Nottingham, Tuesday 21 July 2026 — Tips & Analysis

Nottingham, Tuesday 21 July 2026 — Tips & Analysis

A seven-race card at Nottingham on good to firm ground, with the feature races offering some genuine angles worth exploring. The going suits horses with a clean action, and with Glorious Goodwood kicking off in just seven days, trainers who are firing will be using midweek meetings like this to keep horses ticking over in form. Edward Bethell’s yard catches the eye at this track, running at 24% here, and Clive Cox is consistent with a 15% strike rate and a positive A/E. Keep those names in mind as the card unfolds.

3:15 — EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (6f, Good To Firm)

Eight runners, all 3yos, and the market has compressed around three realistic contenders. Too Too Divine heads the market at 5/4 with Boyle Sports for James Fanshawe, who has had four winners from twenty runners over the past fortnight. The form reads 4-53, which is hardly inspiring, but this is a maiden and the yard’s recent form justifies favouritism.

The more interesting play, however, is March Of Time at 7/2 with both Boyle Sports and Betfred, trained by Clive Cox. Cox has a 15% strike rate at Nottingham, and his A/E of 1.03 tells you his runners here are running to expectation and occasionally above it. Hector Crouch takes the ride. Form figures of 34 suggest March Of Time is finding her feet, and over six furlongs on this ground, Cox tends to have his sprinters spot-on. The gap between her and the favourite in terms of price looks wider than it should be.

Remi Mae at 5/2 for Andrew Balding is hard to dismiss either. Balding has returned eleven winners from fifty-five runners in the last fourteen days, a yard very much in form, and Jason Watson has a 16% course strike rate here with a positive A/E of 1.10. The form of 72-303 shows she keeps running into the placings without winning, which is a concern, but Balding’s string coming into form could provide the nudge she needs.

Selection: March Of Time at 7/2, Boyle Sports / Betfred. Cox’s course record and the horse’s progressive profile make this price look generous.

3:45 — Watch Racing TV Now Nursery Handicap Stakes (5f, Good To Firm)

With Location Location a non-runner, this is effectively a three-horse race, and the market reflects that. Glamorize is a very short favourite at 8/13 with Boyle Sports for George Scott, who has had four winners from sixteen runners over the past fortnight. A form line of 201 reads well: won last time out, placed three starts back, and now returns over the same trip and going. She clearly tops the figures for this small field and is the horse to beat.

Our Fella at 5/2 makes more appeal than the odds suggest for a four-runner heat. He was runner-up last time out and the J S Moore yard, despite a quiet recent run, has him back quickly with purpose. Seven days between runs is sharp but not unusual for a two-year-old colt in summer form, and the 5f trip suits a horse showing that kind of consistency in the placings.

Selection: Glamorize at 8/13, Boyle Sports. Short enough that you are simply backing the form, but in a field of three she is the standout on every metric. George Scott’s yard is firing and the trip and going suit perfectly.

4:45 — Hospitality At Nottingham Racecourse Fillies’ Handicap Stakes (1m½f, Good To Firm)

Five fillies, five with winning form, and the race is wide open on paper. The market positions Distant Shore as favourite at 11/10 across all bookmakers for Roger Varian, and it is easy to see why. Form of 1-352 shows a winner four starts back, a runner-up most recently, and the overall trajectory is tidy. Varian has a 19% course strike rate at Nottingham, Ray Dawson rides and he brings a 16% course record with a positive A/E of 1.09. The pairing makes sense, though the price asks you to accept very little margin for error.

The angle I prefer is Porth Eilian at 5/1 with Boyle Sports and Betfred, trained by Edward Bethell. This is the key yard to follow at Nottingham right now: 24% winners here, an A/E of 1.31 which shows his horses are genuinely running above expectation, and he has had seven winners from thirty-two runners in the last fortnight. Callum Rodriguez takes the ride and he posts a 17% course strike rate. Porth Eilian won last time out and three starts back, with a progressive arc after starting with a fourth and fifth. She is back over the mile and a half on ground she handles, and at 5/1 you are getting a horse that fits every Nottingham targeting angle perfectly.

Darzah at 9/4 for William Haggas deserves a mention, heading the form figures for this field and stepping back up in trip, but Haggas actually has an A/E below 1.00 at Nottingham despite the volume of runners, and the price feels slightly tight given the 26-day layoff.

Selection: Porth Eilian at 5/1, Boyle Sports / Betfred. Bethell’s Nottingham record is the strongest trainer angle on the entire card.

Today’s NAP

Porth Eilian — Hospitality At Nottingham Racecourse Fillies’ Handicap Stakes (4:45, Nottingham)
Odds: 5/1 — Boyle Sports (others: 5/1 Betfred, 5/1 LiveScore Bet)

Edward Bethell’s 24% course strike rate and an A/E of 1.31 at Nottingham makes him the standout trainer to follow on this card, and he has been in red-hot form over the past fortnight with seven winners from thirty-two runners. Porth Eilian won last time out over today’s trip and going, with a clear pattern of improvement across her career, and Callum Rodriguez brings his own solid course record to the partnership. At 5/1 against a 11/10 favourite who is priced for perfection, this is where the value sits.