Expert horse racing betting tips for Saturday July 4th 2026

The Eclipse at Sandown takes centre stage this weekend on another busy weekend of summer horse racing action.

As always, our Punters Panel have assembled to give you their hot takes and best wagers.

Introducing the Odds Now Horse Racing Punters Panel

Before we get stuck in, here’s a little bit more on the four experts answering our key questions this week – featuring a couple of guest appearances. 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 in the industry.

Jay (@BettingBetter25 on X) - Horse racing tipster and Races Now follower.

GK (@GKxlsi on X)- Anonymous flat fanatic with a soft spot for the biggest flat races.

Who wins the Eclipse?

JBB - I think Gethin will have the edge in the Eclipse. At the time of writing, none of the O’Brien horses are jocked up but I will assume they are all going. Gethin drove arguably the best horse in the world in Ombudsman to end only being beaten by a neck and has not finished outside the top 2 in his career. Constitution River and Hawk Mountain have both had hard races in the French derby on soft ground and I think with Gethin being round the track more recently and showing he can handle the track he would be my pick. The danger I see in this would be Saddadd, who has not bee outside the top three over 10F and has won at Sandown this year.

HF - The last five runnings of this race has seen a 3 year old winner and I don’t anticipate that changing. One of Aidan O’Brien’s many stable stars, Constitution River I think will win this. Unbeaten since his debut and has put in some monster displays along the way and I'd expect on Saturday we see another.

AS - I am happy to oppose Constitution River at a short price, and Gethin, who is very much unproven at Group 1 level having never ran in one. The River might be very good in time but he didn't strike me as a superstar in France, a race in which his team mates absolutely dominated from start to finish. So I'm backing both Saddadd (had absolutely no chance when ridden too far back last time out) and A Boy Named Susie (similar comments apply).

GK - ⁠Constitution River. Simple.

Any other bets for you on the Sandown card?

JBB- In the first, I like Words of Truth. Off of 9 stone and having won at Sandown earlier this year, he seems good on the weights and looks to be a progressive horse.

HF - In the Coral Charge, I like Getreadytorumble at an each way price. An eyecatcher behind Mission Central at Naas on seasonal reappearance. Has since ran at Haydock, where he went ok but was stuck out on the wing, then at Royal Ascot last time where drawn in 1 and was slowly away, so had no chance. I think he’s still improving and can go well.

AS - I'm backing Mirsky in the mile race (2:25) at a big price. I quite like the form of the Thirsk Hunt Cup which he won in May. Epsom last month was a write off and Ascot seven furlongs was too sharp for him. Love the booking of Oisin Murphy and the draw in six is perfectly fine.

GK - Nothing else for me. I try not to force bets just because there’s racing on.

It's also the Lancashire Oaks this weekend at Newmarket?

JBB - I think Tiffany is the best horse in the race and should run well but my issue is the run she had 10 days ago on soft ground in France. If she overcomes that, then she should win quite well. I also like the look of Lady Dora Mae, who has done well recently since switching from the A/W to the turf. The near stone difference in weight is also a big factor in this race.

HF - I think it’s very tricky to look past Tiffany. She should just be simply too good for these.

AS - Tiffany is opposable having not won a race for twenty three months and might prefer cut in the ground. So Caught U Sleeping is a fair alternative. Highly tried as a juvenile last year and progressing run by run this year. The step up to a mile and a half is a question mark given she's by an out and out sprinter but her runs this year suggest it might work.

GK - ⁠I’ll sit this one out. I don’t spend much time on races outside the top Group 1s, so I’d rather admit I haven’t done the work than pretend I have.

Anything else taking on the Newmarket card taking your eye?

JBB - I like the look of Lopeo in the 14.05, who stepped up in 1m6 in his most recent running on the ground we will likely get at Newmarket. Also, the 3lb weight difference from who I think will be his closest rival in Mythical Bay makes me swing his way.

HF - In the 4:25pm, I like Divine Libra, who ran better than finishing positions suggested last time at Chester. A bit slowly away and the gaps didn’t come for him that day but still was only 3 lengths back of the winner. He’s been dropped another 2lbs for that run and is now down to a mark of 91. At 3lbs lower than his Buckingham Palace Stakes fifth, and back at a track he’s run well at before, this one should go well at what I anticipate will be an each way price.

AS - Nothing else at Newmarket so I'm heading back to Sandown for Estissa in the 3:00. The top three in the market have not won a race between them in seven attempts this year. Estissa didn't debut until December and is clearly on the up. I like how James Fanshawe has given this regally bred filly time since her win at Wolverhampton in mid-May. You won't see an easier head distance win this year, watch it back.

GK - ⁠Nothing that’s caught my eye. There aren’t any races there this week that I’d usually spend much time studying.

Following his Irish Derby win, just how good is Benvenuto Cellini?

JBB - He is a good horse, do not get me wrong, and he proved that in his win. But first things first, I think Aidan has much better horses than him over 1m4f. I also think that ruling him as a NR in the Epsom race was wrong and the incident did not affect his race that much. If you watch the Irish Derby back, he was positioned out the back anyway! A good horse, who could be better stepping up to 1m6.

HF - Lots of controversy followed him with his Epsom non runner, runner debate. I, like most, thought he’d have won a good ground derby. I don’t think even if he' have had a fair start at Epsom he would he have won, but he got his ground at the Curragh and showed what he can do. The fact Aidan was talking about him for the King George even before the Curragh suggests that he was expected to win in Ireland. We will find out more then, which appears his next target but to me, but I'd say he’s the best 3 year old over a mile and a half.

AS - I'm still not sure. Raaheeb was basically the only non-O'Brien contender and he was disappointing. So we were left with another O'Brien 1,2,3 domination. Benvenuto will need to win another biggie in my eyes to prove how good he us. The strength in depth in the O'Brien three year olds is quite amazing this year. He has had a 1,2,3 in the French and Irish Derbys with six different horses!

GK - He’s finally delivering on the promise plenty of us thought he had last year. I’d say he’s Aidan’s standout 12f colt at the moment, although a few of the others may prove a bit more versatile on different ground. He looks happiest hearing his hooves rattle, and if he gets those conditions, I think he’ll be very competitive in a King George.

Finally, Godolphin – just a poor year or is there something more serious going on?

JBB - I think it is just a poor year for now, Goldolphin are one of if not the biggest firms going in horse racing. What I would be more concerned about is the Appleby yard at the moment. I think Goldolphin will bounce back at the start of next year with a new crop, if not now once the yards that they have get going. If they do not, they have the backing to bring in more stallions and breed better horses, or if not buy better horses.

HF - Poor year. I don’t think it can be suggested that Godolphin have a long term issue with the operation they have. The stallions they possess and the breeding operation as a whole... I think they will be okay.

AS - It's clearly a very poor year. No way near a Group 1 win in the UK so far and we've had just under half of them. Particularly with the ongoing investment in bloodstock and cost of operating in mind. It has been made abundantly clear this season just how far Coolmore are in front of everyone else. And that takes decades to achieve.

GK - They say form is temporary and class is permanent, and history says you never write off Godolphin. But I’ve had a funny feeling for a while that something isn’t quite clicking. Charlie doesn’t seem to have his usual spark in interviews, Buick has had a season he’d probably rather forget, and Coolmore seem to be winning more of the battles at the sales. It also feels like we haven’t seen many expensive Godolphin yearlings quickly develop into top-class Group 1 horses lately. Royal Ascot summed it up. The stable looks unusually inconsistent, and whether that’s internal recruitment, buying, placing or just one of those seasons where nothing falls your way, it’s hard to know from the outside. I’d be surprised if it’s one single issue, more likely a few small problems adding up to bigger ones. They’ve got far too much quality to stay quiet forever… but at the moment they just look a yard searching for answers.