Bath, Friday 17 April 2026: Good To Firm Tips

Bath, Friday 17 April 2026: Good To Firm Tips

A straightforward evening card at Bath on good to firm ground, and three races give us enough to work with. The sun is out, the track is rattling fast, and that suits some of these runners a lot more than others. No Grand National drama this week, but there is money to be made if you pick your spots carefully. Here are the angles.

4:50 Blackmore Building Contractors British EBF Fillies' Restricted Novice Stakes (5f, Good To Firm)

Sixteen declared, two non-runners, and we are left with a debut-heavy sprint for juvenile fillies where pedigree and market clues do most of the talking. Three fillies stand out.

Madeleine (Hollie Doyle, 9/4 Bet365) is the pick. Archie Watson's yard is not firing at its best right now, just one winner from fifteen runners in the last fortnight, but Watson knows how to place a debut juvenile and this filly has a proper pedigree for this trip. Her dam won over five and six furlongs including as a two-year-old and is a half-sister to a clutch of winners with early speed. At 9/4 she is not generous, but Hollie Doyle getting the booking is a strong sign the yard fancies this one.

Passerine Each-Way (Alec Voikhansky, 4/1 Bet365) is the interesting each-way alternative at a bigger price. Richard Hannon won the Brocklesby last month with a runner from this very season's crop, so the yard is clearly tuned in with its early two-year-olds. This filly has a globe-trotting, speed-laden family and at 4/1 in a sixteen-runner heat, three places at 1/5 the odds makes her outstanding each-way value. Voikhansky gets the leg-up, which is not the most exciting booking, but do not let that put you off the each-way play.

Yahaira (David Probert, 13/2 Bet365) is also worth a mention. A 35,000 euro yearling by Tom Dascombe's yard, half-sister to three horses rated 100-plus including Orazio (Listed placed, RPR 114). Dascombe hit 15% strike rate with two-year-olds last season. Probert booking is positive. Needs the market to firm her up before committing.

5:20 MJ Church Handicap (5½f, Good To Firm, 12 runners)

A proper competitive sprint handicap with four places on offer, and good to firm Bath is a real test of who handles the ground and the undulations. The form book gives us two genuine each-way angles at decent prices.

Moe's Legacy Each-Way (Saffie Osborne, 8/1 Bet365) is the selection at 8/1. This mare is a triple course and distance winner at Bath, has already won on her reappearance this season at Wolverhampton, and her turf victories have all come on exactly this ground description, good to firm or firm. She is on the same mark as her last run, Ronald Harris is not in great form but she nearly carries herself round this track, and Osborne is an astute booking. Eight to one each-way with four places at a track where she has won three times is too good to leave alone.

Justcallmepete (Dougie Costello, 7/1 Bet365) is the other horse that catches the eye. Tony Carroll's yard is ticking along at a reasonable clip with four winners from thirty-two runners over the past fortnight. This seven-year-old is a prolific all-weather performer, won three in a row through the winter, and while his turf record reads just one win from twenty-two attempts, he did go close at Windsor last autumn and is on a lower mark in this sphere than his all-weather rating reflects. Costello knows how to ride a forcing sort and this trip on a fast surface suits. At 7/1 he is a serious each-way consideration in a race where four places pay out.

Hunky Dory (Hollie Doyle, 9/4 William Hill) is the favourite and his Wolverhampton win last week was dominant. Jack Morland's yard is in cracking form with two winners from just four runners in the last fortnight. The concern is a turf record of zero from seven, though he did run respectably at York last summer. Respected under the penalty, but there is better value elsewhere in the field.

6:22 Unibet Supports Bath Racecourse Restricted Maiden Stakes (1m, Good To Firm)

Seven runners declared with a non-runner, and this is essentially a one-horse race on paper. Ourbren (Rob Hornby, 1/3 Bet365) holds a best Racing Post Rating of 95 and a Topspeed figure of 85, both miles clear of the field. J S Moore's yard is not in great shape right now with zero from five in the last fortnight, but the figures suggest Ourbren simply needs to turn up. At 1/3 this is not a betting proposition, it is a banker in an accumulator only.

Tough Date (George Bass, 4/1 Bet365) showed promise at this course and distance nine days ago, finishing third of nine, and his good pedigree suggests improvement on this switch to turf. He is the only realistic each-way threat to the jolly, but in a small field of seven with only two places paying out at 1/4 odds, the market does not reward you enough for the risk. Watch how Ourbren settles into the race before putting up any real money.

Today's NAP