Hi all,
Inside today’s main piece you’ll find some Friday fancies
Premier Racedays Cut — But Not Fixtures!
The BHA has slashed next season’s so-called Premier Racedays from 162 to just 52 — and quietly scrapped the protected window that had already been breached multiple times of late. Frankly, Premier Racedays was a flawed concept from the start. They could have scrapped the idea entirely and no one would’ve noticed.
More worrying is the fixture list for 2026. The grand solution? A reduction of just two meetings. That’s it.
A bloated, bottom-heavy fixture list is slowly strangling British racing. But as the Racing Post’s Bill Barber rightly points out, the BHA has limited control — with racecourses owning around 85% of fixtures, they hold the real power.
In any serious sport, the governing body would control the calendar. Until that changes, British racing’s inexorable decline will continue.
Friday Fancies
We’ve entered the no-man’s land between Glorious Goodwood and the Ebor Festival and the racing this week has been dire. Let’s be honest: low-grade midweek fare has become the modern-day BAGS. It’s aimed at punters who need a daily fix, not those approaching the game with any seriousness.
If you’re a punter who finishes the year in profit, you’ve contributed nothing to the Levy — and from the BHA’s point of view, that makes you irrelevant. The system is built on volume and losing money not sharp punters.
Yes, I still get dragged in now and then — yesterday and today are cases in point — but it’s happening less and less. If I were just starting out in racing now, I wouldn’t go near low-grade midweek stuff unless I had a genuine edge or reliable inside information. If you’ve got the latter, fill your boots. But for everyone else don’t touch it with a barge pole.
Plenty will disagree with my sentiments — that’s fine. But it’s not for me.
Brighton – 3:30
Abate snapped a losing run with an all-the-way win at Lingfield (5f) 17 days ago, helped by racing down the near-side rail. Stall 13 might be a good draw again. The step back up in trip isn’t a problem, and while he’s 6lb higher, he’s still well handicapped on old form. The 9-year-old looks to have good claims of following up.
Newmarket – 7:05
Spring Bloom edged out Dashing Dick (head) to win this race last year and comes in off a solid third over C&D last time. Always worth noting over a C&D that suits.
Dashing Dick ran well when third here six weeks ago and is 2lb better off than last year with Spring Bloom. Looks set to give another good account of himself over a C&D where he’s a dual winner.
Equiano Springs has shown little in three starts this season and may be on the decline at 11. That said, his record at Newmarket is exceptional: 6 wins from 11 over 6f on good/good-to-firm (+24.33 profit, 82% win/place strike rate). He hasn’t won since July 2023, but if there’s one place he might bounce back, it’s here or on the Rowley Course.
Best of luck with your Friday bets,
John