Fontwell, Wednesday 10 June 2026: Tips and Best Bets

Fontwell, Wednesday 10 June 2026: Tips and Best Bets

A six-race card at Fontwell on a day when light rain is softening what was good ground. Nothing dramatic in terms of conditions, but that gentle easing could catch out anything that needs a proper good surface to show its best. Three races to focus on here, with one selection that stands out above the rest.

2:30 Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (2m3f)

Selection: Evening Tess (2/1, Boyle Sports)

This is a small but competitive enough mares’ novice hurdle and the market is led by Viscountess Nelson, who carries a 7lb penalty for her Perth win. On raw form she is entitled to head the market, but the price has shrunk to 5/6 and that is too short to be interesting, especially with the penalty dragging her into a more neutral position.

The value sits with Evening Tess, trained by Dan Skelton, who has sent out ten winners from 27 runners in the last 14 days. That is a yard in rude health. Harry Skelton, who holds a 23% strike rate at Fontwell from 162 rides, takes the mount and this partnership knows how to deliver on a track like this. Evening Tess has been running into form progressively, finishing second on her handicap debut at Newton Abbot over 2m2f on good ground four weeks ago. The step up to 2m3f here is exactly what she wants, and the Spotlight points to genuine claims. She is 4lb clear at the weights compared to the favourite once you strip out the penalty. At 2/1 with the Skeltons firing, this is the move.

Frenati is worth keeping an eye on. Anthony Honeyball returns a 30% win rate at this track and Sam Twiston-Davies is strong here too. She won her bumper at Stratford in March but fell at the first flight last time. If the confidence is intact, she could outrun her 13/2 price in a small field. Watch the market.

3:30 Celebrating The Life Of Trevor Schooley Handicap Hurdle (2m1½f)

Selection: Granny Hawkins (7/4, Boyle Sports)

Five runners but a clear angle here. Granny Hawkins, trained by Alan King and ridden by Tom Bellamy, arrives on the back of a three-timer completed at Stratford in April over 2m on good ground. She is up 6lb for that but mares in form streaks like this tend to keep finding when the confidence is high and the yard is not out of form, sending out two winners from 19 runners in the past fortnight.

The trip is fine, the ground is fine, and the opposition has vulnerabilities. Almuhit is the danger at 11/10 favourite, a horse who has done most of his winning on the Flat for Faye Bramley, and while his Punchestown effort in April was eyecatching, hurdles form from 2025 for a previous trainer needs careful interpretation. Sixty Plus won a four-timer last September but has been well held in better company since, and the Spotlight note that this trip is “plenty short enough” is a genuine concern. Granny Hawkins at 7/4 is the fair price on a horse in the best form in the race.

4:00 Weatherbys Racing Bank Handicap Chase (3m2f)

Selection: Ballyfinn Each-Way (9/2, Boyle Sports)

A tiny four-runner chase but there is a genuine each-way case for Ballyfinn at 9/2 given the competitiveness of the top of the market. He won over course and distance last month on good ground, making him a proven C&D performer, and Anthony Honeyball’s 30% course record at Fontwell is the best in the sport here. Chad Bament claims 5lb in the saddle and holds a remarkable 40% win strike rate at Fontwell from his admittedly small sample, with an A/E of 1.72 that suggests the wins are coming at prices rather than just piling in on favourites.

Special John is the 5/4 market leader and is going the right way, recording a career-best at Bangor last month. Gata Ban shoulders a 7lb penalty after winning at Worcester on Saturday, which is a significant ask eight days later. That leaves Ballyfinn as the each-way shot with strong course claims and a trainer-jockey combination that simply works at this venue. The Spotlight does flag his poor run eight days after the C&D win, but back at the right distance and on the right ground, the case for him is clear.

Today’s NAP

Granny Hawkins — Celebrating The Life Of Trevor Schooley Handicap Hurdle (3:30, Fontwell)
Odds: 7/4 — Boyle Sports (others: 7/4 Betfred, 13/8 LiveScore Bet)

A mare in the form of her life, completing a three-timer at Stratford in April and stepping back up to a track where Alan King’s 23% course record is solid. The 6lb rise is fair for a horse that won tidily, the ground suits, and the main dangers all carry question marks. At 7/4 this is a confident, well-priced selection for a horse doing everything right.