UK Horse Racing Tips

Racing Pro, a friend and contributor to the horseracingtips.org.uk site has been setting the world alight on Tipstrr of late, winning tipster of the month recently! As a special offer and in celebration of the Tipster of the Month achievement, he’s offering new members the opportunity to subscribe for three months at a reduced rate. Check here for the offer:  https://tipstrr.com/tipster/racingpro/promotion/dectotm (promotion over).  Let’s hope this month is a repeat of late! Good luck all!

Richard Dunwoody is an admired, and now retired, British jockey chiefly remembered for his extraordinary triumphs in National Hunt racing. Born in Northern Ireland on 18th January in 1964, the racing legend emerged the Champion Jockey on three distinguished seasons. Like his father, Dunwoody’s inimitable record includes a great many exemplary wins atop tens of famed winners at various race courses in Britain and Ireland.

While the Irish-born Dunwoody has numerous records to his name, he’s mainly remembered for his big wins in the King George VI Chase races.  Dunwoody clinched a total of four distinguished titles that propelled his revered standing among contemporaries and cheering throngs of devoted fans. Two of his King George VI Chase titles were attained atop the timeless winner – Desert Orchid.

Other noteworthy victories that catapulted Richard Dunwoody to glory include his great performance in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1988. Riding Charter Party, Dunwoody outdid scores of rivals to win the glamorous Cheltenham title. One of the very few jockeys to receive the Lester Award, Dunwoody achieved the enviable honor on five occasions as the most successful Jump Jockey of the Year. Dunwoody won the Irish Grand National in 1990 and in fact even in his first year as a professional he rode West Tip in the Aintree Grand National. Get your free bet for the Grand National here.

Even after quitting active participation in professional tournaments, the sporting veteran and training guru embarked on an immensely rewarding charitable mission. He launched a 1,000 Mile Challenge on 1,000 consecutive eventsin support of Spinal Research and Racing Welfare, completed his big-chartered trek at Newmarket Racecourse in 2009.  Later, he went on to write a best selling autobiography ccalle Obsessed.

While the weather is wet and icy cold in the UK, riders are enjoying warmer climates at the Jodhpur International British Polo Day event.

The event which began in 2009 has been hosted in over 50 countries including Abu Dhabi, Australia, China, Dubai, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Mexico, Morocco, Russia, Singapore, Sumba Island (Indonesia), Thailand and the US to name a few. One thing they all have in common is their growing industry and business connections. The aim of a British Polo Day is to continue the tradition of playing high quality polo against friends in host countries, while also acting as a platform for businesses in emerging and growth markets.

Hosts, British Polo Day, www.britishpoloday.com/ have teamed up with some well-known brands and companies to bring you the event including Harrods, Land Rover and Bentley.

The Indian event includes a cavalry vs guard’s elephant polo match as well as a gala dinner for networking. The event spans over the weekend of the 9^th to 11^th December 2016 and attended by an expected 20,000 plus guests.

So why polo? The sport was originally played in Persia and China. In the 19^th century Britain revived the sport and Sir Winston Churchill was a big fan of the game. Polo is not taught in some of the country’s leading schools including Eton and Harrow not forgetting the British Army.

Mixing business and sport is nothing new, the difference here is the calibre of guests to such an event. Previous British Polo days have seen over 12 members of the Royal family, 100 billionaire and leaders including Sir Richard Branson of Virgin amongst other global names. The guest list make it the ‘it’ place to attend this winter. Tatler, Harper’s Bazaar, and Vogue all cover the event in their listings.

Why India? Because they defeated us at Polo many decades ago. The Jodhpur Polo and Equestrian Institute hosts the event this year. It was established in 1889 when Sir Pratap, younger brother of the Maharaja and Prime Minister of Jodhpur State took an interest in the sport and requested training from a Bengal Lancer. It resulted in the formation of a team which travelled to Britain and defeated our polo team’s twice over. Around the same period horse racing took off in India and is to this day just as popular a sport as in the UK. Only in 1993 did the centre re-open and establish itself once again under the Highness the Maharaja Gaj Singh II.

During the event there will be some healthy competition between two of the world’s best known educational institutes, Mayo and Eton. Mayo College is the Indian equivalent of Eton and the two go head to head over the weekend. The games are full of old traditions in both cultures.

Polo teams are made up of four riders who play on a 270 by 150m grass field with a plastic ball and mallets. A game lasts for approximately two hours and is divided into periods called chukkas. The Indian game is likely to see up to seven players per side and no goal posts. Instead a team wins by putting the ball out of the far end of the field.

Previously polo was Olympic sport and as such has a federation. It is played in a number of countries professionally but it still has the class stigma that sets it aside from other sports.

In the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle (2.25) at Sandown on Friday, this year’s winner of the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, Ballyandy, has finished behind last year’s winner, Moon Racer, on both attempts over hurdles, but trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies rates him ‘as nice as we’ve ever had’. The Kayf Tara gelding should be fighting fit this time and, with the step up to 2 miles 4 furlongs likely to play to his strengths, he can start to fulfil his not inconsiderable potential over obstacles. He’s won on good, good to soft and heavy going, so should run his race whatever the weather in Esher and, with Sam Twiston-Davies elsewhere, can provide a high-profile winner for Jamie Bargary.

Selection: Sandown 2.25 Ballyandy to win