Wexford, Wednesday 22 July 2026: Racing Tips

Wexford, Wednesday 22 July 2026: Racing Tips

A seven-race card at Wexford on good ground, and there are some genuinely interesting angles to pick through. The track suits Henry De Bromhead well by volume, but it is worth noting his A/E of 0.85 at this course — plenty of runners, not always delivering the returns you might expect. Peter Fahey’s A/E of 1.14 here is the more compelling number, and J P Flavin’s 1.81 is remarkable, even off a small sample. Keep those in mind as we work through the card.

2:15 — Wexford Town Mares Beginners Steeplechase (1m7½f)

Selection: Future Prospect (9/4 — Boyle Sports)

Paul Townend in the saddle is always worth attention at Wexford, where he wins at 24% from 100 rides. Willie Mullins has sent two here today, and Future Prospect gets the stronger booking. The form reads well enough: runner-up last time out, third three starts back, and she has already handled today’s trip and going conditions. The fall two starts back is the obvious query, but it has not knocked her confidence given the placing that followed.

La Note Verte at 10/3 is not without claims — back-to-back wins earlier in her career and Mullins-trained — but a 74-day absence after a moderate sixth is a significant question mark. Full Of Life at 15/8 has the win on her card but has not run for 85 days and two unplaced efforts since that success take the shine off. Future Prospect at 9/4 is the cleaner each-way play in a six-runner field where the Mullins yard is covering both angles.

3:20 — Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Steeplechase (1m7½f)

Selection: Tequila Talkin’ (5/2 — Boyle Sports)

Seven runners, a competitive little handicap, and the market has this right in broad terms. Tequila Talkin’, trained by Paul Nolan, arrives third last time out and runner-up two starts back. She has already run over today’s trip and going, which matters on good ground in mid-summer. The pulled-up effort further back and an eighth are the blots, but the recent trend is clearly upward.

Nolan’s yard wins 15% at Wexford with a flat A/E of 1.00, which means what you see is largely what you get — no hidden value, but no reason to dismiss them either. The worry here is the yard has gone 0/4 in the last 14 days, so this is not a yard firing at peak confidence. That said, the horse’s form is the story, not the trainer’s recent patch. Tequila Talkin’ at 5/2 represents fair value for a mare who is clearly going the right way.

Trasna Na Pairce heads the form figures and is a legitimate threat for De Bromhead at 5/1, but five starts without a win and a poor seventh last time out are enough to put the favourite money elsewhere. Lady Doyanne at 4/1 is interesting but the disqualification and 54-day break leave too many loose ends.

4:50 — WTW Willis Handicap Steeplechase (3m½f)

Selection: Scalpnagoon Each-Way (9/2 — Boyle Sports)

Nine runners over three miles on good ground, and Gordon Elliott’s Scalpnagoon is the pick. Jack Kennedy rides, the yard has sent out 9 winners from 48 runners over the last fortnight — a yard that is very much in business — and the form is consistent. Four places from five starts including a runner-up last time out, and a sharp 12-day turnaround suggests connections are confident.

He sits second on the form figures despite still being winless in this sequence. The concern is obvious: can he convert? At 9/2, you are getting a horse with proven course and distance form, a top jockey, and a trainer in form. The each-way terms (3 places at 1/5) make this a compelling play in a nine-runner handicap chase.

Nastya at 5/2 is a worthy favourite having won last time out, but a 62-day break after that success is a real fitness question over this trip. Teenage Kiss at 10/3 is interesting and finished second last time out, but rated bottom of nine on the figures. Scalpnagoon at 9/2 each-way is the value call.

Today’s NAP

Future Prospect — Wexford Town Mares Beginners Steeplechase (2:15, Wexford)
Odds: 9/4 — Boyle Sports (others: 2/1 LiveScore Bet)

Paul Townend booking for Mullins, good ground that she has already handled, and a runner-up effort last time out that showed she is going the right way. At 9/4 in a small field where the other Mullins runner has not run for 74 days and the De Bromhead mare has been off for 85, Future Prospect has the freshest and most convincing recent form. This is the clearest-cut selection on the card.