Horse Racing Tips Today: Best Bets From Haydock & Bangor-on-Dee

On Friday, 4 September 2026, there are five horse racing meetings scheduled across the UK and our expert horse racing tipster Steven Mullington suggests his horses to follow on the day.

Without further ado, it’s time to look at Steve’s best horse racing betting picks for Friday – with selections at Haydock Park and Bangor-on-Dee.

1.30 Haydock – 1m6f Apprentice Handicap

I’m not really a tipster who gets involved too heavily in apprentice races, but young Jake Dickson aboard ZIMMERMAN (NAP) stands out like a sore thumb in this contest.

The seven-year-old gelding recently secured a win in a two-mile handicap at Ripon on September 1 and the going was pretty testing that day.

Zimmerman is going to find conditions very similar again at Haydock, and with multiple wins on difficult ground and varied distances, I would like to think he can bring up his second victory in the space of a week.

Dickson has ridden 15 winners from 97 runs during the current 2026 turf and all-weather season and is operating at a 15% strike rate. Those stats give him the NAP nod for my money.

3.15 Haydock – 6f Handicap

I was at Pontefract earlier this season and was fairly impressed with the debut run of TIP FOSTER (NB). The three-year-old then went on to land a maiden at Thirsk a couple of months later under Joanna Mason.

Mason gets the ride once more in this first attempt at a handicap, and off just 9st 1lb, I’m keen to advise an each-way interest on a horse that should handle the cut at Haydock.

3.25 Bangor – 3m Handicap Hurdle

The Alan King-trained ERNEST GRAY took a couple of runs to come to hand last season and looks primed to score once more this Friday.

The nine-year-old wasn’t beaten that far off a burdensome weight at Market Rasen 20-days ago, and this 11st 10lb will feel like a feather pillow for the Walk In The Park-gelding.

Officially rated 122, King’s stable is certainly flying after landing the Ebor Handicap recently, and I can see Ernest Gray putting in another performance like he did at Aintree last term.

3.47 Haydock – 5f Handicap

SECRET MISTRAL absolutely thrives when she comes to Haydock Park, and the course and distance scorer can put up another bold show today.

The six-year-old mare is fairly flexible on all going types and I will be highly surprised if she doesn’t make the podium spots at the very least.

A seven-time winner from 47 career starts, that’s one impressive record at this level of racing. He’s well worth considering in sports betting on the contest.

4.53 Haydock – 1m3½f Handicap

Having once run STAR TIME over hurdles, Alan King must be of the view that this five-year-old has some stamina potential to tap into and this could well be his ideal trip.

His sire Time Test was no mug at this distance, winning Group 2’s, and you would like to think some of that quality will have rubbed off on Star Time.

Harry Vigors take off a handy 5lb’s, which effectively puts him right down amongst the lowest weights in the field. This can only boost his overall chances.

*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*