Chepstow, Friday 24 July 2026 — Evening Card Tips

Chepstow, Friday 24 July 2026 — Evening Card Tips

A Friday evening under the lights at Chepstow, with good to firm ground making this a track that rewards pace and class. Three featured races stand out with genuine angles, and with Glorious Goodwood just four days away, plenty of yards will be looking to get winners on the board before the biggest flat week of the summer. Here is where the value sits tonight.

5:18 — On The River Ball+Chain Nursery Handicap Stakes (6f, 2yo Handicap)

Seven runners, a nursery handicap over six furlongs, and the figures point clearly in one direction. Absolute Diamond (5/2, Boyle Sports) is our selection here. David Evans sends her out with a 3/15 yard stat over the past fortnight, so the yard is ticking along at a decent clip, and Ryan Kavanagh holds a genuinely strong Chepstow record, winning 18% of rides at the track at an A/E of 1.16. That combination of a course-record apprentice and a top-rated filly on the speed figures is hard to ignore.

She sits nine pounds above her official mark on the figures, which tells you she has ability in reserve. The six furlongs and good to firm ground are already proven requirements. The concern is that sixth last time out, but nursery handicaps are notoriously messy in the early part of the season and a cleaner run from a low draw should help her show her true colours. At 5/2, she is not a value monster but she is the right horse in the race.

Selection: Absolute Diamond, 5/2 Boyle Sports, Ryan Kavanagh

5:52 — Apex Transport Planning Summer Sunset EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes (6f, 2yo Maiden)

Temple Court (5/2, Boyle Sports) is the standout. Eve Johnson Houghton has a 19% win strike rate at Chepstow with an A/E of 1.13, meaning the yard consistently outperforms market expectations at this track. She is also operating at 8/31 over the last 14 days, so she is in a rich vein of form right now. This is exactly the type of race her operation targets.

The form reads 043, which tells you he has been knocking on the door in a race that matters. A fourth, a fourth again and then a third suggests a horse learning his craft and getting closer with each start. Six furlongs on good to firm suits, and Charles Bishop is no passenger at this level. The 5/2 is fair rather than spectacular, but with the trainer angle this strong at Chepstow, it is a price worth taking.

Dissenter at 11/2 (Boyle Sports) is worth a second look. Marcus Tregoning also posts a 19% win rate at this course, and Ashley Lewis has a 16% strike rate here. The pair combining in a modest maiden on good to firm ground is not something to dismiss lightly. The form is just a single run with a fifth, so there is unknown upside. If Temple Court disappoints, Dissenter at 11/2 is the each-way alternative.

Selection: Temple Court, 5/2 Boyle Sports, Charles Bishop

7:01 — LSL Racing Horse Sales Handicap Stakes, Chepstow Mile Series Qualifier (1m)

Eutropia (5/4, Boyle Sports) is clearly the form pick and the market has her spot on as favourite. Top-rated of the seven, back-to-back runner-up finishes after two wins, course and distance experience, a quick eight-day turnaround suggesting the yard is happy with her. Joe Leavy brings a 16% Chepstow win rate and an A/E of 1.24, the best value figure of any jockey at this track. She is the most likely winner and at 5/4 she is not a price to get carried away with, but if you are playing the race you back the best horse.

The real value angle is Spirit Of The Bay Each-Way at 6/1 (Boyle Sports). She holds the second-fastest speed figure in the field, was runner-up last time out, and has proven distance and going form. Taylor Fisher is consistent at Chepstow with a 16% strike rate and an A/E of 1.07. The eight-year-old mare has her share of modest efforts before that placed run, but the figures genuinely back her for a place at the very least. In a seven-runner field with two places on offer at 1/4 odds, she is the most compelling each-way case on the card.

Kodi Fire at 6/1 also has a strong angle, winning last time out and carrying the fastest speed figure in the race. The eight-day turnaround is aggressive, but the comment says he is a leading danger and those speed figures speak for themselves. He runs third on the overall ratings but that race-winning momentum matters.

Selection: Spirit Of The Bay each-way, 6/1 Boyle Sports, Taylor Fisher

Today’s NAP

Temple Court — Apex Transport Planning Summer Sunset EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes (5:52, Chepstow)
Odds: 5/2 — Boyle Sports (others: 5/2 LiveScore Bet)

Eve Johnson Houghton’s 19% win rate at Chepstow is not a coincidence, it is a trainer who knows this track and picks her spots. Temple Court has improved with each start, his form reading 043 showing a horse closing in on the winner’s enclosure. Good to firm is ideal, six furlongs suits, and Charles Bishop is a competent handler at this level. With the yard in form at 8/31 over the last two weeks, this is the selection with the most compelling case on the card tonight.