Saturday 5th September 2026
Welcome aboard to another Saturday blog, where this week I’ve got five bets to share across three different courses: Ascot, Kempton, and Haydock. My first pick of the day comes within the 1.40 at Ascot, and this is the Class 2 Schweppes Handicap, which is contested over seven furlongs. I’m strong on the William Haggas-trained THUNDER CALL here, who’s the mount of Cieren Fallon. He got the better of twenty-two rivals on handicap debut at York in June, before placing at Newmarket and at this venue in competitive fields since. All of those efforts have come over six furlongs; however, the step up to seven here should suit, and I think that there’s a lot more to come from this progressive three-year-old. Addison Grey will likely be on the premises again for Clive Cox following his win last time out, and you’d be foolish to write off course-and-distance winner Two Tribes for Richard Spencer and Saffie Osbourne.
Selection: Thunder Call – (5/4) (Win) (NAP)
Shortlist: Addison Grey (5/1), Two Tribes (11/2)
1.40 Ascot
I head over to Kempton for my second bet of the afternoon, and the 2.50, where we have the Group 3 September Stakes over a mile and four furlongs. This is one of the highly anticipated races of the day, with fan favourite Constitution Hill returning to action off the back of a couple of winners on the All-Weather earlier in the year. It remains to be seen how far he can go on the level, and he may well be up for this challenge, but the form of his two wins within this code so far is a fair bit below the level of this race.
Therefore, I find it hard to see past GETHIN here for the team of Owen Burrows and Callum Rodriguez. He was a three-and-a-quarter-length winner of a Listed event here in April, before an excellent neck second behind Ombudsman in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May. He’s been given a break since a slightly underwhelming run in the Eclipse in July; however, if he runs to anywhere near the level of his run behind Ombudsman, he should be very tough to beat. Pride Of Arras bounced back to form last time out when second behind Item in the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes last time out, and that run puts him in the picture for Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan.
Selection: Gethin – (15/8) (Win) (NB)
Shortlist: Pride Of Arras (13/2)
2.50 Kempton
My next two bets come from Haydock, the first within the 3.05, which is the competitive Old Borough Cup Handicap, a Class 2 affair over a mile and six furlongs. William Haggas has won two of the last three runnings of this race, and I think that he holds a strong hand in this year’s renewal with FINALISE, who’s the mount of Tom Marquand. She’s an unexposed four-year-old filly by Derby winner Masar, and she could be on a favourable mark here. She made a slightly belated return to the track this term, however, and posted a highly encouraing effort when third in a Listed race in Germany last month. Naturally, she should take a big step forward following that run, and she looked progressive last term. If she handles the testing ground, she’s a big player; her dam won on good to soft, which is encouraing. The lightly raced Aegean Prince is an obvious big player at the top of the betting here for Charlie Appleby and William Buick, and Stressfree, who is a much more exposed type, is battle-hardened and could be well-handicapped here for David O’Meara.
Selection: Finalise – (7/2) (Win)
Shortlist: Aegan Prince (5/2), Stressfree (13/2)
3.05 Haydock
The second of my punts at Haydock comes in the feature contest at 3.40, and this is the Group 1 Sprint Cup Stakes over six furlongs. This is a race I have struggled in over the years, as it’s a highly competitive sprint, and this year’s renewal is seemingly no different. I’ve come down on MARVELMAN this time around for Andrew Balding and P J McDonald. He’s a generally consistent sort within good company, and he ran another excellent race last time out at York, finishing third behind Notable Speech in the Group 1 City Of York Stakes. He drops back down to sprinting company here, which I think is a positive, and notably, he gets very testing ground, which he should also go well on. If he gets some luck in running, I think that he can bang there at the business end of things.
Kind Of Blue was second in this race last year behind the re-opposing Big Mojo, and can go well again for James Fanshawe, and a mention can also go to the three-year-old Coppull, who has progressed well this term, and was fourth in the July Cup before winning the Hungerford Stakes for Clive Cox.
Selection: Marvelman – (5/1) (Each-Way)
Shortlist: Kind Of Blue (4/1), Coppull (8/1)
3.40 Haydock
Signing me off for the day on Saturday will be the concluding race at Ascot, the 5.10, and this is a Class 2 handicap that’s contested over five furlongs. I’m with the three-year-old MANATEE MEHMAS here for David O’Meara and Cieren Fallon. I put him up at York last time out, where he ran an excellent race in a similarly competitive contest, finishing just over a length second of nineteen behind Miss Yechance, having given first run to that rival. He’s up just a couple of pounds for that effort here, and I think that it’s highly likely that there is a lot more to come from him. A case can be made for a lot of these due to the competitive nature of the race. Dyonisos won at Doncaster on his penultimate start, and could go well again off a four-pound higher mark for Ian Williams, following another solid effort at Goodwood last time.
Selection: Manatee Mehmas – (9/2) (Each-Way)
Shortlist: Dyonisos (7/1)
5.10 Ascot
