The Arena Racing Company Laurels Final 2026

The Arena Racing Company Laurels final 2026

It is a fascinating final of the Arena Racing Company Laurels on Saturday night at Monmore. The betting suggests that it is two against the field, but will it be as simple as that on sand as it is on paper?

Romeo Steel - Patrick Janssens - Mr D Firmager - 5/4

The red jacket is worth five lengths to him was the quote given by Patrick Janssens earlier on in the week. If that is the case, he is going to prove very hard to beat here. He was behind Droopys Aladdin when they were drawn the same way around but in two and three in the heats but this is a different setup.

That was actually his best sectional of the competition so far, he just couldn't quite clear Bower Sheeran into the bend with Mike Burton's charge benefitting from an unusually slow break to tuck behind and slip inside of the trouble. The red jacket means he can control the rails easier now and that is clearly a plus. 

No Better Feelin - Esther Driver - Iffy Trap - 20/1

The 2025 Derby semi-finalist is a huge price if he could tap back into that level of form at this track. The impression is that he is better suited to more of a galloping track than Dunstall Park can really offer him, 500m on his home track of Nottingham proving a very happy hunting ground.

He has been runner-up in both his heat and his semi. The first of those behind Elusivenomore who had his favoured red jacket on his back and then when just failing to run down Toddys Wolf in the semis, running on strongly to only be beaten a head. He probably needs a bit of trouble in front of him but he will be finishing off powerfully.

Droopys Aladdin - Mike Burton - Severn Racing Club - 6/4

It's a second straight Category One final for Droopys Aladdin having made the decider of the Ladbrokes Winter Derby at Monmore. He has won all three of his starts at Dunstall Park in gradually quicker times, so he is building a decent body of work at the track.

The question once more for him as a bang railer is how does he cope with being in three? Things worked out beautifully for him in the heats from here but this doesn't shape up to look the same way. He is getting used to the wider draws, 4/10 in his career but unbeaten in his last three. 

Ballymac Blanco - Maxine Locke - JR Racing Syndicate - 10/1

It's great to see this flashy sort in a big final. He has been such a consistent performer for the 18 months that he has been racing but this is his first opportunity to strut his stuff in a Category One decider. 

Sadly for him, he looks to have a very difficult draw to overcome with a pair of very quick starters to his left. He has won from this wide, in a the Gold Collar Consolation at Hove last autumn when beating Droopys Plunge. He stays the trip well but avoiding early trouble will bring crucial.

Droopys Trade - Craig Morris - Mr C Morris - 10/1

A heat winner from the red jacket, it is the orange that Droopys Trade will have to sport in the final. There is no doubt that he has the early gears to get himself competitive on the run to the opening bend, but will he get the run that he needs drawn so wide?

He is another who has improved with each look around the track, so there is a bigger effort still in him, keeping to his task well when chasing home Romeo Steel in the semis last week, but he is going to need some luck in running from here. 

Toddys Wolf - Tom Heilbron - Messers A, G & N Todd - 20/1

Clocked a 2.99 sectional in a trial but has not looked like coming close to a sub three-second split in any of his three races at this track. The move to the striped jacket as the only seeded runner also asks a different question of him, but he will have plenty of room to manoeuvre in the early stages.

He showed in the Winter Derby that he is capable of hanging with the likes of Droopys Aladdin, beating that rival in the semi-final before finishing behind him in the decider having led to halfway. No surprise to see him come away better and will give his connections a good run if he does.  

Conclusion 

The draw suggests that the bookmakers have made Romeo Steel the correct favourite in the final. He is going to have to be on his toes from the lids as there are four other railers on his outside all looking to move to the left in the early stages. Droopys Aladdin is the clear threat to Romeo Steel and while Toddys Wolf has a bit to find on the clock to get competitive, a slicker exit would be no shock and as the sole seeded runner, he should enjoy plenty of space.

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