UK Horse Racing Tips

Who doesn’t love National Hunt racing? There are numerous unmissable races during the season including the Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham Gold Cup and the one and only Grand National.

Aside from the confusing-named National Hunt Flat Race, National Hunt racing in Britain involves jumping obstacles, known as hurdles or fences depending on the construction, height and rigidity. In simple terms, hurdles are shorter and more flexible than fences, but that’s not the whole story.

Hurdle

Traditional, timber hurdles are constructed from light, portable, cut brush panels, measuring not less than 3’ 6” from top to bottom. However, the panels are driven into the earth at an angle, such that when positioned on the racecourse the top bar is 3’ 1” above the ground. Each single line, or ‘flight’, of hurdles must be at least 30’ wide and there must be eight such flights in the first two miles of a race, plus one additional flight for every succeeding quarter of a mile.

Plain Fence

Steeplechase fences are permanent or portable fixtures, traditionally constructed from a wooden or steel frame stuffed with real or artificial birch. A ‘plain’ fence must be at least 4’ 6” in height and, in a steeplechase, there must be twelve fences in the first two miles, plus six additional fences for every succeeding mile.

Open Ditch

As the name suggests, an open ditch is a plain fence preceded by a ditch on the side take-off, making it a more difficult obstacle to negotiate. Of the six fences in every mile of a steeplechase, one must be an open ditch. On the Grand National Course at Aintree, the fence known as ‘The Chair’ is not only the tallest, at 5’ 3”, but also has a 6’ foot ditch on the take-off side.

Water Jump

Only one obstacle on a steeplechase course can be a water jump and the fence can be lower than a plain fence, with a minimum height of just 3’. The fence must, however, be succeeded by an expanse of water at least 9’ feet wide and at least 3” deep throughout.

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