Nottingham, Wednesday 3 June 2026

Nottingham, Wednesday 3 June 2026

Light rain has brushed the Nottingham surface this morning but the going remains Good, which suits handy movers with a touch of class over those who need extremes. With the Epsom Derby just three days away, the market is already buzzing, but today’s card at Colwick Park offers some genuine angles, particularly in the juvenile races where debut form and pedigree tell very different stories.

2:48 — Racedays At Nottingham Novice Stakes (6f, 2yo, 12 runners)

This is a wide-open juvenile contest and the market hierarchy deserves some scrutiny. Menhaal was sent off 10-11 at Newbury and managed only seventh, albeit showing greenness throughout. At 6/4, punters are being asked to forgive a fair bit on the strength of breeding alone. That price isn’t where the value is today.

The Ginger Kid has a similar profile: well bought, well touted, and well beaten on debut at York. Ed Walker is a sharp operator and his 15% win rate at Nottingham is encouraging, but the York run raises questions the market isn’t fully discounting at 11/2.

The selection is Le Grand Etoile Each-Way at 12/1 (Boyle Sports, Betfred). The slipped bit at Pontefract was a genuine mishap that made his debut run essentially a non-event, not a form line. Charlie Johnston’s yard has been busy (5 wins from 45 runners in the last 14 days) and Rob Hornby rides. A clean run tells us a great deal more about this colt than Pontefract did, and 12/1 in a 12-runner field is a price that reflects misplaced pessimism rather than fair assessment.

Lochryan is also worth a mention at 16/1. Marco Botti’s stable had a winning 2yo newcomer at this very course on Sunday, which is the kind of trainer data you cannot ignore. The Havana Grey connection gives him speed, and his family (champion sprinter Lochsong) is tuned to sharp tracks. Worth including in any each-way multi.

• Selection: Le Grand Etoile (12/1, Boyle Sports/Betfred) each-way
• Each-way terms: 3 places at 1/5 odds

3:18 — EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (5f, 2yo, 10 runners)

Queen Of Christmas at 6/5 is the jolly, and Karl Burke’s record in this exact race demands respect: his yard has won the last three renewals. A 305,000-euro yearling by Mehmas out of a family that includes multiple Listed and Group-placed performers, she carries serious credentials into a 5f dash for fillies. The market has made her a near-certainty and it is hard to argue.

But at those odds, the more interesting play is Miss Tuite Each-Way at 16/1 (Boyle Sports). She ran to an RPR of 87 on debut at Thirsk, finishing second of ten in a race where she started at 28/1. That is a proper performance. She looked green early, found her rhythm, and finished with credit. Declan Carroll keeps improving his tally (2/13 in the last 14 days) and Zak Wheatley has ridden her before. Against a handful of unexposed newcomers, her racecourse experience and that debut figure is the best form in the book. Queen Of Christmas may well win, but Miss Tuite each-way at 16/1 is the smart play for value.

Fast Track (15/2) also shaped with ability at Goodwood, showing up at 16/1 and finishing third. Andrew Balding is in fine form with 12 winners from 70 runners in the last fortnight. She is legitimate placed-money material in a race that rewards the experienced.

• Selection: Miss Tuite each-way (16/1, Boyle Sports)
• Each-way terms: 3 places at 1/5 odds

4:48 — Watch RacingTV Handicap (1m2f, 3yo, 7 runners, Mr Bollinger NR)

Six runners now following the non-runner, and this becomes a much more focused puzzle. Barbury Boy is rightly the market leader at 15/8 (Betfred) and 7/4 (LiveScore). He won at Beverley over this exact trip in April, and the runner-up in that race has since won twice. That is stronger form than it looked on the day. His Haydock run over 1m4f can be put aside as a horse who simply did not settle over too far a trip. Back at 1m2f today, he should travel much more kindly.

Tom Marquand rides and the going is Good, which Barbury Boy has already proven he handles. Alan King has had a quieter recent patch (2/27) but this horse’s profile screams improvement from a fair mark, and the step back in trip is the key move. He is the banker of the day.

Gatehouse drops in grade and could outrun his current SP, but he hung badly at Newmarket on turf and that is a concern on a track that asks questions of straightness.

• Selection: Barbury Boy (7/4, LiveScore Bet / 15/8, Betfred)

Today’s NAP

Barbury Boy — Watch RacingTV Handicap (4:48, Nottingham)
Odds: 15/8 — Betfred (others: 7/4 LiveScore Bet)

The Beverley win looks increasingly strong with the runner-up doubling up since, and today’s trip is the correct distance for a horse that refused to settle over a longer journey at Haydock. Tom Marquand takes the ride, the Good ground is confirmed, and a drop in grade makes this a career moment. He is the standout selection on the card.