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Cheltenham Festival 2018

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As all the horse racing fanatics will know, Cheltenham Festival 2018 is just around the corner. The annual event attracts thousands of viewers and visitors worldwide, and is well known for its atmosphere – most notably the “Cheltenham roar”. The horse racing odds available also means that hundreds on millions of pounds are expected gambled during the week.

This year’s Cheltenham Festival is a momentous one for the event as its prize pool of around £5 million means it has the largest prize pool of any Cheltenham festival. Although there are numerous reasons why the prize pools have increased over the years, the main reason is due to the investment from the Jockey Club. Since the 18th century, the club have invested in the sport by opening new racecourses, improve existing ones, and investing in training and racecourse facilities in order to bring them to the highest standard possible. These investments and improvements have led to the sport becoming very popular and, as a result, the prize pool has also improved because of this investment. [Read more…]

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38 Cheltenham Gold Cup 2018 Entries Announced

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The top national hunt trainers across the UK and Ireland have declared 38 horses for the Cheltenham Gold Cup on 16th March. If you are not familiar with the system, this is a potential list of runners only, with the field for the race averaging around a dozen over the last ten years.

Still, with most bookmakers offering non-runner/no bet markets (your stake is returned if your horse does not compete in the race), there is some value to be found in this inflated field.

Before looking at some of the contenders, it should be pointed out that there are two notable absences from the list – Yorkhill and Thistlecrack. While both have been out of form recently, they would have figured prominently in the betting.

Below is a guide to some of the entries creating a stir with pundits and tipsters. If you agree with any of the selections, check out how you can claim a free bet from major bookies to bet on Cheltenham before you part with any cash. [Read more…]

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Top factors to look for on a race card; deciphering the race card and what to look for before placing a bet

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When heading to the horse racing the first thing many people will do is to get a race card on entry. This covers the form and horses involved in the races on the day. However what are the top factors to look for on these race cards and what are the most important stats to take from them before placing a bet.

Race Details and Conditions

The first part on a race card will show the list of races and the times that they are scheduled to start. A usual race day will have a start time of around 2pm. The code of the race will be displayed on the race card such as a flat race, chase, hurdle or a bumper. It will also show the distance of the race and the level of class of the race such as a group race or a handicap for example. One of the key things to look for on a race card that also may change on the day is the ground conditions. This can have a major impact on the result of the race with many race horses only able to handle certain conditions and will therefore run below their best.

Handicaps

A large proportion of races in the UK are handicaps. These races consist of giving all horses an equal chance due to the weight they are carrying based on their ratings. This is where the aim of the game for connections is to get a horse well in and therefore have a good chance to win a race of the weight they have to carry. Different factors to take in to account could be top weights and low weights in races. Claiming jockeys taking weights of horses for example and penalties that horses will have for running well or winning previously. [Read more…]

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Grand National 2016 Preview

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Many Clouds is favourite to win the Aintree Grand National for a second successive season when he lines up on April 9th.

Aintree Grand National

Many Clouds bids to emulate Red Rum at Aintree

Oliver Sherwood’s nine-year-old only ran in the race on the insistence of owner Trevor Hemmings last year following a disappointing run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Racing off a mark of 160, he ran on gamely to hold off Saint Are by a length and three-quarters at odds of 25-1.

Many Clouds and Leighton Aspell on their way to a clear-cut victory in Betbright Cup at Cheltenham

His entire campaign has been geared to a repeat victory this season. He needed the run at Wetherby in October before chasing home Don Poli at Aintree in December. He was then beaten 12 lengths by Smad Place at Cheltenham in heavy ground in January before completing his preparation with an easy victory at Kelso.

Although only 5lbs higher this year, he will still have to carry top weight of 11st 10lbs. The last horse to win the Grand National in successive seasons was Red Rum in 1973-74.

Paul Nicholls won the Grand National for the first time when Neptune Collonges beat Sunnyhillboy in a dramatic photo-finish in 2012. He saddles Silviniaco Conti this year, twice a winner of the Grade 1 King George VI Chase at Kempton Park. The chestnut was pulled up when attempting a third victory in December but bounced back to win impressively at Ascot. Nicholls decided to by-pass the Cheltenham Gold Cup in favour of a tilt at the Grand National this year.

The Last Samuri enjoys perfect Aintree preparation

Kim Bailey has rarely hit the headlines since winning the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup back in 1995. Harry Topper won three Grade 2 races for the stable in recent seasons while Darna won at the 2015 Cheltenham festival. He has a leading Grand National contender in The Last Samuri, an eight-year-old gelding by Flemensfirth.

The Last Samuri

He has improved with every run this season and was particularly impressive when beating The Druids Nephew by ten lengths in the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster. He is a safe jumper who likes good ground so he has to be on the short-list with only 10st 8lbs to carry at Aintree. [Read more…]

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A look at the 2016 Cheltenham Festival

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With less than one month until the 2016 Cheltenham Festival gets underway, it’s time to start checking out the form guides, betting markets and runners and riders for each and every race. The festival itself will span four days and plays host to a number of Group One races – including the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup, Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Champion Hurdle.

In 2015, almost a quarter of a million people passed through the famous gates of Cheltenham and officials are estimating over 250,000 to attend this year’s festival. The event is growing at a rapid rate and avid racing fans from all over the world now travel to Cheltenham to see the best horses on the planet compete against each other in some of the biggest races in the sport.

2016 Cheltenham Festival

This year, many punters will be hoping the Ruby Walsh-Willie Mullins combination strikes gold again. In 2015, the duo combined for a treble on the opening day of the festival, which has since been labelled as “Ruby Tuesday”. The nine-time Cheltenham top jockey is looking for yet another accolade this year and stands a great chance with Mullins’ horses.

Walsh will be riding the likes of Faugheen, Douvan and Annie Power once again and his mounts’ odds have shot in considerably in recent weeks. In fact, Coral now price a Min, Douvan, Faugheen and Annie Power quadruple at just 6/1. As the betting markets heat up, so does the excitement and anticipation for the event – we simply cannot wait! [Read more…]

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Horse Racing Bets – The Key to Big Wins at the Track!

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If you’re like most people, you can’t make it down to the race track all the time. Maybe once or twice a year you travel to see a big race, but you usually just catch them on television. No matter how you decide to watch all of the races, the key here is to make sure that you’re betting regularly. A regular betting cycle will give you the best chances on making a profit. Otherwise, you just end up feeling frustrated and confused. When you put all of your bankroll on one race, that’s the exact reaction that you are setting yourself up for. We see this during the height of Derby season, but it shows up in other races too.

Horse Racing Bets

The key here is to make horse racing bets part of a regular routine, and then dig deep into the world of horses. You should learn how they’re bred, what trainers do, how they bring out the best in the horse. Knowing more about horses than others will help you pick the very best ones, rather than just going on what some sports commentator thinks. Horse handicapping comes down to superior knowledge, not necessarily expensive tools. After all, the spirit of betting has been around for a long time.

How hard is that horse competing in the overall racing cycle? The same horse that seems to have no rest and little preparation isn’t a top contender, while the horse that seems to never be in a race until the very last minute isn’t a good bet either. It’s better to have a cross between the two extremes: a well rounded horse that has a well known trainer and stable. Not every horse owner really understands the sport. Some are just in it for fame and glory, rather than really trying to get the maximum potential out of each horse.

Want the best path to success? Bet online. We know that it sounds very straightforward, but sometimes the best solutions come from the most straightforward thinking. Getting online gives you the best odds, a great community to chat with as you bet, and the more information possible. You won’t have to risk missing a race, either. Online sportsbooks are here to stay, so check them out today!

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What California Chrome’s Loss at Belmont Really Says for Horse Racing?

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You’ve had time to deal with the results already, so we’ll be blunt: C. Chrome lost. A fourth place finish isn’t the end of the world, but it’s still a long way from being a Triple Crown winner. There were some punters that worried about C. Chrome from the beginning. Yes, the horse took the Derby. Yes, the horse took the Preakness. But concerns about speed and endurance have always been hanging out in the background, all the way back during the Road to the Derby series.

Again, the horse is still impressive. People are moaning about the loss of the Crown as if it means that this wonderful horse is bound for a slaughterhouse in some foreign land. That’s just not the case at all. California Chrome is a great horse, with a lot more fight in him than meets the eye.

Let’s not forget all of the stud fees that the owners are going to be able to collect. Winning the Derby and the Preakness definitely gets you noticed. Tonalist won the Belmont, but that win is opening up some controversial doors. It also says a lot about horse racing.

California Chrome

Tradition has a difficult time surviving in the modern world, especially when the modern era is so digital. We have much more data to work with than we used to, and this requires the racing world to change. Should Tonalist been allowed to compete in the last leg of the Crown, when the horse didn’t race in the Derby or the Preakness? Some say yes, but others say that this change is disastrous. They say it’s not fair that C. Chrome had to race in both prior races while Tonalist was allowed to compete “fresh”.

We think that some sort of agreement needs to be reached. If the fresh horses are allowed to compete, some will feel that it doesn’t accurately display the skills of the other horses. On the other hand, some say that a true Triple Crown champion should be able to defeat even the fresh horses to take the title properly.

This is an argument that won’t be concluded anytime soon. Some people are just sore that California Chrome didn’t take the title, since it’s been 38 years since a horse has been able to take the title.

There were some punters rejoicing on that loss, of course: if you bet against California Chrome taking the title, then you might have made some money off side bets. You could also make money off C. Chrome’s 4th place win. It’s all about how you structure your bets 🙂

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