UK Horse Racing Tips

We all enjoy a bit of horse humour. One liners like, “What’s a horse’s favourite TV show?” “Neighbours” often raise a chuckle. Or perhaps something with an element of silliness to it: “Which side of a horse has more hair?” “The outside”. Of course though betting on horses can be a serious business, where cold hard cash changes hands so with that in mind, a joke that tops them all would have to be “How do you make a small fortune out of horses?” “Start with a large fortune!” The tone of this strikes true for some gamblers who  chase losses to the ends of the earth! A ”I hope I break even today – I need the money” mindset. It can sometimes be hard to see the funny side of a bad bet, though on other occasions people have what we might class as the luck of the devil and/or a winning mindset!

Take Punter Fred Craggs for instance. He was never one for big horse racing bets, just a pound bet here or there. or taking advantage of the odd online free bet. In 2008 he placed a tiny 50 pence eight-horse accumulator bet featuring selections at three race meetings, both at home and abroad, namely Sandown, Wolverhampton and Dubai . To his surprise all 8 horses romped home, winning him a staggering 1 million pounds. There was no grand plan with his selections, in fact Fred often picked horses simply because he liked their names. It adds to the achievement then surely, that the very first winner trained by Jonjo O’Neill and ridden by Richie McGrath, was named “Isn’t That Lucky?” And the last you may ask, well that was called “A Dream Come True”. Quite the bet, and it almost seemed like it was written in the stars. The overall odds of this bet made it a 2,000,000/1 accumulator.

So what’s in a name I wonder, when you’re placing a bet on the horses? There was once a horse called called Lucky Strike, so following the above betting logic, I can think of worse ones to bet on! If you’re looking for funny or absurd horse names instead through, what better horse to go for than the now legendary Horsey McHorseface or what surely must be a commentators dream (or nightmare) , the horse named ARRRRRRR.

The Newcastle United Foundation Handicap (7.30) at Newcastle on Friday evening is the best race on the card in terms of quality and, while recent winning form is in short supply, may provide course and distance winner Von Blucher with an opportunity to regain the winning thread. Rebecca Menzies’ 5-year-old has to shoulder 10st 5lb, less Connor Murtagh’s 5lb claim, and is on a retrieval mission after failing to beat a rival on his last three starts, including when favourite at Lingfield three starts ago.

However, two of those starts were over an inadequate 6 furlongs and the other was in a conditions stakes race, in which he had little chance at the weights. His January course and distance win – which was franked by the second, Swift Approval – came in a 0-105 contest, off today’s mark of 96 so, from a handicapping perspective, he is entitled to be there or thereabouts, if able to recapture the same level of form.

Interestingly, he’s 2-3 on the all-weather and his one defeat came in a 0-105 contest over 6 furlongs at Lingfield, where he lost his place by running wide on the bend two furlongs from home. He’s no world beater, but is better than his recent form figures imply and potentially well handicapped, so he’ll do for me.

Selection: Newcastle 7.30 Von Blucher to win

The first Classic, the 2,000 Guineas, is less than two weeks away and, while 68 horses stood their ground at the latest declaration stage, against a maximum field size of 25, now could be the time for bold ante post punters to take the plunge. The Master of Ballydoyle, Aidan O’Brien, holds his usual strong hand, with Gustav Klimt and Saxon Warrior, to name but two, while impressive Craven Stakes winner Masar, trained by Charlie Appleby and Elaqarm, trained by Mark Johnston, are both well to the fore in the ante post betting market.

In fact, at the time of writing, it’s 16/1 bar four, which brings in Expert Eye and Roaring Lion, beaten favourites in the Greenham Stakes and the Craven Stakes, respectively, so there appears to be a little room for manoeuvre each-way punters prepared to speculate at potentially lucrative odds.

Notwithstanding the defeat of Roaring Lion in the Craven Stakes, John Gosden is operating at a strike rate of 10-31 (32%) in the last 14 days and it’s one of his three other 2,000 Guineas entries, Kings Shield, that takes the eye at 66/1. He’s by Scat Daddy, better known as a sire of sprinters, including Lady Aurelia and Caravaggio, but out of a mare by the superbly bred Miesque’s Son, so he has plenty of stamina in the bottom half of his pedigree. Indeed, he’s already proved himself over a mile with a decisive win in a small conditions race at Kempton in early April. Exactly what that form amounts to is anybody’s guess, but having won both starts with a minimum of fuss, Kings Shield falls into the proverbial “could be anything” category and looks worth a small interest.

Selection: Newmarket 3.20 Kings Shield each-way (66/1 with William Hill and elsewhere)

Middleham trainer Mark Johnston holds a very strong hand in the Landwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes (3.35) at Newmarket on Wednesday and, although Threading is officially rated 3lb superior to stable companion Nyaleti, the latter was only beaten a head in the Group 2 Shadwell Rockfel Stakes over course and distance when last tried over 7 furlongs. The daughter of Arch made a satisfactory, if unspectacular, reappearance when sixth of 10, beaten 4¼ lengths, behind Gronkowski, in the Listed 32Red Burradon Stakes, over a mile, at Newcastle last month but, back on rain-softened turf with a furlong less to travel, she may be capable of resuming winning ways.

She’s more exposed than most of her rivals, but can reasonably be expected to continue to improve throughout her three-year-old campaign and doesn’t have much to find with the best of these in any case. Her two heaviest defeats as a juvenile both came at the highest level, including once over a mile, so it would be folly to underestimate her in this company.

Selection: Newmarket 3.35 Nyaleti to win