Wexford, 16 May 2026: Tips and Best Bets

Wexford, 16 May 2026: Tips and Best Bets

A Friday evening card at Wexford with eight races on good to yielding ground. Three races stand out as genuinely punchable, and there is a standout NAP angle that stacks up nicely at the prices. The going should suit horses who travel through their races well, and it is worth noting that Wexford’s track can favour front-runners and those racing prominently.

1:30 — Wexford Racecourse Mares Maiden Hurdle (2m4f)

Selection: Moonlight Paradise Each-Way — 5/2 (Boyle Sports, Betfred)

Twelve runners in a mares maiden hurdle is exactly the kind of race where the market leader deserves scrutiny, and here Moonlight Paradise holds up. Paul Nolan’s five-year-old arrives as the top-rated runner in the field and her debut run under rules at Clonmel over 2m4f on yielding ground was the standout piece of form on show. She finished 15.5 lengths seventh that day, which sounds unimpressive, but the Spotlight flags it as her personal best and the conditions today mirror that outing closely. The yard has had a quiet recent spell with just one winner from sixteen runners across the last fortnight, so punters understandably want more confidence, but Nolan knows this mare and booking her back for this trip on similar ground is a positive signal.

Her point-to-point win is also relevant. Mares with jumping experience tend to handle the bigger obstacles better than flat-bred rivals, and this is a field where several runners have significant question marks. Keep The Head has pulled up twice, Mollys Dolly has pulled up twice, and Hunskelper heads here off two poor runs from last season. The price of 5/2 is fair for the favourite in a 12-runner field, and with three places on offer at 1/5 odds, each-way is very much the play.

2:05 — Forth Mountain Trails Mares Handicap Hurdle (2m4f)

Selection: Two Pair — 5/1 (Boyle Sports, Betfred)

This is a deep 16-runner handicap and Paul Nolan gets another mention. Two Pair scored at Bellewstown last time over 2m1f on yielding ground, keeping on well after four months off the track. That combination of fitness base, a proven ability to handle a break, and a step up to 2m4f on similar going today all point in the right direction. She arrives on handicap debut, which is a significant advantage: the assessor is working off maiden form and there is every chance the handicapper has not fully caught up with her.

Crystal Gold at 7/1 (Boyle Sports) is the value alternative. Her two best runs came at Punchestown over 2m4f on soft to heavy, finishing third of 24 and fourth of 17 in open maidens. The tongue tie goes on today and that softer form may understate how she handles better ground, though the drop in trip previously at Cork showed she needs this distance. At 7/1 to 8/1 with four places on offer, she deserves each-way consideration in a race this size.

Each-Way Alternative: Crystal Gold Each-Way — 8/1 (Betfred)

4:25 — T.C. Cullen Memorial Novice Chase (2m)

Selection: Wild Bill Hickok — 7/2 (Boyle Sports, Betfred, LiveScore Bet)

This is the race of the day and the angle here is straightforward. Wild Bill Hickok won a bumper in France and then lost form for a spell, but Ciaran Murphy picked him up for 52,000 euros, gelded him, and sent him chasing. The result on debut nine days ago was an easy win over course and distance. He comes back to the same track, the same trip, the same going, and with what the Spotlight calls “more to come.” He is a four-year-old in a field of older horses, which at this level can be a significant physical advantage when the jumping questions are still being asked.

The obvious danger is Supersundae, who was an easy winner at Kilbeggan last time over a longer trip and carries a 6lb penalty for that. Paul Townend takes the ride and W P Mullins is running at 10 from 56 over the last fortnight, not a yard firing on all cylinders. Workahead is fascinating at 5/4 and De Bromhead does well with chasers, but the form reads 0/429 and being outclassed in the Champion Hurdle last time out is not ideal preparation for a two-mile novice chase debut. Wild Bill Hickok has already done it over course and distance, is on an upward curve, and at 7/2 he represents the value angle in what looks like a genuinely competitive three-horse race.

Today’s NAP