There's a bumper day of racing to look forward to on Saturday and we have picked out four bets across the UK and Ireland in a Lucky 15.
A fantastic day of racing, all eyes on the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on what is an excellent seven-race card at the Esher venue.
Haydock stages one of its primary Flat meetings of the year, the Old Newton Cup, a valuable 1m4f handicap, taking centre stage and attracting a 16-strong field. There are some good supporting races on the card, including the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks and a competitive three-year-old staying handicap.
Elsewhere on a bumper day, there’s action from Beverley, Carlisle, Leicester, Nottingham and Leicester, not to mention Naas and Bellewstown in Ireland. Here are our best horse racing betting tips to fill out your Lucky 15.
Saturday Lucky15 racing tips
13:50 Sandown – Kerdos @ 100/30
15:58 Beverley – Candleford @ 10/11
16:25 Haydock – Gorak @ 17/2
17:15 Sandown – Ancient Rome @ 9/2
13:50 Sandown – Kerdos @ 100/30
Clive Cox has his string in good order at present and the Group 3 Coral Charge should present the admirable Kerdos with a winning opportunity.
The five-year-old has been keeping good company for much of the last two seasons, but he’s taken his form to a whole new level in the last 12 months, winning the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock and posting several excellent efforts in defeat behind some of the best sprinters around.
His only blemish in recent outings came over 6f at York on his reappearance, but he’s a 5f specialist these days and returned to something like his very best when finishing a fifth of 20 in the Group 2 King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot last month. That performance was all the more creditable, considering he’d unseated Christophe Soumillon on the way to the start and briefly ran loose.
With three of his last four starts coming at the highest level and the other in a Group 2, this represents a slight ease in grade for him, and the stiff finish should suit, having previously won at Beverley and gone close at Ascot.
He’ll have no excuses on the current good ground, but there’s the potential for rain and any easing of conditions would be a big plus to his chances. Soumillon retains the partnership.
15:58 Beverley – Candleford @ 10/11
William Haggas’s Candleford was a long way below his best in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, but this represents a much easier task for the seven-year-old, who should justify favouritism if retaining anything like the ability his official mark of 108 suggests.
Relatively lightly raced for his age, the son of Kingman has won five of his 21 starts, the last twice in this Listed grade.
Fourth in last year’s Hardwicke, he failed to run anything like as well in the race this time around, coming home almost a distance behind Rebel’s Romance. However, it was his first outing in a year and he seemed to blow up entering the final furlong. Tom Marquand quickly accepted the situation as the pair went from the midfield to last in double quick time.
He’s entitled to have tightened up plenty from that run and has plenty in his favour, upwards of 4lb clear on ratings. He’s a shade of odds-on, which might look generous soon after 4pm on Saturday.
16:25 Haydock – Gorak @ 17/2
Haydock is a track that tends to favour those that race up with the pace, and with that in mind, Charlie Fellowes’ Gorak warrants the utmost respect in a competitive-looking 7f handicap.
The six-year-old has run here three times previously, a highly creditable fourth in the Group 3 John O’Gaunt Stakes in June 2023 sandwiched between a win and a second in handicap company, the latter off this mark of 94 in April.
He’s a specialist at this trip but is versatile in terms of ground, two of his three victories coming on good to firm and the other on soft. He’s well drawn in stall three for a horse that likes to go forward and Hector Crouch, who rode a good race on him when third at Epsom last season, is a positive booking.
Intrusively, who enjoyed very little in the way of luck in running on his return from wind surgery at Newcastle last week, is another to consider.
17:15 Sandown – Ancient Rome @ 9/2
The finale looks like a good chance for Ancient Rome to get his career back on track. He’s had an underwhelming season so far, but there were signs of a return to form at Royal Ascot when he did not get a clear passage in the race.
If he can build on that, he certainly looks well handicapped on the best of his form from last season and a truly run stiff ten furlongs should be right up his street.
