talkSPORT betting tips – Best racing bets and expert advice for Saturday at Newmarket

Newmarket stages a bumper nine-race card on Saturday, the 2,000 Guineas, the first Classic of the 2026 season, taking centre stage. 

There’s quality throughout the card, which includes a Listed race, a pair of Heritage handicaps, a Group 3 alongside the Group 1 showpiece. 

Our expert, Colm Doyle, has a trio of selections on the card, including one in the feature, one in a 6f handicap and one in the finale. 

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Saturday horse racing tips

• 13:45 Newmarket – Sir Les Patterson @ 12/1
• 15:35 Newmarket – King’s Trail @ 15/2
• 17:55 Newmarket – Man Of La Mancha @ SP

13:45 Newmarket – Sir Les Patterson @ 12/1

Stephen Thorne is a young trainer going places and in Sir Les Patterson, he has a sprinter that could well take him to some of the big dances this season.

The five-year-old started out with Harry Eustace in Britain and made a bright start for that stable, winning two of his first three outings at Kempton and Southwell.

He proved nowhere near as effective on turf afterwards, but steadily got back on track following a gelding operation, winning a Wolverhampton handicap off 85 and going close in a big field at York off the same mark.

A solid third on his debut for Thorne at The Curragh last September, he’s made rapid progress since, winning back-to-back races at Dundalk impressively and recording Racing Post Ratings of 103 and 107 prior to disappointing on AW Finals Day at Newcastle.

He’s now rated 105 on the artificial surfaces, but contests this off his significantly lower turf mark of only 96.  

15:35 Newmarket – King’s Trail @ 15/2

Charlie Appleby often uses Kempton as a springboard for some of his best colts, including Notable Speech, who won this race in 2024, having rattled off a hat-trick of successes at the Sunbury track previously. 

Although King’s Trail has over a stone to find on the book with the leading protagonists, he’s very likely more talented than his official mark of 101 implies.

A striking chestnut, he was on his toes, rearing and whinnying repeatedly in the pre parade ring and paddock ahead of making a winning introduction at Kempton and still looked green and in need of further experience when adding to that under a penalty over the same course-and-distance last month.

Bred in the purple, being a son of Sea The Stars out of a Dubawi mare – herself a Group 3 winner – he could be absolutely anything.

17:55 Newmarket – Man Of La Mancha @ SP

The Ralph Beckett-trained Man Of La Mancha ended last season on a real high and may be capable of continuing his winning streak on Saturday’s reappearance.

The four-year-old scored on his seasonal return last year on his handicap debut off a mark of 71 and ended the year with another pair of victories, the most recent of those coming over 1m1f here in September off a mark of 86.

He’s now up another 3lb to 89, but there’s a suspicion that figure underestimates him, especially when noting he recorded Racing Post Ratings of 91 and 97 on his last two starts.

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