How’s it going?
A fortnight ago we went all French for the Arc.
Now we’re going all British… big style.
Strawberries and cream, anyone? We’ve still got the weather!
Introducing Paddock Report Pro
Before we get started, a big announcement: Paddock Report Pro is officially out of the gate.
From just £5 a month (on the annual plan), get midweek coverage, extra selections from The Purist, and seasonal guides throughout the year.
Your Pro membership includes:
The Midweek Paddock Report. An extra weekly email covering midweek races, major festivals and festive racing, timed to get you ready for the action.
The Final Word. The Purist’s final Saturday picks, plus his early Sunday selections, delivered every Saturday morning.
You’ll also get our Jumps Season Preview 2026/27 straight to your inbox when you join, packed with stats, trends and ten jumpers to follow. It’s the first of several seasonal guides included with your membership throughout the year.
Decades of experience. Hours of research.
We regularly hear from readers who value the insights in these emails. Pro gives you more of what you enjoy, with the same care and research behind every edition. We can’t promise winners. But we can help you make more informed selections.
Joining takes less than a minute. Get your Jumps Guide straight to your inbox now, followed by your first Midweek Paddock Report on Wednesday, previewing Friday’s racing at Cheltenham.
Racing Things To Know
👉 Saturday is British Champions Day at Ascot, featuring five Group 1 races.
👉 Ascot’s seven-race card is all live on ITV.
👉 The ground at Ascot is good (it was good, good to firm on Thursday before Friday’s rain).
👉 Champions Day during the last ten years produced winners at: 200/1, 100/1, 80/1, 40/1, 40/1, 33/1, 33/1, 28/1, 25/1 – seven of them came since 2022.
👉 The Gosden yard topped the Champions Day leaderboard with 10 winners (10-76) – albeit to a hefty £34 loss on a £1 stake.
👉 Ascot’s stalls on the straight track will be on the far side (low draw).
Ascot’s Champions Day – Straight Course Draw (last 10 years, 10+ runners)
History suggests lower-drawn runners could fare best, not the usual high numbers when stalls are located in the centre (Royal Ascot etc).
Ascot’s Champions Day – Top Trainers
Ascot’s Champions Day – Top Jockeys
Saturday’s Edges
It’s not just Ascot happening on Saturday; we’ve run the rule over all the other tracks – here’s the cream of the crop.
1. Saffie Osborne (Jockey)
✅ ASCOT
ℹ️ Saffie Osborne’s record on Ascot’s straight course in races with 17 runners or fewer is 19 wins from 72 runs for a +£105 profit to £1 level stakes.
Saturday’s runners:
Speed Of Sound (12.55)
Mitbaahy (2.05)
2. Tim Easterby (Trainer)
✅ CATTERICK
ℹ️ Tim Easterby’s runners at Catterick’s corresponding meeting on Saturday (non-5f runners who won during their last five runs) recorded 7 wins from 17 runs for a +£31 profit to £1 level stakes (since 2000).
Saturday’s runners:
Mister Sox (2.45)
Brighton Boy (3.25)
Vince Le Prince (4.10)
Marbuzet & Bollin Nell (5.15)
3. Harry Skelton (Jockey)
✅ NEWTON ABBOT
ℹ️ Harry Skelton’s record in handicap hurdles at Newton Abbot is 9 wins from 18 runs for a +£10 profit to £1 level stakes (last three seasons incl current).
Saturday’s runners:
Misterdoc (1.42)
Beorma (2.52)
4. James Bowen (Jockey)
✅ MARKET RASEN
ℹ️ James Bowen’s record in handicaps at Market Rasen is 13 wins from 41 runs for a +£29 profit to £1 level stakes (last three seasons including current).
Saturday’s runners:
Forest Spirit (1.50)
Light N Strike (2.25)
Transmission (3.00)
Super Trends
Featuring the latest big-race roll of honour alongside ten-year trends analysis, our ‘Super Trends’ reveal the key stats for all the big races.
Use these trends to find your selections, or if you’re short of time, check our short-list below each race.
This week we’re really spoiling you with 🇬🇧 SIX ASCOT RACES 🇬🇧 under the microscope – what a lucky lot you are (the opener was only added to the fixture last year).
1.30 Ascot – Group 1 Long Distance Cup, 2m (3yo+)
Who fits all the trends?
🏅 Caballo De Mar
2.05 Ascot – Group 1 Champions Sprint Stakes, 6f (3yo+)
Who fits all the trends?
🏅 Coppull
🏅 Division
🏅 Paborus
2.40 Ascot – Group 1 Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, 1m4f (3yo+)
Who fits all the trends?
🏅 Lilt
🏅 Tajlina
🏅 Symbol Of Majesty
3.20 Ascot – Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, 1m (3yo+) (Straight)
Who fits all the trends?
🏅 Talk Of New York
🏅 Zavateri
🏅 More Thunder
4.00 Ascot – Group 1 Champion Stakes, 1m2f (3yo+)
Who fits all the trends?
🏅 Bay City Roller
🏅 Constitution River
4.35 Ascot – Balmoral Handicap, 1m (3yo+) (Straight)
Who fits all the trends?
🏅 Orandi
🏅 Excellent Believe
The Purist
The Purist didn’t sound in a great mood when ringing the office on Friday – no Saturday night takeaways for a few weeks, apparently.
We told him to find some winners at Ascot on Champions Day, then he can have some good ol’ British fish and chips.
Here’s who The Purist is backing on Saturday . . .
2.05 Ascot Coppull
This bet is ‘purely’ an each-way tactic. Almeraq is the one they all have to beat, but at 11/8, and with the next runner in the market at around 10/1, there has to be some merit in taking one to hit the frame, at least – remember, you can bet in the place markets down to fourth and fifth with some bookies. Coppull didn’t like the mud at Haydock behind Almeraq but has good enough form on better ground to suggest he can be in the frame here, including his close July Cup fourth behind Comanche Brave, who won another Group 1 afterwards. Almeraq was behind that day at Newmarket, and if he has another bad day, this could be Coppull’s chance for Group 1 glory.
2.45 Catterick Mister Sox
Siding with horses that have retained their form during the autumn ahead of the last few weeks of the Flat leads me to Mister Sox. He’s only been raised 2lb for winning at Pontefract last time, and loves it here at Catterick where he is 3-6. The Tim Easterby yard is also still among the winners.
4.35 Ascot Gavriel
A couple of improving three-year-olds won this handicap during the last five years, and if you’d told me 5/1 was available for this race after Gavriel was fourth in the Cambridgeshire, I would have taken it – therefore, I’m not changing my mind. The big issue is whether the draw will again hamper him, as it did in the Cambridgeshire, but this is a classy individual – he quickened well in his last two races – and hopefully Robert Havlin can cross over and tuck him in behind early on.
Stable Talk
Trainer interviews for the jumps season continue to appear online thick and fast.
To save your finger some scrolling and clicking, here’s this week’s pick.
We Almost Forgot…
📌 The world’s richest turf race, The Everest, takes place in Australia at 6.15 am on Saturday (live on Sky Sports Racing), featuring the defending champion and top-rated horse in the world, Ka Ying Rising – he’s won 21 races on the spin.
📌 Over jumps, both the Munster National and Durham National take place at Limerick and Sedgefield on Sunday.
Quick Saturday TV Guide
► ITV: Ascot: 12.55, 1.30, 2.05, 2.40, 3.20, 4.00, 4.35.
Next week, wait for it, is Cheltenham’s Showcase weekend!
Like so many big events, it starts on Friday, so if you want to get ahead, we’ll cover Friday’s races in our inaugural Paddock Report Pro midweek report. Upgrade before Wednesday to get it.
Until then…
…keep ‘em peeled 👀
The Paddock Report Team.
