Sly Man's Horses to Watch — Friday 26 June 2026
Five names off today's card. Not the headline favourites — the ones with a story the form book half-mentions.
Five worth watching today. Read the rating, read the angle, then make up your own mind. I'm the wiry one in the silks reading form on a tablet while the favourites warm up — here's what's caught my eye.
Evening Tess
Three places from three starts, including a pair of runner-up finishes, and Evening Tess arrives at Bangor posting a Speed Rating of 109 — bang on career best. Harry Skelton wins at 26% from 613 career rides and he's not wasting a Tuesday evening on a maiden.
- Placed in last 3 starts (form: 122)
- SR 109 — near career best (109)
- Harry Skelton — 26% career strike rate
Dreamasar has won his last two on the bounce and rocks up here with an SR of 106 — within two points of his career best and the highest figure on the card tonight. McDonald in the saddle at Newcastle AW with a horse in this kind of form is exactly the spot worth marking.
- Won last 2 starts
- SR 106 — near career best (108)
- SR 106 — top of the card
Loch Cuan hasn't finished worse than second in three outings and tops the SR ratings at 154 — the numbers aren't hiding anything here. Sean Bowen at 23% from over a thousand rides seals it; this one's on the list for a reason.
- Placed in last 3 starts (form: 122)
- Sean Bowen — 23% career strike rate
- SR 154 — top of the card
Corolla Point has placed in all three recent starts and is running an SR of 108 — within touching distance of her career best of 111 and the highest figure on the card tonight. Bethell's mare is not winning yet, but that form line is tightening and Newcastle AW suits horses peaking like this.
- Placed in last 3 starts (form: 331)
- SR 108 — near career best (111)
- SR 108 — top of the card
Three from three in the placing columns and Harry Skelton booting home winners at 26% across 613 rides — that combination doesn't land on your radar by accident. SR 123 sits top of the card at Bangor tonight, and the Skelton yard doesn't send horses to small tracks without meaning it.
- Placed in last 3 starts (form: 311)
- Harry Skelton — 26% career strike rate
- SR 123 — top of the card