Bath, Sunday 5th April 2026 — Easter Festival Tips

Bath, Sunday 5th April 2026 — Easter Festival Tips

Good ground at Bath on Easter Sunday, a sharp five-furlong track that rewards pace and quick horses. Three featured races worth dissecting today, including a Listed sprint that has some genuine intrigue beyond the obvious market leader. The yard stats are telling a story in at least one race here, and the novice over a mile and two furlongs looks like it could be a career-defining run for one well-bred favourite.

2:35 — Netbet Easter Festival Novice Stakes (5f, Good)

A wide-open two-year-old novice on opening day of the season, so form lines are thin and you are largely betting on homework and stable confidence. That said, the market is already pointing in a clear direction, and the trainer stats back it up.

Selection: Dei Gratia Regina (3/1 Bet365) Each-Way

Richard Newland and Jamie Insole have been firing over the last 14 days, going 5/15 which is a strike rate that demands attention in any race. Hollie Doyle takes the ride, and she does not travel to Bath on a Sunday to make up the numbers. The filly carries the lighter weight allowance at 128lbs and the Newland/Insole yard has clearly had a productive few weeks. At 3/1 on Bet365 with Betfair Exchange offering 6.6, there is a case for an each-way play in a ten-runner field with unknowns throughout. The three-place terms at 1/5 odds give you a safety net if she runs into something sharp on debut.

Richard Hannon's Paper View with Sean Levey is the other horse worth watching at 9/2 Bet365. Hannon sends out winners at a consistent clip (5/30 last 14 days) and Levey rarely wastes a journey to a provincial track. If the money comes for Paper View in the morning, follow it. But the value call is Dei Gratia Regina.

3:10 — Lansdown Listed Stakes (5f, Good, 14 runners)

The feature race on the card and a fascinating Listed sprint. Beautiful Diamond heads the market at 2/1 William Hill, but the price is tight for a mare whose form string reads 2/812 and whose trainer K R Burke is in a cold patch at 2/19 over the last fortnight. That stat matters. When a yard is firing at under 11%, your market favourite becomes considerably less appealing.

Selection: Miss Attitude (9/2 Bet365)

Jack Channon is in form at 3/13 over the last 14 days, and Miss Attitude carries a Racing Post Rating of 117, matching Beautiful Diamond at the top of the form book on raw figures. The mare has run at this level repeatedly and knows what is required. Yes, her last run was a seventh, but look at the company she keeps: this is a Listed-class mare on good ground at a sharp, speed-favouring five furlongs that plays to her profile. Rossa Ryan is a significant booking and he rides with purpose at tracks like Bath where you need to be positive from the gate.

At 9/2 to 6.4 on Betfair Exchange, Miss Attitude is the value play in a 14-runner field where the favourite's trainer stats are flashing amber. The four-place each-way terms at 1/5 odds also apply here, but this is a win bet. The ratings say she is competitive with the favourite at a significantly better price.

Each-way mention: Hold A Dream Each-Way at 5/1 Bet365 is worth a small each-way interest. Clive Cox has 2/11 over 14 days, Rossa Ryan... wait, Ryan is on Miss Attitude. Hold A Dream has the RPR of 107 and goes on good ground. In a 14-runner field paying four places, she can feature at 5/1.

4:20 — Droneart Show Restricted Novice Stakes (1m2f, Good, 8 runners)

This is the race of the day from a punting perspective. Baltic Fleet is the even-money favourite with George Boughey sending him out and Billy Loughnane in the saddle. A horse rated 78 with a form line of 51, dropping into restricted novice company: the trainer has been quiet at 2/24 but Loughnane is a top-drawer booking and the form figures suggest a horse already showing ability.

But the price that catches the eye is Colourband, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, at 6/4 Bet365 (2.54 Betfair Exchange).

Selection: Colourband (6/4 Bet365)

RPR of 86 is the highest in this field by some distance, and his form of 732 shows consistency without a win. The Crisford yard is ticking along at 2/13 over 14 days, Harry Davies partners him, and this looks like a race specifically targeted for a horse who has already shown he belongs at a higher level. Dropping into restricted novice company (Bands B, C and D) at Bath over a mile and two furlongs on good ground, Colourband's superior rating should dominate here. The only serious rival is Baltic Fleet, but even-money for a horse rated 78 against a rival rated 86 is a curious market shape. Back the better-rated horse at the bigger price.

• Baltic Fleet: the danger, but overpriced at evens given Colourband's RPR advantage
• Cape Fear (Andrew Balding, 7/1): Balding is firing at 8/38 over 14 days, worth a small interest each-way

Cape Fear Each-Way at 7/1 Bet365 gets a mention purely because Balding's yard stat of 8/38 is excellent and Rob Hornby is a reliable pilot. A horse with just one run under his belt could improve significantly here.

Today's NAP