Beverley, Monday 4 May 2026: Good To Soft Tips

Beverley, Monday 4 May 2026: Good To Soft Tips

Beverley on a May Bank Holiday Monday with good to soft underfoot. The track's stiff uphill finish and that testing going combination sorts out those who stay and grind. Three races to focus on: the opening juvenile maiden, the 5f sprint handicap, and the feature 7½f three-year-old handicap at 5:25. Let's get into it.

1:57 — EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes (Div I) (5f, 11 runners)

Selection: Furturra (Tim Easterby) — 5/2 Bet365

Tim Easterby runs 73 horses in a fortnight and still lands five winners. That is a yard in solid form and Furtursa fits the profile of a horse who wants this easier opportunity after showing enough at Musselburgh last Sunday. He finished sixth but the late headway he showed, closing to within three lengths, tells you there is more underneath. That debut came on good ground at a track very different in character to Beverley. The step up in ground testing is a minor question, but Easterby two-year-olds handle varying conditions well and the uphill finish should suit a horse who was staying on past horses late.

Concert Pitch (5/2, William Hill) is a fair price having shown form with a third on debut, and Brian Ellison knows a two-year-old, but the yard has drawn a blank in 17 attempts over the last fortnight. That stat matters in a race this open. Brixworth Bandit is unraced and Bryan Smart has sent runners out in good shape recently (3/11), so keep him on your radar for each-way purposes at 13/2.

Furtursa sets the form standard, has the experience edge, and the Easterby stable is functioning. Stick with him at 5/2.

4:15 — New Whistlejackets Guinness Bar Handicap (5f, 8 runners)

Selection: Copper Knight Each-Way (Tim Easterby) — 7/1 William Hill / Coral

Twelve years old, 18 career wins from 117 starts, and still placing at Ripon on his reappearance this spring. Copper Knight is one of those genuine northern sprinting legends and Tim Easterby, who knows him better than anyone, runs him here on ground that suits. The spotlight notes the rain will help him, and that Ripon second over 5f on good was a legitimate piece of form, not a sympathy run. He has not won at Beverley in four attempts but he has been placed, and the market suggests he is more than capable at 7/1.

The market is shaped around Trilby (10/3 William Hill) and Canon's House (5/2 Bet365). Canon's House has a 5100-6 recent record that does nothing to inspire confidence, and the Easterby operation (Michael and David, not Tim) is ticking over at 4/30 right now. Trilby has more realistic claims at the shorter price but his last five reads 24-852 and at 3/1 you are not getting compensated for doubt.

At 7/1 each-way, three places at 1/5 odds, Copper Knight is the value play. A sprinting warrior on his right ground with a yard in good nick. He is overpriced based on his Ripon run alone.

5:25 — Brian Dixon Memorial Handicap (7½f, 10 runners)

Selection: Suddenly I See (Charlie Johnston) — 11/4 William Hill

This is the banker of the day. Suddenly I See has form that reads 31-1: fourth from the front, a win, an absence, then back winning. Charlie Johnston is operating at 5/39 in the last fortnight which is not a red-hot strike rate but this horse does not need the yard to be firing on all cylinders. The RPR of 97 is the highest in the race by a clear margin, and the TS of 87 backs up that he has been showing his form recently, not just historically.

At 7½ furlongs on good to soft, Beverley's climb is going to stretch the field. This is not a course for horses who want to bowl along on fast ground. Suddenly I See, as a three-year-old colt at this trip on this going, is ideally positioned. The 11/4 is actually fairly short, but it is a fair reflection of quality and in this company it is justified.

Dunkeld Dreamer at 4/1 (Bet365) is the most credible threat. K R Burke is in strong form at 8/38 over the past two weeks, and that 222-51 record shows consistency. Pierre-Louis Jamin rides well. If you want each-way insurance, Dunkeld Dreamer is the one to add.

The Resdev Scholar has the spotlight comment backing him up and three wins on the bounce into winter, but a form reading of 111-24 suggests the handicapper has caught up. Jungle Ruler at 6/1 showed big promise with back-to-back wins but has gone 4444 since, which tells its own story.

Suddenly I See is the selection at 11/4.

Today's NAP