Leicester, Saturday 25 April 2026 — Good To Firm Tips

Leicester, Saturday 25 April 2026 — Good To Firm Tips

Leicester's summer card brings three competitive races worth dissecting. Good to firm ground suits speed and class, and on a day when several yards are firing, there are genuine angles to exploit. Here is where the value sits.

1:30 — Juddmonte EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes (5f, 2yo)

Sky Secret is the horse to be on here. Clive Cox's yard won this exact race twelve months ago, and that is no coincidence. The pedigree screams speed: half-sister to Swiss Diva and Swiss Spirit, both Group 3 winners at five and six furlongs, out of a five-furlong Listed scorer. This is a fast-ground five-furlong dash for juveniles, and Sky Secret has been specifically bought and placed for exactly this type of race. Cox's recent stats are quiet (0/11 last 14 days) but that makes the odds marginally better value than they should be for a horse with this profile and yard record.

Selection: Sky Secret — 19/10 with 7Bet, 2/1 Bet365, 2/1 William Hill

If anything puts you off the favourite, Turnstile at 8/1 is the each-way alternative. Ran green and hung at Thirsk on debut but was only just denied third. There is clear improvement to come and he sets solid form for a horse having his second start in a wide-open race.

2:05 — Caffreys Black Stout King Richard III Cup Handicap (6f, 13 runners)

Annaf Each-Way catches the eye at a big price in a race that shapes up well for him. He finished the 2025 season by winning a Group 3 at Ascot over six furlongs on soft ground, and he arrives here dropping back sharply in class. His Saudi trouble and the Doncaster Listed run can both be filed away as excuses: Saudi did not go his way and the Doncaster race was a higher-class event where things did not fall for him either. Crucially, his last handicap win came off a mark 1lb higher than today's. Michael Appleby has been ticking over (4/21 last 14 days) and Harry Davies is a smart conditional who reads a race well. At 16/1 with William Hill, four places at 1/5 in a 13-runner sprint handicap is outstanding each-way value for a horse of this ability.

Selection: Annaf — 16/1 William Hill, 14/1 Bet365, 18.5 Betfair Exchange

The most likely winner, for those wanting a shorter price, is Berkshire Whisper. Andrew Balding's yard is in form (6/33 last 14 days), the horse went close off this mark at Southwell in November and was a creditable third at Newcastle three weeks back. He ran well in a fast-ground Listed race last spring so good to firm suits, and he has scope on turf that has never been fully tested. At 11/2 with William Hill he is the handicapper's nightmare: honest, consistent, and unexposed. He is the main market danger.

3:55 — Madri Excepcional Maiden Stakes (1m2f, 6 runners)

Roger Varian sends out Act Of Generosity, a 875,000-guinea son of a Listed-placed winner who holds a Derby entry. You do not give a yearling that kind of price tag and enter him for Epsom without seeing something exceptional at home. On debut, the unknown quantity is always a concern, but Varian is operating at 4/16 over the last fortnight, his stable is firing, and this is a small field on a track where class tends to find a way home. He opens around evens to 10/11 and that is probably fair for a newcomer, but Varian's record with expensive debutants makes him hard to oppose.

The primary threat is Superior Choice at 10/3. The Gosden operation is running hot right now (9/31 last 14 days), and a 1,100,000-guinea colt who finished fourth at Newmarket on debut with late headway suggests stamina and improvement. Stepping up from a mile to a mile and two furlongs suits his profile, and with Benoit De La Sayette in the saddle, he will be ridden with a plan. He is the most credible market rival to the Varian horse.

Heyzoom at 3/1 also warrants attention. He was odds-on at Wolverhampton in November but was ridden passively while the placed horses went forward. With a more positive ride over an extra two furlongs on turf, Owen Burrows' colt could be sharper than that run suggests.

Selection: Act Of Generosity — evens Bet365, 10/11 William Hill, 2.36 Betfair Exchange

Today's NAP