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.

Godolphin ‘castoff’ Rock Warbler is on a losing run of 16 and has his first run for new trainer Michael Mullineaux after an absence of 116 days. However, the son of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Raven’s Pass has won four times on the Tapeta surface at Newcastle, including over course and distance, and could be potentially well handicapped if rejuvenate by his change of surroundings. His last win, albeit 15 months or so ago, came in a 0-75 contest over 7 furlongs at Gosforth Park, off a handicap mark of 73, so he is undoubtedly well treated if capable of reproducing anything approaching his best form.

Indeed, he was beaten favourite in a similar contest when last seen in September, on his final start for previous trainer Oliver Greenall, off a handicap mark off 67, but ran by no means badly. Ultimately, Rock Warbler could only keep on at one pace to finish sixth of 22, beaten 3½ lengths by the winner Mudawwan but, having been held up, made eye-catching headway with just over a furlong to run. Callum Rodriguez, who rode him on that occasion, retains the ride and the drop back to 6 furlongs may well prove to be a shrewd move on the part of his new handler.

It’s been a while – in fact, over two years – since Rock Warbler tackled an out-and-out sprinting distance, but his record over 6 furlongs, from limited attempts, stands close inspection. If he’s fit and well after his layoff, he should give us a decent run for our money at a shade of odds in the Betway Casino Handicap (7.45).

Selection: Newcastle 7.45 Rock Warbler to win 6/1

Derek Thompson goes full Alan Patridge in confusing a man for a ‘beautiful lady’ during a recent At The Races broadcast!

Most experienced punters choose to back their bets early to lock in the best available price. Cheltenham Festival is an event that this is especially useful for, as the odds can change drastically with so many bets being placed in the months leading up to it. It can’t be stressed enough how important Cheltenham Festival is in the world of horse racing, and the odds for each key race can fluctuate up and down based on a lot of different variables, so you need a lot of preparation if you’re choosing to bet on the action.

Betting on Cheltenham racing

The racing season is built on races held at Cheltenham Racecourse, with a day of racing kicking off the new year and the November Meeting taking place towards the end of the year, but the most highly-anticipated event is the festival itself, allowing for Cheltenham Festival tips daily on all primary race meetings. There might only be four days of racing throughout Cheltenham Festival, but there are more than enough races to sink your teeth into and just as many places to pick up a tip.

If you’re unsure over how to identify horses that are capable of winning based on your own research, you can use a horse racing betting tips website for reference, either for the odd bit of help or even for entire bets that you want to back yourself. There’s plenty of options online and each with their own focus, with there being opportunities to see win and each-way bets, as well as more advanced markets like Lucky 15s, NAPs and ante post tips.

Tips for Cheltenham Festival betting

There’s no way of guaranteeing winning horse bets or we’d all be millionaires, but that’s not to say you can’t improve your chances by taking the appropriate steps. We’ve already briefly touched upon the benefits that can be gained through backing your bets early, but it can also make a massive difference to shop around on different bookmaker websites for the best price. Each bookie assesses each individual market with their own set of odds based on how likely they see each outcome, and this can play a key part in your own Cheltenham Festival tips, especially as it could affect the size of the returns you could get from landing your bet successfully.

It’s worth considering your bets and using the appropriate research before backing a horse even if you’re choosing to attend the racecourse in person. Obviously, one of the exciting aspects of racing is the prospect of picking a horse on the day that you’re there yourself; finding Cheltenham Festival tips that possess a stronger chance of landing takes more thought.