Bath, Monday 4th May 2026 — Good To Firm

Bath, Monday 4th May 2026 — Good To Firm

A tight seven-race card at Bath on a sunny Bank Holiday Monday, with the ground riding Good To Firm throughout. That matters up here on the exposed limestone track above the city: genuine speed horses who handle quick ground will be at a premium all afternoon. Three featured races offer the most interest, and there are angles worth playing across all of them.

2:15 — Blast Event Hire EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes (5f, Good To Firm)

Thirteen runners, half of them with no public form to speak of, which makes this tricky. But one yard stands out: Archie Watson has been in devastating form, operating at an 8/27 strike rate over the past 14 days. That is a hot spell by any measure and his runner here, Tree Wizard, is a debutant 2yo gelding getting a well-fancied pilot in William Cox.

The market leader is Top Cote (Pat Cosgrave, Jack Morland), who ran a solid debut second and is quoted around 15/8. That form gives him a clear edge on paper and the tight, galloping nature of Bath's five-furlong trip suits a forward-going type on debut. He is the logical selection if you want the race favourite, but the price is compressed.

Tree Wizard Each-Way is available at 5/1 with William Hill and Bet365. Watson fires his two-year-olds fit first time out regularly and the trainer's current form makes his runners worth following regardless of the price. With 13 runners and three places at 1/5, the each-way return is respectable. Use the Watson angle to take the 5/1 each-way and let the favourite win if it must.

Selection: Tree Wizard (Each-Way) — 5/1, William Hill/Bet365

2:50 — Blackmore Building Contractors Handicap (5f, Good To Firm)

Eight runners, a field full of sprint handicappers who know their way around, and the standout form angle belongs to Moulin Booj. George Scott's yard has been in red-hot form, posting a 4/14 strike rate across the past fortnight, which is the best trainer stat on the whole card. The horse himself shows a TS of 95 and an RPR of 101, and his recent form figure of "4-4106" includes a win and consistent placed efforts. He is available at 5/1 with Bet365 and William Hill.

The chief dangers are Angel Shared (11/2, Steph Hollinshead), who carries a high TS of 95 and has shown smart speed this spring, and Regal Envoy (6/1, William Knight), whose last run was a third and whose connections have clocked two winners from 13 runners recently. Both are legitimate.

But it is the trainer form that tips Moulin Booj ahead. Scott's yard is clearly in a productive patch, Good To Firm is no obstacle for a horse who has shown his best figures on quick ground, and 5/1 in a competitive eight-runner sprint handicap represents fair value without being a screaming steal. The 128lb weight also gives him a slight pull at the bottom of the weights.

Selection: Moulin Booj — 5/1, Bet365/William Hill

3:25 — Pins And Putts Handicap (5f, Good To Firm)

A small field of six, which makes each-way plays less appealing with only two places on offer, so this is a race to back the winner or leave alone.

The market is dominated by Toolatetonegotiate at 11/8 with Bet365 and William Hill. Trainer Daisy Hitchins has had a solid fortnight (1/5 last 14 days) and this filly's form of 513343 is consistent, placing regularly without always winning. On a tight track like Bath, reliability matters, and she is clearly the form horse.

The value alternative is Over Spiced at 4/1 with Bet365. The Spotlight commentary is encouraging: three wins over five furlongs last season for Grace Harris, a trainer operating at 2/9 in the past fortnight. Her Nottingham return last month saw her race too freely in the early stages but the underlying merit was there. If she settles better today, she is the danger to the favourite and potentially the one to beat. Harris has the ammunition, the horse has the proven five-furlong speed, and Good To Firm is exactly what she wants.

Selection: Over Spiced — 4/1, Bet365

Today's NAP