2026 Irish & UK Saturday Racing Preview & Tips

We have a bumper day of racing on Saturday. The UK action comes from Haydock, York and Goodwood, while in Ireland it is 2000 Guineas day at the Curragh. Dave Stevos is hoping to add to last weekend’s 14/1 winner, his 2026 Irish & UK Saturday racing tips are below.

1.25 Goodwood – Harroways Handicap (Class 2)

Looking back at previous renewals of this race, two things stand out. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, you need a horse with a low draw. Secondly, it has tended to be won by horses that are carrying less than 9 stone, so it often pays to side with horses near the bottom of the handicap.

The progressive favourite, Startled, ticks both those boxes. He’s drawn in stall 5 and he carries just 8st 5lb but the bookies haven’t missed him. Another one that ticks both boxes is the Ian Williams trained Aqua Bear.

Formerly trained by Ado McGuinness, this son of Kodi Bear scored on his debut for Williams in a 7f Newcastle maiden last November. It was admittedly a bad race but he shed the maiden tag and he was then let off for a six-month break.

Pleasing Return

On his seasonal return he made his handicap debut at Ascot (7f, good) and he was far from disgraced, beaten 3.75l into fourth off a mark of 82, and he runs of the same rating here. It was a similar standard of race to this one so it was a decent return to action and he should strip fitter for that run.

The bookmakers have completely dismissed him here but he’s well drawn, he carries a feather weight and this will be only his second ever run in a handicap. If he can improve on what he did at Ascot, Aqua Bear might be able to sneak some place money here at odds of 66/1.

2026 Irish & UK Saturday Racing Tip: Aqua Bear e/w @ 66/1 (5 Places)

2.20 Haydock – Silver Bowl Handicap (Heritage)

The ground is currently soft at Haydock but surely, it will dry out a bit by tomorrow given the warm and dry weather that is forecast. I hate tipping horses when it is uncertain what the ground is going to be like but to counter that, I am going to back one that has won on both fast and easy ground.

The one that fits the bill is the Micheal Bell trained Suspended Sentence. By Without Parole, this lad was progressive last season. A winner of a Ripon novice (1m, good to firm) last August, he followed up on his handicap debut off 81 at Sandown (1m, soft), winning a four-runner race by 0.5l (runner up now rated 14lb higher).

Bell pitched his colt into Listed company on his final start of 2025 at Bordeaux Le Bouscat (1m, soft) and he missed out on black type by a short head by Zambezi, who has since placed in a G3. He shaped as though he was in need of the run on his seasonal return at Sandown and on that Listed run, he might still have some wriggle room off his current mark of 91.

Callum Rodriguez (4/27 with 10 top 4s for Bell) was on board for his novice win at Ripon and he is back in the plate for the first time since. At odds of 25/1, Suspended Sentence is the each way selection.

2026 Irish & UK Saturday Racing Tip: Suspended Sentence e/w @ 25/1 (5 places)

2.40 York – William Hill Handicap (Class 2)

The one that stands out at a big price here is the former C&D winner Squealer. Trained by Nigel Tinkler, who is starting to hit form, this son of Mehmas is lurking off a dangerous looking mark of 81.

A course regular, he won a big pot over C&D last June, beating Jm Jungle by 0.75l off a mark of 88. The runner up was running off a mark of 101 and he went on to win a Goodwood Group 2 two runs later and is now rated 110.

Squealer struggled off his revised mark subsequently but he shaped promisingly on his seasonal return at Beverley, running on from the back for a 4.25l sixth off 86. He disappointed last time out in a Mickey Mouse handicap at Thirsk but he was slow away and I am guessing that Tinkler was using that as a prep run ahead of a tilt at this far bigger prize.

He has a nice low draw in stall 5, the handicapper has given him a real chance and good ground is what he wants. At odds of 28/1 Squealer is capable of hitting the frame off this mark, if he is on a going day.

2026 Irish & UK Saturday Racing Tip: Squealer e/w @ 28/1 (5 places) NB

2.58 Haydock – Sandy Lane Stakes (Group 2)

It is usually an advantage to be drawn high over 6f at Haydock but the last two winners of this have been drawn in stall 3 so it isn’t impossible to win from a low draw. The one I’ll take a chance on here is a filly we backed in the 1000 Guineas, Spicy Marg.

Another Micheal Bell horse, I am a bit surprised that he is dropping this daughter of Starspangledbanner back in trip so quickly. Yes, her effort slightly petered out in the last 100 yards or so at Newmarket but she was out the back early and, in the end, she was beaten just over 5l for the win and she was only a neck behind Precise and just 3l behind Venetian Lace in third.

On her last start over 6f, her final run of 2025, Spicy Marg hosed up in a Listed heat at Newmarket, beating Azleet by 2l. I think 7f is probably her optimum trip based on her Newmarket run but hopefully they’ll go a proper gallop here and that should play to her strengths. She’s drawn 7 of 8, which is a plus, and at odds of 14/1, she looks well worth chancing e/w.

2026 Irish & UK Saturday Racing Tip: Spicy Marg e/w @ 14/1 NAP

3.05 Curragh – Greenlands Stakes (Group 2)

Another 6f sprint and it looks wide open. The 200-1 Champions Sprint winner Powerful Glory, who lacks a recent run, is edging favouritism ahead of Bucanero Fuerte, who disappointed in a Listed heat at Naas last time.

Commanche Brave got outpaced over this trip at Sha Tin on latest and Spycatcher seems best on easy ground, as does another British raider, Marvelman. Last year’s winner James’s Delight could go well at a decent price, as should the grey legend Big Gossey but I am going to take a chance on the rag, Fregada.

I’m convinced this filly is capable of picking up some black type, when she gets her optimum conditions of 6f on good ground. She’s had those conditions twice in her five career starts, on debut over C&D when she won an eighteen-runner maiden and on her seasonal reappearance last year at Naas, when she was a close second in a rated race.

Excuses

Since then, she’s only been seen three times, and she had excuses for all three runs. 5f and yielding ground were against her in a Tipperary Listed, she was soundly beaten in a C&D G3 on soft and then on her comeback run this year, she finished down the field in a 7f G3 at Leopardstown. The likelihood is that she badly needed that comeback run and she now drops back to a more suitable trip.

The weather has come in her favour and this doesn’t look the strongest of races for this grade. There is of course a chance that she’s been so lightly raced because she’s had injury issues and she may never fulfil her potential. However, in my opinion she’s had valid excuses for her last three runs and with odds of 66/1 on offer, I think she’s worth chancing e/w for small stakes.

2026 Irish & UK Saturday Racing Tip: Fregada e/w @ 66/1

3.30 Haydock – Temple Stakes (Group 2)

Quite a few of these appeal at double figure odds. The one I eventually sided with is last season’s winner, Mgheera. Trained by Ed Walker, this filly has been handed a nice draw in stall 11, just like she was last year.

She has charted a similar route to the race as she did last year, when she won a Longchamp G3 on good to soft but this time, the ground was soft and that wasn’t to her liking. Yes, she has placed on soft ground but all three of her wins have come on ground with good in the description and while it is currently soft, good to soft in places at Haydock, it is going to be warm and dry today and tomorrow so I would imagine it will be good to soft all over at the worst by the time of the race on Saturday.

Ed Walker has started the season well and he has had four winners in the past fortnight. I’d imagine this race has been earmarked as Mgheera’s early season target and at odds of 12/1, she is worth backing e/w.

2026 Irish & UK Saturday Racing Tip: Mgheera e/w @ 12/1

3.40 Curragh – 2000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1)

I have already tipped up Take Charge Star for this race at odds of 66/1 ante-post. He is now widely available at 100/1 and I must admit, I did have another modest nibble at those odds. He most certainly isn’t one to be lumping on but hopefully, he gives us a run for our money.

2026 Irish & UK Saturday Racing Tip: Take Charge Star already advised e/w @ 66/1

I might have another selection or two for the Premier Handicaps at the Curragh, will see what the odds are like when they are priced up. If I like anything I’ll post on my own blog, keep an eye on Twitter for updates.

-DaveStevos