2026 Haydock & Ascot Saturday Preview

We landed a lovely winner last weekend with Love Dynasty at odds of 40/1. We had no joy otherwise but it was a profitable day overall so we can’t complain. This weekend all eyes will be on Kempton as Constitution Hill makes his comeback and we also have G1 sprint action, Dave Stevos’ 2026 Haydock & Ascot Saturday tips are below.

1.25 Haydock – Superior Mile Stakes (Group 3)

The hot summer is over and the rain has come (in some places), at last. We should be racing on soft ground at Haydock and one horse that could outrun his odds now returned to an easier surface is the Eve Johnson Houghton trained Balmacara.

By New Bay, this gelding has lost his way since running a decent race in a 7f Group 3 here on his seasonal reappearance back in May. Lake Forest ran out an easy winner that day but Balmacara ran on from the back to nick a 6.75l third, 0.75l behind the then 107 rated Myal and in front of the 112 rated Poet Master and the 110 rated Holguin.

Yes, his three runs since have been well below that level but he’s been given a break since his below par effort in a 1m Sandown handicap on good to firm and he returns with his yard amongst the winners. Both his wins as a novice came on soft and he was Listed placed on soft at Sandown (1m) this time last year so hopefully, he can get back on track. At odds of 33/1, it is worth chancing that he does.

2026 Haydock & Ascot Saturday Tip: Balmacara e/w @ 33/1

2.10 Ascot – Tote Handicap (Heritage)

Ascot has managed to avoid all the rain and there is very little forecast. The ground will be quick and I am going to go against my ‘don’t back handicap debutants’ theory. Andrew Balding runs three here and on jockey bookings, it looks like Lord d’Or is the third string. However, he’s had plenty of experience in maidens and he may have a bit of wriggle room off his mark of 81.

Favourite backers have had their fingers burnt backing this horse on his last three starts. He’s been beaten into second at 10/11, 5/6 and 4/9 in novice and maiden company on his last three starts and he filled the same position on his seasonal return at York when 16/1.

He’s been ridden pretty positively on his last three starts and I’m hoping that this time, they might try something different and hold him up on his first try at 1m4f. Lord d’Or is a strong traveller and the fact he’s wearing cheekpieces for the first time suggest that they may well change things up tactically.

I think Nicola Currie is a more than capable rider and she is 4/52 with another 18 top 4 finishes when riding for Andrew Balding. Hopefully she can get Lord d’Or to settle and travel away out the back and if she does, I can see him possibly outrunning his odds of 40/1.

2026 Haydock & Ascot Saturday Tip: Lord d’Or e/w @ 40/1

2.20 Kempton – London Mile Series Final Handicap (Class 2)

The veteran Popmaster hasn’t got a brilliant draw here but even so, he’s the one I have come down on at a decent price. Trained by Ed Walker, this 8yo hasn’t got his head in front since he won off 94 over C&D back in February and that wasn’t his first good run at this venue.

In total, he’s run here on eight occasions and he’s returned form figures of 11234212. The veteran clearly has an affinity for this venue and he’s just 2lb higher than when winning here earlier this year. Popmaster ran crackers earlier this season at Epsom and Sandown and even his last run at the Shergar Cup wasn’t a bad one.

Billy Loughnane knows him well and when he’s riding for Laurence Bellman, he’s got a strike rate of 18/114 with 34 top 4 finishes. Hopefully he can find a way to overcome Popmaster’s draw in 13. If he can, a big run should be forthcoming at odds of 16/1.

2026 Kempton Saturday Tip: Popmaster e/w @ 16/1 (4 places)

2.50 Kempton – September Stakes (Group 3)

I wasn’t going to cover this race but every other Tom, Dick and Harry has had their say on Constitution Hill so I might as well have mine. He’s stepping up massively in grade here and I’ve seen quite a bit of commentary on social media saying he’s far too short at 11/2. In truth, he possibly is a bit skinny but I was hugely impressed by his two novice AW wins and he’s definitely worth his place in this field.

That isn’t the real story here though. What is the story is the fact that connections feel the need to keep this absolute legend of a 9yo in training. He won over 880k prize money over hurdles and won multiple Grade 1s. The fact he hasn’t been killed already is hugely fortunate given how his jumping fell to pieces and I just don’t get why connections haven’t retired him. What does he owe them? It’s not like he is going to be heading off to stud either if he wins a Group race on the Flat.  

If he does win this, the Melbourne Cup will likely beckon for the 9yo gelding. However, my hope is that he runs well without winning, comes home safe and is finally retired. Fingers crossed that’s what happens.

2026 Haydock & Ascot Saturday Tip: No bet

3.05 Haydock – Old Borough Cup Handicap (Class 2)

I’m a sucker for course form and one horse that emphatically ticks that box here is the Charlie Johnston trained Pole Star. By Teofilo, this 4yo has been running okay in recent starts without really threatening to win. He was just 2l behind Dancing In Paris on his penultimate start at Ascot (2m, gd-fm) and last time out at Pontefract, he was a 4l third over 2m1f, again on fast ground.

The handicapper eased him 1lb for that latest effort and he pitches up here off 83. That’s 4lb lower than he was when winning at Yarmouth last July and just 1lb higher than when he won a big pot over this C&D earlier that month.

Pole Star has course form figures of 115, the fifth coming at this meeting last year when he was sent off the 11/4 fav. He was beaten just over 5l off a mark of 90, and he’s 7lb lower now. I’m hoping that this has been his long-term target and he comes into the race on a dangerous mark. He’s won on soft, cheekpieces go on and at odds of 14/1, Pole Star looks a solid e/w bet.  

2026 Haydock & Ascot Saturday Tip: Pole Star e/w @ 14/1 NAP

3.40 Haydock – Sprint Cup (Group 1)

We landed a nice place with Marvelman at York two weeks ago on his return to softer ground. He’ll have his favoured conditions again here but he’s way shorter in the betting and I am not convinced this relentless galloper has enough speed to win a Group 1 over this trip. Both his wins have come over 7f and while he’ll likely make a bold bid, he might just be vulnerable to something with a sharper turn of foot in the closing stages.

The one I’ll go with at a massive price is the Richard Hannon trained Aramram. By Blue Point, this 5yo gained the biggest win of his career in a Listed contest at Doncaster on his seasonal reappearance (6f, gd-sft). He then got to within 0.75l of the sadly now departed Run To Freedom in a Newmarket G3 and anyone that has followed me for the past few years knows that I always believed Henry Candy’s charge had a G1 in him.

G2 Form

Unfortunately, he’ll never have the chance to prove me right but if Aramram can do it, it’ll be the closest I will get to validation. Hannon’s charge then ran a cracker in a G2 at York when a 2.5l fifth behind Elmonjed and while he trailed home in the G1 QEII Jubilee Stakes at Ascot, the good to firm ground there wouldn’t have been to his liking.

After a 56 day break, Aramram ran a pleasing race off 109 in the Great St Wilfrid, drawn on the wrong side but leading home the four that raced on that side of the track. Three of his five turf wins have come on ground with soft in the description and if he’s ever going to win or place in a G1, it’ll be on this sort of ground. With odds of 28/1 on offer, Aramram is worth chancing e/w.

2026 Haydock & Ascot Saturday Tip: Aramram e/w @ 28/1

-DaveStevos