Haydock, Saturday 4 April 2026: Tips and Best Bets

Haydock, Saturday 4 April 2026: Tips and Best Bets

Good ground at Haydock for a cracking Saturday card headlined by two Series Final handicap hurdles and the big Veterans' Chase. The going suits horses with a bit of class, and on a day like this the money flows early into the obvious names. That is exactly where we look to find value by going the other way. Dan Skelton's yard is the standout stat of the day at 9/42 over the last fortnight, and they have runners in three of the featured races. Paul Nicholls is below his usual hit rate at 3/26, so be selective with anything carrying the Ditcheat blue and gold.

2:12 — Pertemps Network Challenger Two Mile Hurdle Series Final (12 runners, Good, £20,576)

A competitive qualifier final at a realistic price point. Twelve runners with four places on offer makes each-way punting the sensible route for anything at double-figure odds.

Selection: Ice In The Veins Each-Way (7/1, Bet365 or William Hill), ridden by Harry Skelton for Dan Skelton.

The 14-day trainer stats shout from the rooftops here. Skelton has hit the board with nine of his last 42 runners, and crucially Harry Skelton is on board, meaning this is not a yard simply sending a journeyman to make up the numbers. Ice In The Veins is a 6-year-old who has plenty of time on his side, and that form figure of 4-1-1-7-4 reads better than it looks at a glance. The 7 and 4 came in tests that stretched him either in trip or ground, and on good ground over an honest two miles at Haydock he is entitled to bounce back into form. At 7/1 with four places paid at 1/5 the odds, the each-way case writes itself in a 12-runner handicap.

The market has latched onto Dance And Glance (7/2) and We're Red And Blue (9/2 into 4/1 William Hill), and both have claims, but Honeyball's yard has drawn a blank in eleven runs over the last fortnight and the O'Neill team is returning just 1 winner from 34 runners. Backing yards in cold patches in a Series Final at big-field odds rarely ends well. Ice In The Veins at 7/1 with a firing Skelton operation is the smarter play.

2:46 — Pertemps Network Challenger Stayers Hurdle Series Final (9 runners, Good, £20,576)

A nine-runner field so each-way punting is only viable at the very top of the price range. Three of the first four in the market all have genuine credentials, which is where it gets interesting.

Selection: Jakar Du Moulin (9/2, Bet365 or Midnite), ridden by Harry Cobden for Paul Nicholls.

Yes, Nicholls is at 3/26 over 14 days, but this horse carries its own form. Jakar Du Moulin ran out a winner on his last two starts, the most recent of those a clear-cut success, and he steps up markedly in prize money for what is a Series Final he has clearly been aimed at. Paul Nicholls does not send horses to Series Finals to make up the field. Harry Cobden, one of the best staying hurdle riders around, takes the ride and knows how to organize a horse over three miles on good ground.

Blue Carpet (5/2, Bet365) is the market leader and Dan Skelton's string is firing, but 5/2 in a nine-runner handicap hurdle asks you to take a very short price about a horse that has not yet proven he stays beyond two and a half miles convincingly. Walden (7/2) is another lightly raced improver to respect, but at 9/2 Jakar Du Moulin offers the best risk-reward balance in the race with two wins on the spin as his calling card.

Porter In The Park (14/1) catches the eye as a place each-way flutter if you want the outsider angle. Emma Lavelle's yard is red-hot at 7/18 over 14 days, and this mare has run six consecutive placed efforts, every single one a third or better. Honest as the day is long, and may nick fourth at big odds.

3:20 — Unibet Middle Distance Veterans' Chase Series Final (17 runners, Good, £51,440)

Seventeen runners, five places paid at 1/5 the odds, and a field full of veterans ranging in age from ten to twelve. In a race like this, jumping fluency and peak trainer form matter more than handicap marks. Several of these old horses carry handicap ratings built on form from years gone by.

Selection: The Flier Begley Each-Way (8/1, Bet365), ridden by Benjamin Macey for Gary Hanmer.

The yard stat for Gary Hanmer reads 0/12 over 14 days, which needs addressing directly. But Veterans' Chase Series Finals consistently throw up winners from smaller yards with well-targeted horses, and The Flier Begley is an eleven-year-old who has won twice since the 2024-25 season began. The RPR of 149 is the highest strike rate in the field bar Minella Drama, and on a flat galloping track at Haydock with good ground underfoot, this is exactly the type of horse that delivers a big-field each-way payday at 8/1. Five places returns meaningful each-way value at that price.

Minella Drama (12/1, Bet365 or William Hill) is worth a second look. Donald McCain's 4/29 stat is not spectacular but this horse has a course record and an RPR of 150. At 12/1 there is an argument, but the recent form of P-3P42 does not inspire confidence in a horse that needs to win or at least hit the frame.

Outlaw Peter (9/1, William Hill) with Harry Cobden up for Nicholls is over-priced given the jockey booking, but the stable form at 3/26 keeps the stakes limited. Use in place accumulators rather than singles.

Today's NAP