While it’s not quite like a Usain Bolt 100m, some of these races are over short distances, which leaves limited time to react. Horse racing is a sport that can be tracked and monitored. By looking at the performance of the horses and their jockeys, we can try to guess how they might perform when the gates open. There are many sites dedicated to horse racing news features. Following these will give you some indication as to what you can expect in the run-up to a big event. Some major bookies even have their own news sections where they combine the latest news from the races with their predictions and outcomes.

Saturday 27th July’s Racecards for UK & Ireland

If the ground dries out, it might be that connections of Honeysuckle decide to run over this two-and-a-half mile trip rather than the extended two of the Champion Hurdle. The hallmark of those runs, and indeed her run style generally, is being held together off the pace before cruising through to prevail comfortably. In so doing it is hard to peg the level of her form exactly, always leaving the impression there is more in the tank. Lightly raced, as is often the modus operandi with Willie Mullins’ better mares, Concertista has run just twice this term. She beat the same mare, Minella Melody, by nearly two lengths in a Grade 2 in November and then by more than six lengths in a Grade 3 at the turn of the year.

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He had his warm up for this when cantering home in a two-runner Limited Handicap at Newcastle, against a rival receiving 19lb, and I think he has every chance of outrunning his odds here. I just wish we had eight runners for that 3rd each way place. The lightly-raced mare Magic Daze has been fairly well supported but I’m struggling to see her case. She was second in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle last season before finishing only fourth in a Listed mares’ event at Punchestown. Over fences, she’s one from three so far and she lacks obvious upside to my eye. Perhaps more interesting of the longer-priced Irish runners is Coeur Sublime, who ran in open Grade 1 hurdles last year and was rated 152 in that sphere.

Tuesday 14th March’s Racecards for UK & Ireland

• That leaves an opportunity on earlier shows to snaffle some value.
• If you’re John Butler or Mick Appleby – with the greatest respect to those genuinely fine exponents of their craft – you don’t have the luxury of a conveyor belt of million-pound yearlings lolloping into your barn annually.
• In 2020, Al Boum Photo raced midfield but never more than about five lengths from a lead shared without contest; and the previous year, the same horse was ridden more patiently after a number of rivals battled for early primacy.
• The first of those was a steadily run small field heat, but the second, the Rossington Main at Haydock, was well contested and Jonbon came home in a good time.
• The two wins were both achieved by the same horse, Buena Vista, in the same race, the Pertemps Final.
• Mind you, they did last season, CPS prevailing by most of four lengths.
• Depending on your selections, you can place a variety of bet types, including singles and multiples.
• Shishkin is undeniably more of a horse than Footpad, and a tear up on the front end could see him record the largest winning distance of the meeting.

Of stable form, it can be seen from the right hand part of the chart that the Henderson hordes have not been firing at their highest rate in recent months. Nor, mind you, has the win percentage been anything other than aspirational for most other yards. The Brown Advisory would have meant a likely clash with Monkfish, the Arkle a ding dong with Shiskin, Energumene and Allmankind. The Marsh feels a bit like the coward’s route for a horse boasting his CV.

• That brace of novice G1’s, the second of which was at beyond three miles, advertised his prospective Gold Cup claims, something a facile match score over The Big Breakaway did little to rebuke.
• He’s a very shrewd trainer who has Definitely Red in the Gold Cup.
• Irish-trained runners have more than twice the strike rate of their counterparts trained in UK.
• So that leaves Guineas heroine Elmalka and See The Fire as the main dangers.
• The three winners before the turn of the century were all 10 & 11yo’s so I’m not sure age is too much of an issue for this race.
• He’s the biggest price of the fancied quintet and that seems a little unfair.
• Roger Varian’s sprinter was unlucky not to take the spoils at Sandown, enduring a troubled passaged over the minimum trip.

NB – Second best selection of the day

Both the jump and Flat trainers’ championships run at the same time as the jockeys’ championships. However, there is a major difference in how the winner is determined as the trainers’ championship is decided by total prize-money rather than winners. In our new introduction to racing our experts have collated the most essential information to help you understand and enjoy this brilliant sport, including how to pick a winner, four must-know facts and how to watch the action. He has gone close a few times in these big handicaps and if his top rider can smuggle him through then he has every chance. Qirat is a worthy favourite having won a hot contest at Goodwood with a bit up his sleeve.

• The No Foto Needed service is an established member SBC’s Premium Tipster range and features winning racing tips from a true racing expert.
• A reproduction of that form may well suffice here, with Kemari, Regal Reality and Max Vega taken to fight it out for the minor medals.
• That would have netted 36 winners from 180 runners (20% strike rate, 69% race win strike rate) and a level stakes profit of 46.48 points at Starting Price.
• LH – It’s a horse race («thankfully»), and stuff can go wrong; but it will very much have to for CH to get beaten in the CH.
• And if they go a million on the front then he could just nick the whole enchilada.

More Australian success in King Charles III Stakes

So, during this short hiatus from decent turf action, I thought it might be worth looking at a couple of the more interesting ‘side bets’. In short, stuff could – and at some point probably will – happen. But I’d be hard pushed to bet against any of this quintet in the win slot if they trotted round at the start. If Energumene and Allmankind lock horns on the speed, they may both pay for those exertions in the manner that Saint Calvados and Petit Mouchoir did in the 2018 renewal of this race, setting things up for a 14-length rout for Footpad.

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LH – Thyme Hill form awful, the time was «glacial» 😆 Rain might be important for Gerri Colombe. Without rain, not sure he’ll enjoy downhill sections of the track. MT – Would love to own Hermes Allen, but wouldn’t run him in this race!

Cheltenham Festival Novice Grade 1’s (excl. Bumper & Triumph Hurdle)

We’ve got to balance the style and potential of Dysart Dynamo and Constitution Hill against the substance of Jonbon, Kilcruit and Mighty Potter. Given the prices, where style is in the realms of win only wagering, and substance comes with each way potential, I’ll let the pin up boys beat me if they can. The more I look at the Supreme, the more I feel like Mighty Potter should get a lovely lead into the business end and will get the end-to-end gallop that suits him best. He’s the biggest price of the fancied quintet and that seems a little unfair.

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He will have to be at his very best because he takes on two previous winners of this race. Of the rest, Rumstar has run some big races in top handicaps and has every chance of outrunning his insulting odds. The selection’s stablemate Hamish won this in 2022 and is in his element when the mud is flying. The main concern with him is that he has run poorly on his last two starts.

Cheltenham preview update

• Brian Ellison was very confident that he was coming back to form when asked in a recent interview about his 9-year-old for Sky Sports Racing.
• At the end of the day, this is a results business, and if a system isn’t driving results, punters won’t stick with it for long.
• Racing and horse betting really picked up in Tudor times.
• Our RP Recommends section has plenty of information and offers impartial advice from our experts in order to help know who, when, where and how to place your bet.

Five-year-old Marie’s Rock had won a Listed mares race at Taunton, and Love Envoi was a year away from making her debut. The outcome of the race largely depends on Lossiemouth’s ability to stay the 2m 4f distance today. However, her tendency to be keen raises a doubt about her effectiveness over longer distances. Last year’s runner-up, Love Envoi, is a contender for the places once again.

Cheltenham Festival 2023: Day One Preview, Tips

Embassy Gardens, like Corbett’s Cross, was a big fancy (ante-post favourite) for the Albert Bartlett 12 months ago, but pulled up before running down the field at Punchestown. As such, he’s short enough to be backing at current odds. Mention this in hushed tones, but is it possible that this year’s Irish cohort are not as good as normal?

Runners and race-by-race tips for Goodwood on Friday

Western Climate runs in his first handicap having run well in a Hereford novice that is looking to be quite strong form. Deposit & play £10 on Bingo within 7 days to get £40 Bingo bonus, 50 Free Spins & Club Voucher. Selected games, wagering requirement and expiry dates apply. Up to 200 spins over 4 day period from first deposit & spend of £10. Max 50 spins each day at 10p per spin for 4 consecutive days.

There is currently little value in the early markets for this tight little handicap. Le Breuil looked very impressive on latest start, with the form being sound. 2023 less markets were traded – 17,459 – but a with a similar profit to 2022. 2022 saw TradeHost become even more profitable with 22,698 Betfair markets traded. Then you will love the 2022 Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide in association with the Sporting Life. A firm favourite with punters for nearly two decades, the guide is now in its 23rd consecutive year and back better than ever before.

They’re away in the Novices’ Chase

The undoubted highlight of day one is the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle. Since just under two hours before last year’s Champion Hurdle, Constitution Hill has been close to, or outright, favourite for the 2023 renewal. The reason for that was his destruction of a solid-looking Supreme Novices’ Hurdle field in the 2022 curtain raiser, where he easily despatched Jonbon et al in a very fast time. True, both Dysart Dynamo (joint favourite with CH that day) and Mighty Potter, unbeaten in four since, both failed to complete; but that is, after all, a fairly important part of the challenge. Corach Rambler won the race last year and will again be played late; he was much the best that day and is only six pounds higher now. A fine fourth of 15 in the Coral Gold Cup (Hennessy as was) in November was his most recent run, though that was 108 days ago.

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The eight-year-old’s owner, Patricia Pugh, is curator at the Horseracing Museum in Newmarket but in Altior, the Latin for higher, she has a priceless artefact, the star exhibit, a Champion who can rule this division for a couple of years yet. “The foot (Monday’s infection) was nothing,” said a beaming Henderson. “It was of no consequence and when he wasn’t winning round the last bend I wasn’t about to start using that as an excuse. It has been a tough year (with his wind operation) and he’s been missing out but he’s very good, he’s just got gears.

Davy Russell stood down for Fred Winter

Fleur Au Fusil caught my eye with her recent Leopardstown victory, but she’ll require the hood to help settle her if she’s to get home, although the faster race tempo should also help. Both Jalon D’oudairies & Romeo Coolio, trained by Gordon Elliott, stand out as strong contenders, and it’s difficult to choose between the two. Teeshan appears to be the top choice among the British runners and can secure a place, or even victory, in the race.

He’s won his last four starts, all Grade 1’s, by 12L, 22L, 12L, and 17L – and had won his previous start by 14L. His speed figures are just about off the scale and he can take a position wherever in the field meaning tactics are not a worry. Given he’s normally an excellent jumper, there are essentially no holes in Constitution Hill’s profile whatsoever and he’s a very worthy odds-on favourite. The Supreme is sometimes won by a clear cut favourite – think Appreciate It or Douvan – but, more often than not, the waters are muddier and the multiple returned for finding the winner more appealing. This year falls into the latter bracket, and surely bookies all over the country will be desperately trying to ‘get’ Facile Vega.

Yesterday’s blog underlined why having a clear line on true value is so important in successful long term professional backing. I had La Breuil in at evens favourite, the impressive winner touched 2/1 before returning an SP of 15/8. Despite the drift from an opening 13/8 – getting around 2/1 for an even money chance is clearly value. The same happened later at Newbury for a race I briefed my private clients about.

Jockeys are important at this meeting, however, and the experience of Rachael Blackmore versus the exuberance of Chester Williams tilts the pendulum in favour of Champion Green if having to choose between them. Gordon’s Britzka and Ebasari both measure up on this ‘interesting rag’ angle but are shorter than ideal to take the chance. The Mares’ Hurdle had been dominated by Willie Mullins almost since its inception in 2008. Mullins was actually unrepresented in that inaugural running, but then went on to win nine of the next ten editions, six of them with the fantastic though only occasionally seen Quevega. However, more recently, the omnipotent Closutton barn has enjoyed success in the Mares’ Hurdle only once in the last five years, and not at all in the last three.

One final thing I would urge you to do is to check the Racing Post Ratings, which are usually found to the left-hand side of the odds. These represent the views of Racing Post experts and, generally speaking, the higher the rating, the better the horse’s chance. Quality of racing, beauty, atmosphere and history all play an important part in determining just how good a racecourse is, and the following made our top ten list . The jockey with the most winners in each championship will take the title. The jump jockeys’ championship runs for the majority of the year, with just a one-week break.

It probably makes sense to compare a longer period pre-Cheltenham with a shorter period pre-Cheltenham with performance at the Festival itself. Percentage of Rivals Beaten (PRB) is a means of applying a sliding scale of merit to every finishing position, and doing it in relation to the field size in which that finish was achieved. For instance, 2nd of four has less merit on this metric than 2nd of 40 – and rightly so, of course. Sizing John in 2017 was trying a longer trip and was ridden accordingly, with patience.

All the talk’s about Altior with less than 15 minutes left until the big race of the day. Late change of jockey in the Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle. Davy Russell has been stood down for the day after his fall from Bless The Wings in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase. 33/1 Veneer of Charm wins well to make it a treble in the afternoon for Gordon Elliot.

It is no surprise to see horses that ran in Ireland LTO coming out on top in terms of strike rate, returns and A/E indices. There is, however, one Irish course where caution might be advised, and that is Gowran Park. Just 2 winners from 90 runners in the last 15 years prepped there, with losses amounting to over 88p in the £. The data show a poor record for odds-on runners, but in general short- to mid-range prices do quite well. The cut off price looks to be at 14/1 – at this price and bigger Grade 1 runners have performed poorly.

Cause of Causes, half brother to 2003 Epsom Derby winner Kris Kin, goes off as the 3-1 favourite, Last Samurai follows him in the betting at 7-2. Nube Negra starts as favourite in the penultimate race of the day. This is never a race to be confident of solving as there is always so much untapped talent waiting to appear. Acey Milan has plenty of experience and has shown smart speed for a bumper horse. The Irish have won six to Great britain’s four in the past 10 years. Blackbow and Felix Desy look their principal hopes this time around.

The ex-French four-year-old, who joined Karl Burke for the start of the year, travelled from Middleham to Newcastle on 16 March with a record of one win from 15 attempts. Will Buick’s partner dropped to handicap company for a valuable event on Sandown Park’s Coral-Eclipse undercard and lost little in defeat with a three-quarter-length second to Sinjaari. There is more to come on the fifth outing of Checkandchallenge’s promising career and he’s fancied to take the step back up in class in his stride.

The overall figures now stand at 8/467 (1.71% SR, A/E 0.58) since 2008. Ignoring the Albert Bartlett, horses priced 16/1+ in novice Grade 1’s are now 3/327 (0.92% SR, -251 at SP) since 2008. Even allowing a little latitude in the ‘potato race’, the four rags came from a total population of 336 horses sent off greater than 16/1. All of the above verbosity is by way of suggesting that Shishkin will probably win assuming he turns up in one piece (never a given). But a top priced 8/11, whilst still very far from offensive in value terms, is unexciting for those of us with limited elevens to risk in the pursuit of eights.

So far he’s been beaten in two maidens before getting off the mark in a third such race, and that doesn’t fit with this race. To help you make your selection, you can access more information by clicking on the horse’s name on both today’s and tomorrow’s racecards. This will cause the horse’s information to slide out with all the key details. Jockey and trainer are obviously crucial, along with age and weight.

“I wouldn’t complain at Alexis (Pouchin); I’m happy with the ride, but he started galloping the last 200 metres when he had the gap. When he saw the horse coming along it was too late, the other two went already. But it was good to see that he is of the level to run with the best. «I just really hope the that one day they go a really good gallop so that we get to see him really Bolts Up Daily show his true potential. At the moment he’s just showing how versatile he really is. POLITOLOGUE Has enjoyed a fine season but was no match for Altior at Newbury recently; tough and consistent, he has place prospects. DOUVAN Suffered serious injury in this race a year ago and not run since; hugely talented but remains to be seen if he can recover that level of form.