UK Horse Racing Tips

Horseracing is still one of the most loved sporting events on the planet and is a great British pastime. While everyone in the country likes a gamble now and then, whether it is on the weekly lotto, playing online poker on sites like All Jackpots Casino or betting on football, nothing beats a good flutter on Horse Racing!

2016 has proved to be an action packed year for the sport. The great AP McCoy received a knighthood and Rule the World won the Grand National at an astonishing 33/1 leaving punters everywhere delirious. It is thought that Take That fans, including Robbie Williams, won big thanks to the name of the horse.

But what does horseracing this year have in store for us?

The fixture list for next year includes an additional 14 new meetings taking the planned total to 1,496, the most since 2010. There will also be more evening races, much to the joy of punters. It is said that for the first time ever, we will see year-round racing on Saturday nights with Twilight fixtures on Thursday and Fridays now being held as evening fixtures. Although this comes at a cost as 11 floodlit fixtures are now required for those winter months, the new fixtures will see a rise in attendances and a rise in betting. Of course with it, betting brings an opportunity to win money so be sure to keep an eye for the new races and look out for the best odds.

New Year’s Day starts with ITV taking over from Channel 4 in bringing coverage of horseracing. ITV will kick-off the new era by screening Cheltenham’s New Year Day fixture. In addition to the Cheltenham race, there will also be events at Catterick Bridge, Exeter, Fakenham, Musselburgh and Southwell.

The first major event of the year is of course Cheltenham. The four-day festival will be held from Tuesday the 14^th of March until Friday the 17^th. The festival will kick off with Champion Day, followed by Ladies Day on the 15^th, with St. Patrick’s Thursday next up and then Gold Cup Day will conclude the festival. The famous event is expected to attract over 200,000 racegoers from around the world with over £500 million being gambled over the course of the festival.

The Grand National is known as one of the best horseraces in the world is the race everybody looks for upon fixture release. In 2017 the 170^th annual festival will commence on the 6^th of August and run until the 8^th of August. Grand Opening Day will see a host of exciting races as well as live music and entertainment, Ladies Day follows so make sure you have an eye for fashion on the 7^th. The Grand National will be held on the last day of the festival and will be watched over 600million people worldwide.

Another British course which is held in very high regard worldwide is of course Royal Ascot. In 2016 the total prize money across the five days was £6,580,000 and it is only set to increase next year. The 2017 event begins on the 20^th of June and runs until the 24^th. The 2016 tickets were snapped up quicker than ever so be sure to book early to avoid disappointment!

For all the latest Horse racing news, be sure to keep up with Horse Racing Tips.

In the 3.55 at Newbury on Friday, Dainty Diva has twice been placed in Group 3 company at Ascot and sets a decent standard, but Mrs Danvers beat 22 rivals in convincing style when winning the valuable Weatherbys Super Sprint over course and distance last month and could easily be Pattern class. Trainer Jonathan Portman has expressed surprise that the Hellvelyn filly, who went through the sales ring for just 1,000 guineas, has been allotted an official rating of 89, 9lb inferior to Dainty Diva, and she looks well worth a crack at some black type.

The form of the Weatherbys Super Sprint has yet to be fully tested, but the fifth, Spiritual Lady, won next time, as did the eighth, Simmie, and the thirteenth, Perfect Madge, so it’s probably safe to assume that it’s fairly reliable. Richard Kingscote, who has a 6-28 (21%) strike rate on juveniles for yard over the last five seasons, for a healthy level stakes profit of 62.50 points, takes over in the saddle, which can hardly be a bad thing.

Selection: Newbury 3.55 Mrs Danvers to win

In the 7.55 at Sandown on Thursday, North Yorkshire trainer Ruth Carr hasn’t had a runner at the Esher track during the last five seasons, so the fact that Chaplins Bay makes the 238-mile trek down the M1 may be a tip in itself. The Fastnet Rock gelding was beaten favourite in a 0-75 event at Musselburgh six days ago, but makes a quick reappearance and is reunited with regular partner James Sullivan, so may be able to regain the winning thread, even in this slightly higher grade.

His last win – in fact, his only win – came in a 0-65 contest, over 6 furlongs, at Hamilton in May off a handicap mark of 63, but he won convincingly, by 4½ lengths, on that occasion and has continued to run creditably in defeat off revised marks on all seven starts since. His form doesn’t suggest that he’s crying out for the stiffer test of stamina that he faces here, but he was tried over a mile, and further, in the early part of his career with David Wachman, so he should be OK.

Selection: Sandown 7.55 Chaplins Bay to win

Richard Hannon makes life difficult for punters by saddling two in the Rose Bowl Stakes (3.40) at Newbury on Friday, but Legendary Lunch looks the pick of the pair after finishing sixth of 11, beaten 4 lengths, behind Prince Lir in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot last month. The Dragon Pulse colt carries a 3lb penalty for winning the Woodcote Stakes, over 6 furlongs, at Epsom by a nose, but the Ascot form has worked out well and the way he finished that day suggested a step back up in distance would be in his favour.

He’s yet to tackle ground faster than good so, with the going at Newbury currently good to firm and fine, dry weather forecast for South East England between now and Friday afternoon, his ability to act on a sound surface must be taken on trust. It’s also notable that regular partner Pat Dobbs deserts him in favour of Richard Hannon’s other entry Sterling Silva, who has winning form on good to firm going, albeit at a much lower level. Under the circumstances, a saver on Sterling Silva or, if the odds allow, dutching the Hannon pair, may be in order.

Selection: Newbury 3.40 Legendary Lunch to win