Betting Tips
David DunningLast updated February 29th, 2016
The Heroes Handicap Hurdle has been run in various guises since it was established in 1986, but is always competitive and has thrown up winners at 20/1, 16/1 and 10/1 in recent years (3pm Saturday at Sandown live on CH4).
Baywing (4/1), who has won all four starts this season with a minimum of fuss, heads themore…
Last updated March 1st, 2016
The Sky Bet Chase, run over three miles at Doncaster, has attracted a 15-strong field headed by last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup fourth Holywell (3.15pm Saturday live on CH4 TV).
Trainer Jonjo O’Neill (pictured) saddles nine-year-old Holywell (8/1), who drops back intomore…
Last updated March 1st, 2016
The Welsh Grand National, run over 3 miles 5½ furlongs at Chepstow, presents a stern test of stamina and jumping ability under any circumstances but, under the prevailing testing conditions, could turn into a war of attrition which few survive (1.45pm Saturday live on CH4).
Last year’s winner Emperor’s Choice (11/1) needed every yard ofmore…
Last updated March 1st, 2016
The Ladbroke Hurdle is a hugely competitive 2m handicap run at Ascot, but interestingly Irish trainer Gordon Elliot (pictured) has won two of the last three renewals (3.35pm Saturday live on CH4 Racing).
So Elliot’s four-year-old Vercingetorix (33/1) is worth more than a cursory glance. The Dylan Thomas gelding won amore…
Last updated March 1st, 2016
The 2m4½f Caspian Caviar Gold Cup features five of the first six home in Paddy Power Gold Cup so is an understandably tight betting heat (1.50pm Cheltenham, Saturday live on CH4).
Winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup, Annacotty (8/1) appears an obvious starting point. The Beneficial gelding wasmore…
Last updated March 1st, 2016
Just four horses – Arkle, Bregawn, Denman and Bobs Worth – have won the Hennessy Gold Cup and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season but Saphir Du Rheu (4/1) aims to enhance his claims as a contender for the Blue Riband event by conceding 7lb and more to his Hennessy rivals (3pm Saturday at Newbury).
Paul Nicholls’ six-year-old returned to action with an easymore…
Last updated March 1st, 2016
The Betfair Chase is the first leg of the newly branded Chase Triple Crown, which offers a £1 million bonus to any horse that can win this race, the King George VI Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season (3pm Saturday at Haydock on CH4).
Disappointingly, none of the major contenders for themore…
Last updated March 1st, 2016
The Paddy Power Gold Cup, run over an extended 2 miles 4 furlongs on the Old Course at Cheltenham, is the first high-profile handicap chase of the jumps season and, as usual, is fiercely competitive (2.25pm on CH4 TV).
Sound Investment (16/1) heads the weights for this 22-strong field after recording a career-best effort in themore…
The November Handicap, run over 1 mile 4 furlongs at Doncaster, is the last major handicap of the Flat turf season (3.30pm Saturday at Doncaster, live on CH4 TV).
Last year’s winner Open Eagle was the first winning favourite since 1995 and, at the time of writing, Penhill (6/1) holds the dubious honour of heading the market. Penhill won a 0-100 handicap overmore…
The final Group 1 race of the season, the Racing Post Trophy, has been dominated by Aidan O’Brien in recent years and this year the Irish trainer is responsible for three of the seven runners (3.45 Saturday at Doncaster live on CH4 TV).
If the bookmakers are to be believed, Deauville (7/2) appears to be O’Brien’s best chance of winning the race formore…
The 1m2f Champion Stakes (3.05pm) is the final race in the British Champions Series Middle Distance category, sponsored by QIPCO and the highlight of four Group 1 races at Ascot on Saturday.
This year’s renewal revolves around Jack Hobbs (5/4), who had to play second fiddle behind higher-profilemore…
The Cesarewitch has thrown up winners at 66/1 (twice), 50/1 and 25/1 in the last ten years and this year’s renewal presents another competitive affair (3:50pm Saturday, Newmarket on CH4).
Sir Mark Prescott (pictured) saddles four for this 2m2f race, Tony Martin saddles three and several other trainers aremore…
The Totescoop6 Challenge Cup is a competitive as ever, but conventional wisdom dictates that a middle to high draw is an advantage and Ayr Gold Cup runners have provided four of the last six winners (3.45pm Saturday, Ascot).
Working down the racecard, Heaven’s Guest, Rene Mathis, Tanzeel, Majestic Moon, Buckstay and Professor all ran atmore…
The Cambridgeshire Handicap, run over 1 mile 1 furlong on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket, is the betting highlight of the eponymous three-day meeting (3.50pm Saturday on CH4).
A maximum field of 35 runners makes it difficult to pick one with any degree of confidence, but wemore…
The £180,000 Ayr Gold Cup, run over six furlongs, is always fiercely competitive as might be expected of such as valuable contest (3.45pm Saturday on CH4 TV).
However, just one favourite has won in the last 20 years and just two winners in that period were returned at single-figure odds, so the race presents decent betting opportunities.more…
The fifth and final British Classic of the season, the St Leger Stakes, requires little introduction (3.45pm Saturday at Doncaster live on CH4 TV).
This year’s renewal features four horses – three of whom are trained by Aidan O’Brien – who are rated within 2lb of each other according to the BHA and choosing between them ismore…
Last updated August 6th, 2020
The five-furlong Beverley Bullet Stakes is the most prestigious race of the season at the track and is made slightly easier, from a punter’s point of view, by a pronounced bias towards horses drawn low (2.20pm Saturday, Beverley on CH4).
A tight, right-hand bend and the undulations of the course mean that horses drawn on the inside have amore…
The Hungerford Stakes, run over the straight seven furlongs at Newbury, is competitive enough as it stands this year without all the rain the track has had (3.45 Saturday). It’s safe to assume that the going will be on the soft side and that’s reflected in the betting.
At the time of writing, Home Of The Brave (11/2) is just aboutmore…
The 1m2f Nassau Stakes, for fillies and mares aged three years and upwards, is the feature race on the final day of Glorious Goodwood (3.10pm, Saturday).
This year’s renewal features a rematch between Diamondsandrubies (7/2) and Legatissimo (15/8), who were separated by just a short head when first and second in themore…
The Sky Bet Dash, run over 6f at York, is always hugely competitive, however it appears that runners drawn high have a distinct advantage (3.30pm Saturday on CH4).
Gran Canaria Queen (16/1) has the plum draw in stall 20 and looked better than ever when making all tomore…
The Irish Oaks, run over 1m4f at The Curragh, hasn’t been dominated by Aidan O’Brien in the same way as the Irish Derby, but the master of Ballydoyle has still saddled four winners in the last ten years (5.50pm Saturday).
This year, the twice-raced Dansili filly Words (best at 7/2) looks the pick of his quartet, but there aremore…
The 6f Diamond Jubilee Stakes is the second Group 1 sprint of Royal Ascot for older horses. It is often contested by horses that ran in the King’s Stand Stakes over 5f on the opening day (4.20pm Saturday).
Indeed, this year Pearl Secret (16/1) makes a quick reappearance after finishing fourth, beaten just a length, in themore…
The Gold Cup run over 2m4f on Ladies’ Day is still considered by many to be the highlight of the meeting. This year the race has attracted a cosmopolitan field of stayers from all over Europe (4.20pm,Thursday).
Favourites have a particularly strong record in the Ascot Gold Cup with seven of the last ten obliging, somore…
The Scottish Sprint Cup run over 5f at Musselburgh is worth £100,000 in guaranteed prizemoney and invariably attracts some of the leading sprint handicappers (3.25pm Saturday).
Red Baron (5/1), who has already won three times this season, justifiably heads the market. Most recently, Eric Alston’s six-year-old failed bymore…
A star cast of sprinters takes the stage for the feature race of the weekend, the Group 2 Temple Stakes (3.45pm Saturday at Haydock).
Marginal favourite Goldream (11/2) showed consistent form in handicaps last season, winning three times and finishing in the first four on all eight starts. He made a seamless transition tomore…
The 2m5f Caspian Caviar December Gold Cup has less strength in depth for a 13-runner handicap chase than might first appear (2pm Saturday, Cheltenham, live on Channel 4).
Improving Caid Du Berlais (7/2), winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup Chase over 2m4½f on the Old Course atmore…
The Breeders Cup Turf, run over 1m4f, invariably attracts the top middle distance talent from Europe and North America. Indeed, European trainers have saddled seven of the last ten winners and are well represented in this year’s renewal (10.22pm GMT, Saturday at Santa Anita, USA).
Following the defection of last year’s winner, Magician,more…
This year’s renewal of the £1.3million Group 1 Champions Stakes, run over 1m2f at Ascot has attracted a typically high-class field of nine runners (4.05pm, Saturday).
This includes a previous Champion Stakes winner in the prolific French-trained gelding Cirrus Des Aigles (11/8). He has finished second in the race for the last two years, following his win in 2011.more…
The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, run over one and a half miles at Longchamp in Paris is the most valuable race in Europe and invariably attracts the elite middle distance talent from all parts of the globe (3.30pm, Sunday) .
This year’s renewal features contenders from Great Britain, Ireland, Germany and Japan, as well as amore…
This year’s 20-runner Ebor Handicap features a hotpot in the form of Pallasator (4/1) but whether Sir Mark Prescott’s (pictured) five-year-old represents any real value at such restrictive odds remains to be seen (3.50pm, York, Saturday).
It is a sobering thought that just three favourites have won the Ebor in the last 20 years and with winners at 100/1, 33/1, 25/1 (four times) andmore…