Harry Reynolds shares data-driven selections for Haydock racing

Heading into the final stretch of the Flat season on October 16, 2026, betting writer Harry Reynolds of The Telegraph published data-driven selections for Friday afternoon’s five-meeting card at Haydock, highlighting three specific runners across the British fixture.

Friday Selections at Haydock

The card features three distinct races analyzed by The Telegraph, with odds provided by Sky Bet at the time of publication. Pure Majesty opens the selections in the 3.27 Class 5 Nursery Handicap over seven furlongs. Trained by William Haggas, the two-year-old filly carries a mark of 67 for her handicap debut. She has made minimal impact across three starts on good-to-firm ground this season, but her pedigree suggests heavy going will suit. She is a half-sibling to six winners, including Democracy Dilemma and Group 2 scorer Sky Majesty, both of whom won on testing ground.

Karl Burke’s unraced filly Grateful Spirit contests the 4.02 Class 4 Maiden Fillies’ Stakes over six furlongs. The event features rivals with exposed form that fails to set a high standard on the ground. Burke has sent out 222 juveniles this season with a 23.42 per cent strike-rate yielding 52 winners, according to The Telegraph’s reporting. Grateful Spirit is out of With Thanks, a three-time winner on heavy ground.

The Nap Selection in the Feature Handicap

The headline selection of the day is Ralph Beckett’s Gone By, designated as the nap pick in the 5.37 Class 3 Handicap over one mile and six furlongs. The filly won a Ripon maiden by 12 lengths in June before following up on her handicap debut off a mark of 90 at Salisbury. She subsequently finished last of eight in a Listed event at Newmarket, beaten by 12 lengths, after which she spent over two months away from the track. Gone By races off a mark 2lb higher than her Salisbury victory and is by Gleneagles, whose progeny maintain a 26 per cent win-rate on heavy ground.

Friday’s broader racing schedule includes Flat fixtures at Redcar and Newcastle alongside an evening card at Dundalk, with jumps racing scheduled at Uttoxeter.