The opening day of action at the Cambridgeshire Meeting is headlined by the Tattersalls Stakes. Registered as the Somerville Stakes, this Group Three was first held on the Rowley Mile in 1977, and juveniles who pass this test often go on to run in the Dewhurst Stakes staged here at Newmarket in October.
We've taken a look through the betting for this year's Tattersalls Stakes and picked out our best betting tips.
2026 Tattersalls Stakes Odds
| Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| Mezzo Forte | 3/1 |
| Fuel The Jet | 5/1 |
| Jimtrott | 5/1 |
| Great Balls O'Fire | 11/2 |
| Varzi | 6/1 |
| Sontsivka | 7/1 |
| Bar | 10/1 |
2026 Tattersalls Stakes Runners
Given this race has been won by horses from superpower stables in recent years, there's a fairly low-key feel to Thursday's Tattersalls Stakes. The favourite is William Haggas' Mezzo Forte, who won his maiden at York earlier this month and will be ridden for the first time by Ryan Moore.
Tom Clover will step Doncaster handicap winner Fuel The Jet back into Pattern company. Charlie Bishop and Eve Johnson Houghton team up with Leicester winner Jimtrott, while Saffie Osborne jumps into the saddle aboard Richard Spencer's once-raced colt Great Balls O'Fire.
Karl Burke's Varzi is out quickly after a fifth-place finish in the Flying Scotsman Stakes. Superlative Stakes sixth Notable Dream has been drawn in stall one. Hugo Palmer's Sontsivka steps up in class after a maiden win at Kempton. Brian Meehan's Cilician and Ralph Beckett's gelding Undiscovered will be hoping to make their experience count in Thursday's juvenile feature.
2026 Tattersalls Stakes Tips
Distant Storm and Wichita both won this Group Three before placing in the following year's 2000 Guineas, while 2021 winner Modern Games landed the French Guineas on his return the following season. It's hard to imagine that there's a Classic contender in Thursday's field, but we've still got an interesting race to enjoy nonetheless.
GREAT BALLS O'FIRE looked potentially smart when winning on debut here at Newmarket. George Wood allowed his debuting mount time to find his feet on the July Course, and the early pace wasn't particularly frenetic. Richard Spencer's newcomer took a little while to hit top gear, but once he did, Great Balls O'Fire quickened up nicely to pass the entire field and win by a length and a half.
Spencer's colt was backed into 6/4 before the off that day, and owner Phil Cunningham said after his victory that he was probably the best juvenile in the stable at that time. Words Of Truth won the same maiden before ending his 2025 campaign with victory in the Middle Park Stakes, but this colt is by Too Darn Hot and his dam won her maiden over seven furlongs, so Great Balls O'Fire's future looks to be over this sort of trip.
Mezzo Forte, Jimtrott and Varzi all like to go forward, so Saffie Osborne should get a fairly strong pace to settle behind. Great Balls O'Fire made a lovely impression on debut, and I fancy he could be the one to side with against more exposed rivals.
Visit our Tattersalls Stakes Live Stream page if you want to watch any of Thursday's races at Newmarket via a mobile or tablet.
Live Stream
Visit our Tattersalls Stakes Live Stream page if you want to watch any of Thursday's races at Newmarket via a mobile or tablet.