Confident Picks Highlight Thursday's Racing Action
Thursday, 9th April 2026, promises a packed day of racing across Aintree, Southwell, Wolverhampton, Taunton, and Gowran Park, with 32 races scheduled. Standout selections include Nicky Henderson’s Lulamba (4/7, 14:20 Aintree) and Paul Nicholls’ Minella Yoga (2/5, 14:32 Taunton), both of which come recommended with high confidence. As always, there’s value to be found in big-field handicaps, particularly at Aintree and Gowran Park. Let’s dive deep into the day’s standout opportunities.
Lulamba Primed To Strike in Aintree’s Opener (14:20)
Odds-on favourite Lulamba (4/7) is the clear AI pick at Aintree’s opener, where the Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old tackles a 2m 3f 200y trip on Good to Soft ground. With Nico de Boinville booked to ride, this horse boasts an impeccable profile for conditions, having finished 1-2-1 in his last three outings over similar trips. His most recent victory at Kempton on Boxing Day was achieved with plenty in hand, and the switch to Aintree—where Henderson has a 24% strike rate over the past five years—can only augur well.
The field features some decent challengers, but none with the same calibre of form. Punters looking for a solid banker for accumulators should look no further than Lulamba’s racecard. You can also explore similar high-confidence selections on our daily tips page.
Minella Yoga To Continue Nicholls’ Taunton Hot Streak (14:32)
Minella Yoga (2/5) is another short-priced favourite but ticks all the boxes for the 14:32 Novices’ Hurdle at Taunton. Trained by Paul Nicholls and partnered with Freddie Gingell, this six-year-old is unbeaten over hurdles in his last two starts, most recently dismantling a field at Wincanton by 15 lengths. Nicholls has an eye-watering 29% strike rate at Taunton, and with Gingell claiming a valuable 7lb, the price reflects his dominance in this field.
The 2m 104y trip on Good ground is no issue, as Minella Yoga's impressive cruising speed and swift jumping will hold him in good stead. While unlikely to be a source of big value, he’s a must for accumulators. For a smoother betting experience, use our betting calculator to plan your returns.
Evening Naples: On The Inlet the Wolverhampton NAP (20:00)
Switching to the evening action, Hollie Doyle takes the ride on On The Inlet (2/7), a sprinter with a staggering 95% confidence rating in Wolverhampton’s 20:00 over 7f 36y on the Tapeta surface. This Dr R Newland and J Insole-trained gelding has been practically untouchable on All-Weather tracks, having already rattled off three successive wins at Kempton and Lingfield.
With a small field of just five runners, On The Inlet looks to dominate on pace, and a repeat of his recent sub-80 RPR performance should suffice. Short odds rarely point to thrilling returns, but for punters, adding On The Inlet to multi-bets or targeting a forecast win with the second-favourite makes plenty of sense. Check On The Inlet’s form comparisons via our horse comparison tool.
Where’s The Each-Way Value?
For the punters chasing bigger rewards, a few hefty outsiders stand out today:
- Moroder (25/1, 16:15 Taunton): James Best’s mount runs in a competitive 2m 3f 1y handicap hurdle. While the big price reflects patchy recent form, this gelding has a track-and-trip win to his name and is worth a nibble in a race where many of the shorter-priced runners carry fitness doubts.
- Deuteronomy (14/1, 19:15 Gowran Park): Nicola Burns takes the reins in the feature 1m 1f 130y handicap. This runner is lightly raced on yielding-to-soft ground but finished strongly last time over 1m 4f and could relish the step back in trip.
- Billey Shiftit (125/1, 17:15 Aintree): A colossal price for a horse with amateur jockey R T Dunne aboard, but in a wide-open 20-runner handicap hurdle, rolling the dice on a small each-way bet could prove interesting.
See all our longer-odds each-way tips to pad your betting slips.
Big-Field Handicaps to Watch
A crowded card always delivers some tantalising betting puzzles, and today’s largest fields are no different:
- 15:30 Aintree (25 runners): A wide-open 2m 5f 19y handicap on Good to Soft. The smart money may edge towards those carrying proven stamina plus experience in big fields. Several live contenders make this a race for late market movers.
- 18:45 Gowran Park (17 runners): A competitive 1m 1f 130y handicap on Yielding to Soft, where staying power on testing ground will be paramount.
- 17:15 Aintree (20 runners): Despite the sizeable field, punters might gravitate towards heavily weighted finishers. Billey Shiftit (125/1) represents the quirky wild card.
For your betting slips, get the full list of runners and calculate your potential odds using our tools.
Best Bets Summary
After a thorough analysis of today’s cards, here are the standout bets:
- Lulamba (4/7, 14:20 Aintree): NAP of the day for banker bets.
- Minella Yoga (2/5, 14:32 Taunton): Nicholls’ standout has excellent winning form.
- On The Inlet (2/7, 20:00 Wolverhampton): High confidence for evening bettors.
- Moroder (25/1, 16:15 Taunton): The each-way pick with credible form under familiar conditions.
- Deuteronomy (14/1, 19:15 Gowran Park): Unexposed on declining trip; represents solid value.
For more insights into today’s action, explore our full racecards or view live racing results as the day unfolds.
