Beverley, Saturday 4 July 2026: Tips & Selections

Beverley, Saturday 4 July 2026: Tips & Selections

A sharp seven-race card at Beverley on good-to-firm ground, with partly cloudy skies keeping conditions consistent throughout the afternoon. The going suits horses with a high cruising speed, and with William Haggas sending out runners at a yard that wins 29% of its races at this track, anything carrying his colours deserves serious attention. Cieren Fallon’s 27% strike rate here is equally notable, and where those two combine, you pay close attention.

The British Grand Prix kicks off at Silverstone tomorrow, so this is a Saturday afternoon for the racing crowd to enjoy undisturbed. Three races stand out for punting purposes.

2:52 Matthew Ireland Memorial EBF Maiden Stakes (7½f, Good To Firm)

Rosberg is the morning-line favourite at 4/6 and has form to recommend him, but the each-way case here points firmly toward Astral Calling Each-Way at 9/1 with Boyle Sports and Betfred.

K R Burke has hit a 28% strike rate over the last fortnight. That is a yard firing. Astral Calling is a daughter of Space Traveller and a half-sister to a seven-furlong performer, so this trip on quick ground is tailor-made. She carries the highest rating in the field at 86 on debut, which tells you the form assessors expect her to show up. Burke fields two here, and the other one, Rosberg, is already odds-on. That means Astral Calling at 9/1 is the value half of the stable’s entry, and with the yard’s current form, dismissing her would be a mistake.

Rosberg showed promise at Thirsk and will strip fitter, but 4/6 for a horse who was beaten six lengths on debut asks too much. High Hazard for Hugo Palmer is interesting given Oisin Orr takes the ride and that jockey’s 20% course record, but the rating of 81 leaves him behind Astral Calling on the figures. Take the 9/1 each-way and let Burke do the rest.

• Selection: Astral Calling Each-Way at 9/1 (Boyle Sports / Betfred)
• EW Terms: 2 places at 1/4 odds

4:02 Charlie Wood Stakes, Listed Race (1m4f, Good To Firm)

Six runners after the non-runner, and the race resolves itself fairly cleanly once you strip it back. Al Aasy is odds-on at 8/15 and that is short enough to put you off, but the angle here is actually correct. William Haggas at Beverley is a 29% strike rate with an A/E of 1.02, meaning his horses perform almost exactly to price consistently. Add Cieren Fallon’s 27% course record, and this is the most dangerous combination on the card.

Al Aasy returned from a break to finish second in a Group 3 at Newbury. That is a strong comeback run. He now drops into Listed company on good-to-firm ground over a mile and four furlongs that suits him well, and a rating of 120 makes him the class act in the field. The horse can be hard to fathom, his form reading 7159-2 is not a sequence of relentless dominance, but when conditions align and the Haggas yard is active, he shows his quality.

By The Book at 13/8 is the alternative case. Charlie Appleby’s Beverley record is a less impressive 17% with an A/E of 0.63, meaning his horses tend to underperform their market positions here. By The Book was well held in a Group 1 at Meydan last time, and while the step down in grade helps, the trainer’s course numbers cool the enthusiasm considerably. Involvement at 10/1 has a stamina question hanging over him at this trip and was beaten in Listed company last time on softer ground.

Al Aasy at 8/15 is too short to recommend outright on value grounds, so treat this as a banker in an accumulator or leave it alone. There is no each-way play in a six-runner field with only two places paid.

• Selection: Al Aasy (accumulator leg / single at your own discretion)

4:35 Weatherbys Coconut Cup Fillies’ Handicap (1m½f, Good To Firm)

Sandy Craic is the clear pick at 3/1 with Boyle Sports and Betfred. She won at Carlisle last time by half a length off a mark two pounds lower than today’s, and that confidence-building win is exactly what this filly needed. The form is progressive and the step up in weight is marginal. Good-to-firm ground suits, the trip is right, and David O’Meara sent out six winners in the last 14 days so the yard is active.

The concern is that her current mark of 89 is the highest in the field, which means she gives weight away to several rivals. Come On Eibhlin at 9/4 with Betfred ran to form at Newmarket last time, is on a mark of 79 and receives 10 pounds. That gap on the weights is not negligible, and she is worth including in an each-way double or reverse forecast if you want to cover the race.

Porth Eilian at 10/3 is honest and consistent, confirmed her form with a placed run last time off an identical mark, and the ground suits. She is the main danger to Sandy Craic. Lexington Express dropping back in trip with first-time cheekpieces is a wildcard worth a small each-way interest at 9/1, given her front-running style can cause problems in a race where the pace strategy matters.

Sandy Craic is the play.

• Selection: Sandy Craic at 3/1 (Boyle Sports / Betfred)

Today’s NAP

Sandy Craic — Weatherbys Coconut Cup Fillies’ Handicap (4:35, Beverley)
Odds: 3/1 — Boyle Sports (others: 3/1 Betfred, 3/1 LiveScore Bet)

Sandy Craic arrives here in the best form of her career, winning convincingly at Carlisle last time off a mark only two pounds lower than today’s. The step up on the handicap is modest, good-to-firm ground is her surface, and David O’Meara’s yard has been busy and productive over the past fortnight. At 3/1 in a competitive fillies’ handicap, this is the value on the card, and the form lines hold up under scrutiny. Confident NAP.