Punters Panel: Horse racing betting tips for this weekend

The calm before the Ebor Festival storm arrives this weekend, but there is still plenty of quality Flat racing for punters to get stuck into across Britain.

Newbury stages a competitive card headlined by the Hungerford Stakes on Saturday, while one of the season's traditional big-field sprint handicaps, the Great St Wilfrid, takes centre stage at Ripon.

This week's Odds Now Punters' Panel marks your card for Saturday before turning its attention towards next week's mouthwatering action at York.

Our contributors also reflect on the sad retirement of unbeaten 2,000 Guineas hero Bow Echo and have their say on the latest debate surrounding Britain's high-street bookmakers.

Introducing the Odds Now Horse Racing Punters’ Panel

Before we get stuck in, here's a little more on the four experts answering our key questions this week. If you would like to get involved in our Punters' Panel in a future week, be sure to DM Races Now on X!

Adam Smith – A betting industry veteran, Flat lover and one half of our Races Now double act.

Harry Fowler – Another of Odds Now's regular racing contributors, currently working within the industry.

Jack Campbell – Runs the Five Star Racing Club and joins us for this week's Punters' Panel. Follow him on X @FiveStar_RC.

Max Hansson – Big Races Now fan, sports bettor and semi-regular Punters' Panel contributor.

Best bets for Newbury's Hungerford Stakes card on Saturday?

AS – Kinswoman back down into handicap company in the 1:55 is my bet of the day. Don't be put off by the eighth in the recent form book – that came in a much better race and she was surrounded by horses rated significantly higher.

HF – The 1:55 is a competitive handicap but I can't get away from Kinswoman either. I think the key to her today is the ground. Her four runs this season include two good efforts in handicaps on good-to-soft ground before stepping into Listed company on soft. Last time she was upped to a Group 3 over six furlongs, finishing eighth but in and around horses rated much higher than her mark of 90. She's now dropping from a Group 3 into a Class 3 handicap, was dropped another 2lb to a mark of 88 and is back on quick ground. I think she'll win.

JC – Stellar Sunrise each-way looks a solid bet. He has course-and-distance form and the ground should be absolutely fine for him, having won on good-to-firm at York. Andrew Balding is ticking along nicely and PJ McDonald is a solid booking. Easing in grade back into handicap company should make him more competitive and three places at 8/1 looks good value.

Max H – In the Geoffrey Freer, I've backed Mount Atlas. I can't have Dubai Honour – an eight-year-old who hasn't run on turf in the UK since 2024 and hasn't won on UK turf since 2021. I fancy Mount Atlas to overcome the 3lb penalty after beating Tabletalk last time, so I thought 7/2 made for a solid bet. In the Hungerford, Prince Of India may improve for stepping back up to seven furlongs after running really well in a good race last time. Marco Botti is in decent enough form too, with three winners from his last seven runners.

The Great St Wilfrid at Ripon – who wins?

AS – I'm drawn in by the unexposed one, as usual. I'm keen to be with Lord Roxby, a course-and-distance winner last time out. He's up 5lb as a result, but that might not be enough to stop him.

HF – Fortification changed stables to Brian Ellison this season and has been brilliant in three of his four runs, all of which have come at York. He made a shock 40/1 winning stable debut over five furlongs, with the third that day, Naana's Shadow, racing off a mark of 77 and now rated 102. Next time, he finished a good fourth behind Toca Madera, Stratusnine and Partisan Hero, who are now rated 12lb, 12lb and 14lb higher respectively.He then produced another good effort when third on his first try over six furlongs, clear of the fourth and once again bumping into progressive horses in Red Spells Danger and Thunder Call, who have both franked the form since. Plenty went wrong back over five furlongs last time, so that can be forgiven. He looks like a horse who wants six furlongs and is only 9lb higher than when winning on his stable debut. I think he can go very close at a track where he has already run well.

JC – The Great St Wilfrid is wide open, but Fortification is very interesting. He won well at York when fresh and returns from a break here. There are plenty of races he could have contested at the Ebor Festival, so the decision to come here despite having proven York form catches my eye. The form of his previous races has worked out very well, with several progressive types emerging from them. He beat Naana's Shadow while giving her 3lb and she's now rated 102. A strong pace should set things up for a fast finisher and Fortification fits the bill.

Max H – Dark Cloud Rising has finished first and second on his two visits to Ripon. He was runner-up to Lord Roxby last time but gets a swing in the weights here, which could help him turn the tables. I also like Brighton Boy. This is his first try over six furlongs for Tim Easterby and his turf form figures over the trip read 5-2-1-1-2-4. He's been in decent form over seven recently and the drop back in trip could be beneficial.

Anything else taking your eye on Saturday?

AS – The Hungerford at 3:10 is a race with plenty of question marks. Never So Brave is winless this year, while Coppull and Symbol Of Honour are stepping up to seven furlongs.

I thought Never So Brave ran his best race of the season in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. He was never likely to win that but travelled like his former self before emptying late on over a trip we know stretches him. Back to seven furlongs here, he's the one to beat.

HF – In the 2:35 at Newbury, I'm going to have an each-way bet on Christian David. I backed him at Haydock last time and I'm still trying to work out what happened when he looked like coming to win inside the final furlong. He's been dropped 1lb for that to a mark of 86 and, with Scoville in the field, I think he should get the perfect set-up with a truly-run race over seven furlongs.

JC – There's nothing really jumping out at me. It's all very competitive racing and will mainly be a watching brief. There are a couple of Haggas hotpots in the first two races at Newbury and I'd like to see how they get on, with one eye on where they end up next.

Max H – I had a brief look through some of the other cards and found nothing particularly appealing, but I do have another two bets at Newbury. Rhythm N Hooves in the 1:55 won this race last year off a mark of 87 and is now 9lb lower, so I couldn't leave him unbacked at 8/1. Then in the 2:35 I've backed Stellar Sunrise for Andrew Balding. I thought the top three in the market were very opposable and this is the one I landed on. He won here earlier in the year with a career-best performance and did so comfortably. He's disappointed since and has subsequently been gelded, but I think he could give a much better showing here.

READ MORE: Ante Post Analysis – A first look at York's Juddmonte International

Bow Echo retiring is such a shame. What was the highlight of the unbeaten Guineas winner's career?

AS – For me, it would have to be the Guineas, where I tipped him ante-post at 12/1 all the way back in December. To win by that far first time up was mega impressive. My only regret was not having more on him on the day – 9/2 was a real hindsight price!

HF – It has to be the Sussex for me. After the Guineas, I questioned the horses in behind. At Ascot he wasn't really impressive, just about beating Gstaad, but at Goodwood I don't think he had any right to win. That turn of foot was devastating. It was a brilliant story. To take on the older horses and still win like that was amazing.

JC – Hats off to what is a mega horse. The highlight for me would be his St James's Palace Stakes victory. His opposition did everything they could to scupper his chances and he showed his class emphatically. Connections have received plenty of criticism for retiring him, but I think that's unfair. People don't know the extent of his setback and we need horses like him for the good of the industry, both from a bloodstock perspective and in terms of legacy.

Max H – Probably the Guineas in terms of his best performance. But after Goodwood it felt like he was becoming 'the people's horse', which I think is hard to come by, particularly in Flat racing. It's a shame it ended so soon, but it always seems to be the way with the best Flat horses.

One horse you plan to back at York next week?

AS – I've tipped Inis Mor ante-post for the Yorkshire Oaks on this page, but that appears to have backfired now Kalpana is an intended runner! At 7/1 – also tipped here – I think Rayevka is a cracking price for the Nunthorpe and I'll be looking to go in again after declarations if she's still available at anything like that.

HF – I like Pierre Bonnard in the Great Voltigeur. I haven't always been his biggest fan and couldn't believe his price for the Derby, where he didn't run particularly well. He then went to the Curragh for the Irish Derby and ran a fine third behind Benvenuto Cellini and Derby winner Christmas Day. Both Christmas Day and Maltese Cross have to give Pierre 5lb in the Voltigeur, which I think is a massive swing. I expect Ryan Moore will ride and think we'll finally see what Aidan O'Brien has been seeing given how highly he's regarded this horse.

JC – Naana's Shadow, no doubt about it. My bias is showing here, but what she's achieved this season for Five Star Racing Club and Summerstorm Bloodstock has been nothing short of incredible. I was taken by her performance at Goodwood, which left me speechless given the nature of her victory. I thought she ran well in the City Walls with plenty against her and she's already won and placed over course and distance. She'd firmly interest me if an each-way price is available. She looks to be improving with every run – and who doesn't love a grey!

Max H – Item in the Juddmonte. I backed him in the Derby, where he clearly didn't like the ground, so I'm happy to put a line through that. I still feel there's improvement to come after his course-and-distance 'trial' for this race. Two furlongs out he looked finished, only to go on and win with relative ease. With three places available each-way, he looks a good bet to me, even if beating Ombudsman and Constitution River is going to require further improvement.

READ MORE: Ante Post Analysis – A first look at this year's Yorkshire Oaks

Are high-street bookmakers "dodgy shops"?

AS – The fact the actual Prime Minister is lumping betting shops in with dodgy barbers and vape shops tells you all you need to know about the prevailing winds the betting and racing industry faces. And Dawn Butler's tweet was a disgrace. The slow death of the game we love continues. I think that is undeniable.

HF – I was unfortunate to be too young to see what high-street bookmakers used to be like before online gambling was really a thing, but I've been told what great social places they used to be. It's quite a classic viewpoint with most things these days: a few people have had issues or problems, so it must all be bad. Gambling is such a taboo subject and apparently now 'dodgy' because of these views, and you see so few people in betting shops these days.

JC – Mr Burnham is looking to score some easy political points from the wider public, who have very little to no knowledge of the importance perfectly legal and regulated gambling has to the horse racing industry. It's disappointing from our perspective within the sport. Yet I think there are much bigger issues we have to address first.

Max H – No chance. I don't understand the disdain of politicians towards betting. Andy Burnham is lumping bookmakers in with vape shops, etc, which is quite frankly desperate. People act like if bookmakers move out of their shops and buildings, some locally-run artisan pottery business is going to move in. Absolute lunacy. It will just be left empty to rot, and then the same people will complain about that. Stop trying to police everything in people's lives. Gambling addiction exists, of course it does, but so does alcoholism. I don't see any desire for the pubs to be shut down.

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