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Michael Brunton Memorial British EBF Novice Stakes (GBB Race)

14:30 Salisbury Wed 12 Aug 2026 0m6f0y Class 4 Good to Firm 10 runners

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Mr Fox’s call

Forbidden Fire silks

Forbidden Fire

SPECULATIVE Advised 10/3 SP 5/2 Est. 35%

🏆 WON

Mr Fox says

Forbidden Fire (SR:154, 10/3) carries the highest Saturday Rating in the field and has shortened 20% in the market — the only horse showing meaningful market confidence in this race. The 5lb weight allowance (9-2 vs 9-7 for the field) is a genuine edge in a level weights novice. Andrew Balding (19% strike rate, 1,424 runners — the strongest training record in the field) combines with Oisin Murphy (21%, 1,294 runners), the highest-calibre jockey booking on the card, sending a clear signal about stable confidence. As a debutant, the SR of 154 places it comfortably above the competitive threshold, and the Balding-Murphy axis on a market mover is the single strongest alignment of signals in this race. Each-way alternative: Saturn Star. Main danger: Saturn Star — Saturn Star (SR:150, 10/3) is the Beckett yard's flagged #1 runner, carries Hector Crouch at a 17% strike rate, and shares joint-favouritism at 10/3 — if Beckett has trained this debutant specifically for Salisbury, the yard's 17% overall strike rate makes it a genuine first-time-out threat.

Verify· #11936

Full result

Winner: Forbidden Fire (GB) at SP 5/2. Mr Fox’s picks highlighted in gold.

  1. 1 Forbidden Fire silks Forbidden Fire Fox #1 Andrew Balding · Oisin Murphy 11/4
  2. 2 Ongombo silks Ongombo Charlie Fellowes · Paddy Bradley 14/1
  3. 3 Easy Answer silks Easy Answer Fox #3 Michael Bell · Callum Shepherd 3/1
  4. 4 First Mate silks First Mate Eve Johnson Houghton · Tom Marquand 14/1
  5. 5 Gold Reef City silks Gold Reef City Ralph Beckett · Robbie Downey 11/1
  6. 6 Arctic Tsar silks Arctic Tsar Clive Cox · Joe Leavy 28/1
  7. 7 Goodwood Meteor silks Goodwood Meteor Marcus Tregoning · Rob Hornby 16/1
  8. 8 Hackpen Hill silks Hackpen Hill Ed Walker · Kieran Shoemark 18/1
  9. — Flick Of An Eye silks Flick Of An Eye Simon & Ed Crisford · David Probert -
  10. — Saturn Star silks Saturn Star Fox #2 Ralph Beckett · Hector Crouch 11/4

Top 4 — how each finished

  1. 1 Forbidden Fire silks Forbidden Fire 10/3 SP 5/2 🏆 WON
  2. 2 Saturn Star silks Saturn Star 10/3
  3. 3 Easy Answer silks Easy Answer 7/2 🥉 3RD