed, insider money (that is to say people with a handle on running plans) if they do.
And, with weekend entries still to be known (and therefore double entries), punters should tread very carefully, too. They may not even get a run for their money.
There are 23 eligible entries for this race, for a maximum field of 20 on the day, and Flight, Cajole and Elwateen are fighting it out for early favouritism between 4s and 5s in defensively-priced books.
Tiffany is alone – see what I did there, oldies? – at the top of the market at [5/2] for the Princess Royal Stakes.
She hasn’t run since November 2024 but she is the clear form horse.
There are 16 entries for a race that could have accommodated 20 on the day.
This potentially looks a good 2yo contest, with 16 entries, four of which are unbeaten.
They include Touleen and Diamond Necklace, which head the market at [6/4] and [11/4] respectively. The latter is Aidan O’Brien’s sole entry in the race.
It doesn’t sound like Touleen is 100pc to go.
A disappointing five-day entry of just 13 for this 125k pot.
Two horses dominate the early betting, with Opera Ballo at [5/4] and the unbeaten Zeus Olympios at [5/2], 10s bar.
An even more disappointing haul of 10 five-day entries for this.
Voltigeur third Arabian Force was a surprise no-show in the St Leger and he heads the betting at [7/4] here.
There are 24 five-day entries for Worcester’s 70k handicap hurdle at 2.42pm and we could get a full field of 16 looking at the amount of those jocked up (a crude gauge, I appreciate) .
The ground looks set to remain good, with a dry forecast, though the course are watering “to maintain”.
No details given.
I couldn’t find any firm that had priced this up.
GOING – Good, good to firm in places
Going stick: 7.4 Monday, 9am (was 6.9, Saturday 8am)
Tuesday morning course update: Forecast: Tue – Dry, max daytime temp of 16c. Wed / Thu – Dry and cloudy with sunny spells, max daytime temp of 17c.
Weather: Mainly dry, light showers; 3mm Saturday
Watering: 5mm to be applied on Tuesday.
GOING – Good
Tuesday morning course update: 1.4mm of rain on Saturday Tuesday: Chilly start, sunny spells & dry. 14C Wednesday: Small chance of an isolated shower, but not a measurable amount. Otherwise mainly dry. 16C Thursday & Friday: Misty start, mainly dry. 16C Temperatures chilly overnight.
Weather: Mainly dry all week
Watering: “To maintain” (no details given)
GOING – Soft, heavy in places
Tuesday morning course update: 53mm on Saturday. Outlook dry and cooler. Max temperature 15°. Live weather & going: https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/haydock/owners-and-trainers/the-going/
Weather: Dry until 1pm on Saturday (now only minimal amounts forecast but they has been changing)
1.50pm Newmarket (these are currently still in Beresford Stakes on Saturday): Action, Amadeus Mozart, Daytona, New Zealand, Nil Bua Gan Dua, Piazza San Marco, Pierre Bonnard (Bow Echo has been supplemented)
2.05pm Haydock: Angel Shared (due to run on Thursday), Another Baar, Atomic Force, Copper Knight, Duran, Germanic, Harvanna (due to run on Thurdsay), I’m Next, Tiger Tulip (due to run at Goodwood on Wednesday), Trilby, Twilight Jet
2.25pm Newmarket: Fitzella, Havana Anna, The Prettiest Star (it sounds like Fitzella is being aimed at this race at the moment)
2.40pm Haydock: Albeseeingyer, Angel Shared (due to run on Thursday), Duran, Lord Bertie, Miss Hathaway (due to run on Thursday), Pals Battalion, Station X, Trilby, Twilight Jet, Uncle Don, Wheels Of Fire, Yes I’m Mali
3pm Newmarket: NONE (Five Ways has been supplemented)
3.15pm Haydock: Angel Hunter, Ata Rangi (due to run on Wednesday), Christian David, Desperate Dan, First Ambition, Fondo Blanco, Intrusively, King Casper, Mister Winston, Mr Chaplin, Talis Evolvere, Tilted Kilt, Witch Hunter
3.40pm Newmarket (38 five-day entries for a maximum field of 35 on the day): Arisaig, Mr Baloo, Silver Sword, Take Heart, Mister Winston, Divine Knight, Earl Of Rochester, Dutch Decoy, Urban Sprawl, Sir Paul Ramsey, Desperate Dan, Whathappensinvegas
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