Haydock on The Race Lab

Haydock Race Previews — Thursday 05 March 2026

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

7 races at Haydock today on Good to soft-good in places on hurdle course ground.

13:45 — CopyBet Supporting UK Horse Racing ‘Chasing Excellence’ Novices’ Chase (GBB Race)

Chase | 2m3f | Class 3 | 2 runners

#	Horse	Age	OR	Forecast	Trainer	Jockey	Form
1	Ruby Island	9	126	4/5	N G Richards	Danny McMenamin	6-21443
2	Gamesters Guy	7	134	EVS	O Greenall & J Guerr	Craig Nichol	42-3152

Ones to watch:

Grand Geste's Haydock Love Affair: Sue Smith's First National Trial Winner in 26 Years

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Grand Geste had every excuse to have a quiet afternoon. Pulled up at Doncaster last time, a novice chaser in a Premier Handicap against seasoned stayers, sent off 13/2 in a race the jolly Myretown was supposed to put to bed. Nobody would have blamed connections for lowering expectations.

Instead, the seven-year-old grey stayed on like a horse who’d been doing this for years, seeing off Top Of The Bill by 1¾ lengths in the William Hill Grand National Trial to hand Sue Smith her first win in this race since The Last Fling in 2000.

Haydock Grand National Trial: Myretown's Jumping Demons and the £500,000 Question

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 21:00:00 +0000

The William Hill Half A Mill Grand National Trial at Haydock on Saturday (3:15) has the lot: a cracking field of 11 staying chasers, a £100,000 first prize, and the tantalising carrot of a £500,000 bonus for any horse who can win this and follow up in the Randox Grand National at Aintree on April 11th.

It’s a race that asks serious questions of its participants. Three and a half miles around Haydock in February is no joy ride, and the form of previous winners tells an interesting story — Famous Bridge landed the prize 12 months ago but failed to kick on, finishing sixth in the Ultima and pulling up in the Scottish National.

Haydock Race Previews — Saturday 14 February 2026

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

7 races at Haydock today on Soft-good to soft in places ground.

12:55 — Richard Howard 80th Birthday Celebration Victor Ludorum Juvenile Hurdle (GBB Race)

Hurdle | 1m7f | Class 2 | 8 runners

#	Horse	Age	OR	Forecast	Trainer	Jockey	Form
1	The Mighty Celt	4	134	2/1	D Skelton	Harry Skelton	15-3228
2	Manlaga	4	127	7/2	N J Henderson	B S Hughes	1-2
3	Pourquoi Pas Papa	4	121	9/2	P F Nicholls	Freddie Gingell	2221
4	Love Sonnet	4	116	5/1	Tim Vaughan	James Davies	211
5	Macktoad	4	-	7/1	G & J Moore	S Bowen	114
6	Whatsgoingonmarvin	4	-	16/1	M Bowen	James Bowen	82
7	Try Them	4	-	20/1	E Mullins	Donagh Meyler	6
8	Word For Word	4	-	50/1	O Greenall & J Guerr	Craig Nichol	-

Ones to watch: