Leicester, Wednesday 22 July 2026: Tips & Selections

Leicester, Wednesday 22 July 2026: Tips & Selections

A midweek card at Leicester on good to firm ground, three competitive races to get stuck into. The going suits horses who travel well and finish strongly, and with Glorious Goodwood less than a week away, several stables will be looking to get confidence runs on the board before the big meeting. Here are the angles worth backing.

8:20 — British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Handicap Stakes (6f)

Selection: Zen Diva (Evens, Boyle Sports / Betfred)

Ralph Beckett’s yard has been in exceptional form, landing 26% of runners over the past fortnight, and Zen Diva is the direct beneficiary of that momentum. Back-to-back wins, the latest only eleven days ago, tell you this filly is in the form of her life. She already has experience over six furlongs on good to firm, so there are no questions about the conditions, and her overall profile is one of steady progression with only minor blips along the way.

Rossa Ryan takes the ride, a jockey who converts at 17% at Leicester with a solid A/E of 0.94. This is not a man who wastes his time on no-hopers at this track. Cotai Belle has the figures on paper with three successive placed efforts, but she has not won in that spell and faces a horse arriving on the back of two wins. Evens feels short, but given the yard’s current strike rate and the course-and-distance form already in the book, this is a reasonable price to take.

6:20 — British EBF Novice Stakes (5f)

Selection: Star Velocity (1/6, Boyle Sports)

Four runners, a 1/6 shot, and very little to argue with. Star Velocity is odds-on for a reason and this is not a race for adventurous punters. Ralph Beckett again, Rossa Ryan again, and a filly who has already shown she belongs at this level. Court Alert at 3/1 is the logical alternative for those who want a bet, but the 0/9 recent record of El Ghuwah’s trainer says everything you need to know about the depth of opposition here.

No each-way badge, no spread of recommendations. Swerve the race if you need value. If you want a watch or a small win, Star Velocity will do the job.

7:20 — Join Racing TV Today Fillies’ Handicap Stakes (1m4f)

Selection: Caraway Each-Way (7/4, Boyle Sports)

This is the most interesting race on the card. Liveinthelight is the clear form pick, with two recent wins and a solid second sandwiched between, and you could make a straightforward case for backing her at 11/10. But with a four-runner field, the focus shifts to where the value sits, and Caraway at 7/4 with William Haggas in the saddle-room is worth serious consideration.

Haggas at 15% at Leicester is a steady stat, but it is the horse’s profile that really catches the eye. A third last time out, a win two starts back, and crucially the form data shows her rated 9lb above her official mark, suggesting the handicapper has not yet caught up with her. A 41-day break since her last run is the only flag, but Tom Marquand is a seasoned handler of these returning types and knows how to produce a horse fresh.

Semper Femina has placed ability but ran seventh last time and carries a 33-day gap. The non-runner Musical Accord’s withdrawal opens this up further. Liveinthelight remains a real threat and could win, but at 11/10 you are taking on a horse whose trainer is running at only 14% over the past fortnight. Caraway at 7/4 each-way, with the leniency of her handicap mark doing the work, is the smarter play.

Today’s NAP

Zen Diva — British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Handicap Stakes (8:20, Leicester)
Odds: Evens — Boyle Sports (others: Evens Betfred, Evens LiveScore Bet)

Back-to-back wins, the most recent just eleven days ago, a trainer firing at 26% in the last fortnight, and course-and-distance form already on the CV. Rossa Ryan has a strong record at Leicester and this filly has done nothing but progress. Evens is not generous, but in a six-runner heat where the yard is the hottest in the country right now, it is a price worth taking.