Ascot, Friday 24 July 2026 — Friday Tips

Ascot, Friday 24 July 2026 — Friday Tips

A sharp six-race card at Ascot on good to firm ground, and the going should suit horses that travel well through the pace rather than grinders who need cut. Three races to get stuck into today, with a genuine each-way play in the handicap and a Listed race that looks more open than the market suggests. With Glorious Goodwood now just four days away, plenty of yards will be keeping their powder dry, so trainer form in the past fortnight is worth scrutinising carefully.

2:55 — Flexjet Pat Eddery Stakes (Listed, 7f)

Selection: Alfred Wallace (Oisin Murphy, Ed Walker) — 3/1 LiveScore Bet

This is a competitive little Listed heat for two-year-olds and the market has compressed around three or four in-favour runners. Ed Walker is flying right now, with 10 wins from 42 runners in the past fortnight, and that is the kind of yard form you want behind a horse stepping into Listed company at 7f on a track that suits an honest, prominent-racing type.

Alfred Wallace has already won over this trip and on ground this quick, so there are no question marks about conditions. The form either side of that win is modest, granted, and the fifth last time out will have cooled some interest, but he has returned within 13 days which suggests the team is happy with him. Oisin Murphy rarely takes a booking without a reason, and at 3/1 with the market-matching price at Boyle Sports, this is fair value at the top of the market.

The danger is Silver Dominion (Hector Crouch, Oliver Cole) at 3/1, who has course and trip form and is rated just ahead on official figures. Oliver Cole has had two winners from 10 runners recently, which is solid, and if that fourth last time is forgiven, he makes this a genuine two-horse race at the head of the market.

3:30 — John Guest Racing Brown Jack Handicap (2m)

Selection: Kirchner (Billy Loughnane, James Owen) — 5/4 LiveScore Bet

Four runners over two miles and the data points firmly in one direction. James Owen has sent out 13 winners from 38 runners in the past fortnight, a 34% strike rate that is exceptional for any yard at any time. Kirchner is rated top of this field on our figures, has course and trip form on today’s going, and arrives off a second last time out suggesting he is bang in form without quite getting the job done.

The knock against him is the lack of a win from five starts, but back-to-back placed efforts at a yard this hot in a field of four makes him the correct play. At 5/4, it is a short price but with a 34% trainer strike rate backing the selection in a tiny field, this represents genuine confidence money rather than punter drift.

Fireblade (Callum Rodriguez) at 5/2 is the each-way alternative if you want cover, second last time out and handles the conditions. But with only four runners, the each-way market is not worth exploring.

4:05 — Sodexo Live! Handicap Stakes (1m4f)

Selection: Theory Of Tides Each-Way (Saffie Osborne, Jamie Osborne) — 17/2 LiveScore Bet

Nine runners over a mile and four furlongs on good to firm, and Theory Of Tides is rated top of this field despite carrying just 136lb off a mark of 94. That is the kind of angle that catches the eye in a competitive handicap. Back-to-back seconds tell you he is running consistently at his best right now, and he was last seen only 20 days ago, meaning he arrives race-fit and in rhythm.

Jamie Osborne has had three winners from 13 runners in the past fortnight, which is a respectable 23% strike rate, and this does look like a horse whose mark gives him a genuine chance of landing the prize, or at minimum hitting the frame at a rewarding price.

The market favourite Al Azd (Roger Varian, evens) has the top official mark but is rated only sixth of nine on our figures despite that. Varian is at 4/22 recently which is solid enough, but evens in a nine-runner handicap is a short price to accept when the form figures include a sixth among his recent efforts. Theory Of Tides at 17/2 each-way, three places at 1/5 odds, is the smarter play for those who want proper value.

Merveilleux Lapin (Callum Rodriguez, Owen Burrows) at 8/1 also deserves a mention. Burrows has a 17% win rate at Ascot with an above-par A/E of 1.19, meaning his runners here outperform their market prices. Rarely far away and handles the conditions, she is the obvious danger to our selection at a price that makes each-way interest entirely reasonable in her own right.

Today’s NAP

Theory Of Tides — Sodexo Live! Handicap Stakes (4:05, Ascot)
Odds: 17/2 — LiveScore Bet (others: 9/1 Boyle Sports)

Rated top of nine on our figures off a mark of 94, with back-to-back placed efforts confirming he is in the best form of his career right now. Good to firm at Ascot over a mile and four furlongs suits, Jamie Osborne’s yard is running at a 23% strike rate recently, and 17/2 in a competitive handicap where the even-money market leader rates only sixth on the figures is simply too big to pass up. Back each-way, three places at 1/5 odds.

Each-Way Recommended — 3 places at 1/5 odds