Redcar, Monday 18 May 2026: Tips and Best Bets

Redcar, Monday 18 May 2026: Tips and Best Bets

Redcar’s straight mile and decent good ground make it a fair test on paper, and Monday’s seven-race card offers a couple of races worth getting stuck into. The two-year-old maidens dominate the early part of the card, while the Straight Mile Handicap Series qualifier at 2:40 is the race of the day for punters who like a proper dig. Trainer form is worth noting throughout: Tim Easterby’s yard is operating at a healthy clip with nine winners from 86 runners in the last fortnight, and Joseph Patrick O’Brien’s operation has been in excellent nick too.

1:40 — racingtv.com EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes (6f, Good)

Seventeen declared, one non-runner, and three places on offer at 1/5 odds. This is a wide-open juvenile maiden, but the form lines point fairly clearly to one horse.

Kodiak Breeze Each-Way (Kevin Ryan / Shane Gray) is the selection at 9/4 with Betfred or 2/1 LiveScore Bet. He has already run and posted an RPR of 73 with a TS of 54, which is comfortably the strongest performance rating in this field. A second last time out tells you the engine is there and he should come on for that outing. Kevin Ryan has three winners from 29 runners over the past fortnight, a modest but steady strike rate from a yard that knows how to place its juveniles. Good ground at Redcar over six furlongs suits exactly the profile of a Kevin Ryan two-year-old and the draw in stall seven is no problem on this straight course.

Eighteenth Smiles (J.P. O’Brien / Cieren Fallon) at 11/4 is the obvious danger. Fallon is a high-class booking and O’Brien’s yard has been in superb form with 15 winners from 81 runners in the past 14 days. The RPR of 51 from his debut run is modest compared to Kodiak Breeze, and the switch from O’Brien’s Irish operation to Redcar suggests connections are hunting a small pot rather than setting the world alight. Kodiak Breeze is the value call.

2:10 — Join Racing TV Now Maiden Stakes (7f, Good)

Seven runners, no previous form bar a solitary debut eighth from Hicko’s Lad, so this comes down almost entirely to breeding and market signals.

Revels (K.R. Burke / Sam James) is the clear selection at 11/10 Boyle Sports or Betfred. Yes, the price is short, but the case for this colt is genuinely strong. A 350,000 guineas yearling whose dam was a 6f/7f winner including at Listed level with an RPR of 99, closely related to a 7f winner and half-sister to a mile Listed winner. Seven furlongs on good ground at Redcar is the ideal starting point for a well-bred, well-bought colt from a yard that has fired in four winners from 45 runners lately. Sam James is a sharp jockey who knows the northern tracks inside out.

Sword Salute (Charlie Johnston / Jason Hart) at 9/4 is the clear second pick. Johnston has five winners from 31 runners in the past fortnight, a solid yard strike rate, and Hart is excellent in the north. He could be anything, but Revels has the pedigree to win with authority here.

With only seven runners and two places at 1/4 odds, each-way betting is marginal. Back Revels to win.

2:40 — Marske Fabrication Straight Mile Handicap (1m, Good)

Thirteen runners, four places at 1/5 odds, and a Series qualifier that brings out horses that genuinely want this straight mile. This is the race of the day.

The Sweet Escape Each-Way (David Loughnane / William Pyle) looks the value play at 11/2 Boyle Sports or Betfred. The form reads -86162 and that recent second and win show a horse coming back to form and capable on a flat, straight track. An RPR of 80 and TS of 73 are competitive figures for this grade, and the weight of 129lbs is workable. Loughnane’s yard has been quiet in the last 14 days, but that makes the 11/2 price all the more generous if the stable is simply waiting for the right opportunity.

Up The Jazz (Fahey / Oisin Orr) is the shortlist danger at 9/2 or 4/1 LiveScore Bet. He carries the highest RPR in the field at 86 and Fahey has been in decent nick with six winners from 49 runners recently. Orr is a quality jockey in this sphere. The form reads -83923 and you can see he has been knocking at the door without winning. At 4/1 he’s fair value but not exceptional.

Travis (Geoffrey Harker / Sam James) at 8/1 Boyle Sports also deserves a mention. An RPR of 80 and TS of 74, with a form string of 232-25 that shows consistent placed form. The yard is small but the horse is consistent. At 17/2 Betfred this is a solid each-way alternative in a big field.

Today’s NAP