2026 Newmarket & York Saturday Preview

Saffie Osborne and Rod Millman delivered the goods for us with Lola De Valence in the Oh So Sharp at 66s on Friday but unfortunately, that was it. Hopefully Dave Stevos can find another big winner tomorrow, his 2026 Newmarket & York Saturday preview is below.

1.15 Newmarket – Darley Stakes (Group 3)

Just five run here and to be honest, I was going to swerve it but I can’t let High Stock go unbacked at odds of 20/1, even with just two places on offer. He is one of three runners for Andrew Balding and given that he is fighting it out for the top trainer title, he’ll surely be going all out to pick up as much prize money as possible.

High Stock is no forlorn hope on form. Yes, his form figures this year are hardly inspiring but he was only 1.5l behind Boiling Point on his penultimate start at Goodwood back in May when he didn’t get a clear run and it is easy to forgive him a below par run on heavy ground at Ayr last time.

His rating of 104 leaves him with six or seven pounds to find with these rivals but if his stablemate Humidity takes them along at a good clip, I’m hoping High Stock will be staying on better than most at the finish. At 20/1, he’s worth chancing e/w.

2026 Newmarket & York Saturday Tip: High Stock e/w @ 20/1

1.30 York – Rockingham Stakes (Listed)

I tipped up Matteo in a G2 here earlier this season but he was bitterly disappointing and it was a similar story last time at Newbury. This is easier but I am going to leave him alone this time and instead back his stablemate Battle Fever.

He ran a cracker over C&D when chasing home the superstar Sun Goddess in a valuable sales race on good to soft and he again shaped promisingly on soft ground in a 6f handicap at Hamilton last time out.  Kevin Stott has jumped ship to ride another Ryan inmate in Angels Passing but I’m a fan of Shane Gray and he is a more than able deputy.

There is no doubt that Battle Fever needs to improve to feature here but he’ll go on the ground and hopefully he can sneak into the first four at odds of 18/1.

2026 Newmarket & York Saturday Tip: Battle Fever e/w @ 18/1 (4 places)

2.05 York – Sky bet Handicap (Class 2)

Castle Stuart is a horse we have backed twice already this season but he’s a bit of a monkey. He usually runs well without winning and while he’ll be fine on soft ground, he might just need the handicapper to relent a bit more to get his head back in front.

One that might outrun his odds of 28/1 here is the Ralph Beckett trained Lord Melbourne. He has yet to hit form this season and on his last two starts he’s been beaten 10+ lengths. Basically, I think he too has been in the handicapper’s grip after winning easily at Epsom just over a year ago but he’s now slipped to just 1lb above that last winning mark.

Four of his five wins have come with soft in the ground description and he’s effective at 1m2f-1m4f. He won here over the latter distance in 2024 and this is his first time back at this venue since. Beckett is in fine form, Jason Hart is 4/13 with three top 4s when riding for this stable and with odds of 28/1 on offer, Lord Melbourne is worth chancing e/w.

2026 Newmarket & York Saturday Tip: Lord Melbourne e/w @ 28/1 (5 places)

3.00 Newmarket – Dewhurst Stakes (group 1)

Just five run and this makes no appeal from an e/w perspective. No bet.

2026 Newmarket & York Saturday Tip: No bet

3.17 York – Sprint Trophy Handicap (heritage)

A low draw has proved beneficial in recent renewals of this sprint and one that could outrun his odds from a favourable draw in stall 2 is the Hugo Palmer trained son of Ardad, Ardisia.

Given his recent form, he certainly looks overpriced at odds of 28/1. After a solid Listed fourth at Chester (6f, good) in early August, he ran a cracking race on softer ground at Goodwood where he was beaten just 1l into second on soft (6f). Last time out at Ayr he ran a respectable race to finish seventh of 24 in the Ayr Gold Cup and he didn’t get the clearest of runs that day.

On his only previous visit to York he ran a cracker in a valuable sales race on good to firm ground but he’s a better horse on easier ground. Maybe he’s handicapped to his best but if he repeats the form he showed off this mark at Goodwood, Ardisia is capable of running into the places here at odds of 28/1.

2026 Newmarket & York Saturday Tip: Ardisia e/w @ 28/1 (5 places)

3.40 Newmarket – Cesarewitch Handicap (Heritage)

This race does my head in. Back in 2020 Takarengo landed a place for me at huge odds but bar that, it has been exceedingly slim pickings. It looks ominous that the money has come for Dawn Rising and it looks like he’s been campaigned with this race in mind. He’s 2lb lower than when second in this last year and Ryan Moore is on board.

Another Irish raider that has surely been trained with this in mind is Tony Martin’s Alphonse Le Grande. This 7yo won this race two years ago on soft off a mark of 87 (disqualified then re-instated) and he pitches up off the same rating here. It’ll be quicker ground this year but as he showed when winning the Chester Plate in 2024, he acts on this sort of ground too.

In last year’s renewal he was beaten 10.5l into eighth off 93 but he’s 6lb lower now and his rider, the talented claimer Patrick McGettigan, takes off another 5lb so he is effectively 11lb lower. He shaped well enough in the Pitmen’s Derby at Newcastle and also on his penultimate start at Goodwood so he retains ability and with odds of 25/1 on offer, Alphonse Le Grande is a tentative e/w selection.

2026 Newmarket & York Saturday Tip: Alphonse Le Grande e/w @ 25/1 (6 places)

-DaveStevos