Horse Racing Betting Tips Today

Will Smith Tips

Lady Youmzain

2.42 Sandown Park

** EW 3 places 1/5

14/1

Lucky 15

View Tips

9/4

Across the first two days of Haydock Park’s abruptly curtailed Temple Stakes meeting, there was a notable bias towards those who raced nearer the stands side rail on the straight course, and already horses who featured prominently amongst those who raced towards the centre to far side, have come out and won since.

Given the declarations for Saturday’s cards are now known, and with markets fully available for the BetMGM Scurry Stakes at 2.40 at Sandown Park, it is well worth getting involved at the early prices as perhaps the biggest eyecatcher of all those who tried to defy the bias at Haydock Park looks to have an excellent chance in that contest

At 14/1 each-way with Paddy Power, Bet365 or William Hill (and generally 10/1+), Lady Youmzain is a 2-star * Daily Value selection, as the early quotes for Saturday’s Listed sprint for 3-year-olds have it all wrong in my opinion.

Early prices are based on official ratings and a Godolphin-based subconscious bias which sees Words Of Truth and Military Code as clear favourite and second favourite, but both are making their seasonal debuts and with the stable a little quiet, and trip and ground a worry for them respectively, there is an opportunity to take advantage.

Lady Youmzain has a lovely draw in stall 3, has potent early pace as she led and beat the far side group by miles in the Cecil Frail Stakes at Haydock Park 3 weeks ago, and on her racecourse debut at Beverley showed a real liking for a stiff track so Sandown Park will suit.

She is way overpriced at 14/1 and indeed is a bet at anything upwards of 7/1 in my eyes.

David Young Tips

Mohaaraj

1.32 Sandown

Win

11/4

Humble Spark

1.50 York

Win

9/2

Jeddaal

2.10 Chester

Win

100/30

Mirabeau

2.25 York

EW 5 places 1/5

8/1

Manatee Mehmas

2.42 Sandown

EW 3 places 1/5

15/2

Epic Poet

3.00 York

Win

4/1

Advertised

3.35 York

EW 6 places 1/5

10/1

1.32 Sandown – Handicap – 1m1f

I want to side with MOHAARAJ who is the least exposed runner, he’s without headgear and he’s 2 from 3 starts whereas two of these are 7 and 9 race maidens. It could be that the race from last time out for Law Court, The Joker and Loblolly is the piece to take notice of, I just have a hunch none of those are alarmingly well handicapped and there’s a good chance if things go his way at this track that MOHAARAJ will prove to be much better than his current mark

He had been minded first time up at Wolves before a good stout staying performance at a mile on Kempton after. Won on handicap and turf debut after that and I suppose the only slight negative would be he’s not had the same circa 90-day absence that he has between those three starts. Whether that’s an issue remains to be seen but his hike of 6lbs looks OK given there are a couple of behind that Haydock Handicap who have won since and risen about the same in the weights too.

MOHAARAJ – 1 STAR WIN @ 11/4

1.50 York – Queen Mother’s Cup Handicap – 1m4f

Not a race for the most confidence but last years winner (via the stewards room) is now 6lbs lower and since switching yards has been campaigned over trips too far which would look by design with a view of landing this again, under Becky Smith once more and the visor is back on, for the first time for the new yard.

Outside of that I thought HUMBLE SPARK jumped out from the entries as this horse has a much better strike rate on the All-weather but on his sole start at York ran second over 10 furlongs but looking like he wanted further to show his best. He’s a bit of a law unto himself but has placed Top 3 in more than half of his turf races. His career form when rated in the 70’s but not above the 77 he is now read – 222122 with the win coming over this 12-furlong trip. Of his 7 career wins, 4 have come between 11 and 12.5 furlongs and below Class 2 company, his form figures at exactly 12 furlongs reads 122. I know nothing about his Jockey but I do know about him, and I say many reasons why HUMBLE SPARK should be bang there at the business end.

HUMBLE SPARK – 1 STAR WIN @ 9/2

2.10 Chester – Handicap – 7.5f

JEDDAAL has a line through him with Mohaaraj from earlier in the column as he was a beaten 13/8 favourite behind him last time out when trying the mile for the first time. The 4^th and 6^th won after and the 5^th ran well in defeat since so while this a much race than that, potentially, I think he’s got the scope to go well if able to secure a more prominent position than last time out.

JEDDAAL – 1 STAR WIN @ 100/30

2.25 York – Handicap – 7f

MIRABEAU does ideally want some ease in the ground but that would be the only possible negative out the way because this horse topping the weights has long been thought of as better than a Handicapper and he’s turned a corner this season since being gelded and dropping back down from a mile. His last two runs have come at 6f for the first time since his debut but he’s a multiple 7f winner albeit with ease in the ground but the retention of William Buick for this step back to what probably is his ideal 7f trip and from a low draw means I’m more than happy to side with the course and distance winner with loads of extra places up for grabs.

MIRABEAU – 0.5 STAR EW @ 8/1 (5 places 1/5)

2.42 Sandown – Scurry Stakes (Listed) – 5f

On paper and figure it’s hard to get away from the Godolphin pair in here but I’m not going to allow my opinion of MANATEE MEHMAS be removed solely on the bare result of last time out in the Westow Stakes.

To take the positives from that contest, it was his second start, he has more behind than in front and while he was beaten by a trio, they were rated 100 and 106 with the filly in second effectively 96 after weight adjustments. The first two home came from the rear and when he wasn’t going to win he wasn’t given a hard time of it.

He’ll have learnt from that as will connections, and I’m more than happy to play him each way at the prices with a view that if he’s as good as I hope he might be he could land this but even if that best comes up just short I can see him filling the frame.

MANATEE MEHMAS – 0.5 STAR EW @ 15/2 (3 places 1/5)

3.00 York – Grand Cup Stakes (Listed Race) – 1m6f

Banging renewal this year with 5 of the 6 runners incredibly closely matched on weight adjusted ratings. But I think I’m happy to side with EPIC POET under Ryan Moore who just seems to stay all day in his races and has course form behind Rebel’s Romance in the Yorkshire Cup when beating the 117 rated Sweet William.

He’s winless since January 2025 but that win was his last run outside of Group company and since then he’s placed in 6 Group 2 or 3’s with the exceptions coming at either 12 furlongs which is too short or over 15f’s + which is further than this.

His form figures at this trip are 4 (in the Ebor), 1,1,3,2,2,3 and while he probably wants top of the ground going to show his best I think he’ll handle this.

His last run at Sandown in the Group 3 Henry II stakes saw him well positioned for most of the race until all of a sudden he wasn’t as they took the final turn back into the bottom of the hill where he was shuffled back and ultimately boxed in. He had to drop back to second from last before he could be angled out and the horse behind him actually ended up with first run but as soon as he saw daylight he was the fastest finisher and I think redemption awaits here now back down to Listed level, albeit a high standard listed level field.

EPIC POET – 1 STAR WIN @ 4/1

3.35 York – Sprint Handicap – 6f

I want to take a chance on ADVERTISED who has been gelded since his last run where he was a bit disappointing in Newmarket following a cracking effort the time before on his first start of the season at the same course. That procedure is a positive angle for this yard with 7 winners from 27 runners since 2021 showing a 217% ROI and an Actual vs Expected of almost 2 (twice as many winners as expected by price).

He also had a period through August to October last season where his second run after a break so an under-par effort but he bounced back to win next time out.

ADVERTISED ended 2025 with a 50/1 half-length 4^th at this track in the EBF £100k final but confirmed that wasn’t a fluke with the form of that first run and now being Gelded it might just allow him to concentrate on the job in hand, which is getting a second handicap win and back at 6 furlongs from a good draw here right next to the favourite, might see him able to get a good run through this contest and outrun his odds.

ADVERTISED – 0.5 STAR EW @ 10/1 (6 places 1/5)

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