The Group 2 Juddmonte Summer Mile at Ascot brings together a small but high-quality field of eight runners, headed by the William Haggas-trained More Thunder, whose excellent performances at the highest level have established him as the horse to beat. A narrow runner-up to Notable Speech in both the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury and the…

The 7f HKJC Worldpool Fillies’ Handicap at Newmarket on Saturday brings together an appealing mix of progressive three-year-olds and battle-hardened older mares, creating one of the more competitive handicaps on the July Course card. With only nine runners declared, tactical positioning and race shape could prove just as important as raw ability, and the contest…

The 13:55 at Ascot on Saturday is one of the most competitive sprint handicaps on the card, with 16 runners lining up for the five-furlong Club 26 Heritage Handicap on good-to-firm ground. As is often the case in big-field Ascot sprints, raw form figures alone are unlikely to tell the full story. Pace, draw position…

A fascinating renewal of the 7f Rossdales British EBF Maiden Stakes at Newmarket brings together a proven form horse and a collection of exceptionally well-bred newcomers from some of Britain’s and Ireland’s most powerful stables. The market is headed by Aidan O’Brien’s Haffner, who arrives with the strongest piece of racecourse evidence on offer after…

Argentina face Switzerland in a match that appears straightforward on paper but could become far more difficult if the favourites fail to take control early. The difference in overall tournament strength is clear. Argentina entered the competition with a 10.1% chance of winning the World Cup, compared with Switzerland’s 1.7%. Argentina were also rated substantially…

England will enter their World Cup quarter-final against Norway as favourites, but this is unlikely to be a straightforward knockout tie. On overall tournament strength, England hold the advantage. Their pre-tournament winner probability of 10.8% was considerably higher than Norway’s 3.5%, reflecting greater squad depth, more proven international players and a stronger expectation of reaching…

Spain face Belgium at the Los Angeles Stadium on Friday, July 10, with a place in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals at stake. The winners will advance to meet France, who defeated Morocco 2-0 in the other quarter-final. Spain enter the contest as deserved favourites. Luis de la Fuente’s side have reached the last eight…

The 17:20 at Newmarket presents an intriguing Class 4 handicap for three-year-olds over seven furlongs, with several progressive types arriving in form and a number of lightly raced runners capable of further improvement. At the head of the market sits Toastmaster, whose profile is difficult to fault. Since joining Michael Herrington, the gelding has taken…

The William Hill Keep Your Raceday Positive Handicap (17:05) looks one of the most competitive races on York’s Friday card, with a mix of seasoned sprint handicappers and progressive younger runners set to battle over the minimum trip on good-to-firm ground. A field of 13 runners goes to post for the Class 4 contest, and…