UK Horse Racing Tips

Profiting as a professional gambler – or even a casual one – is often a realm of fine very margins. Just look at essentially unwinnable, in the long term at least casino games (with the exception of poker). Even with games like roulette on a one zero wheel, with a tiny 2.7% house edge, that slight margin can soon drain your bank balance if you play for long enough!

With horse racing one of the best ways of reducing the bookmaker edge is by improving your ability to spot value – it’s a key factor. There’s no one way to go about this, as it’s a skill that comes with time and experience. Trial and error, especially when your money is on the line, can certainly prompt a meaningful learning environment for those of the right disposition (as in those, who like to analyse form, physique of horses, follow certain trainers and so on, rather than those drawn to the rush of a big win). But beyond that it can help to try to examine where else you can extract a slight advantage.

One dead cert way, if you’re diligent and organised enough, is to take advantage of bookmaker bonuses and free bet offers. The betting world is such a competitive environment and as such bookmakers try their damnedest to bombard you with enticing offers. Some of them run into triple figures with the odd catch, others offer a legitimately free £20 or £30 bet. I mention catches because there are certain ‘offers’ that are anything but, as you have to gamble x times your stake before you can withdraw your winnings. It’s typically a figure that they clearly decide you’ll have lost your original state by the time you’ve gambled, rather than ever benefiting from the bonus. So really, it’s important to separate supposed “free bets” from actual genuine free bet offers or those with few catches at least.

Most of these offers are essentially introductory offers for new customers, but it’s worth pointing out that some bookmakers do offer ongoing bonuses and incentives too. One bookmaker I joined would often call me from time to time with a free £50 bet here and there if I waged the same amount. It was clearly an effort to prompt me into bigger and regular wagers but if you’re disciplined enough and just take advantage of these freebies it does effectively tip the scale in your favour.

Some gamblers go a step further and combine these introductory and ongoing offers into an approach called Match Betting, where they lay off their free bets, often on a betting exchange, and take the profit at essentially no financial risk to themselves. This can certainly be effective, though I wouldn’t call it ‘betting’ as such, it’s more like a money management approach where you best take advantage of these free bets. Utimately, whatever your approach is, the take home from this is that it’s important to try to make the most of these opportunities to diminish the bookmaker’s edge. Your betting bank may well thank you for it!

In the Follow Sun Racing on Twitter Handicap (2.50) at Southwell on Tuesday, Showboating is into the veteran stage of his career, but can celebrate his official eleventh birthday by recording his fifth win at the Nottinghamshire track. The Shamardal gelding hadn’t won for nearly eighteen months prior to victory over course and distance three weeks ago but, even with a 6lb rise with the weights for that success, remains 6lb lower in the weights than last winning. At his ripe old age, he’s unlikely to suddenly find a jolt of improvement, but he ran with promise on his return to Fibresand in November and confirmed that promise when keeping on strongly to beat a fair yardstick, Zodiakos, by 2¾ lengths, on his latest outing.

He faces no fewer than five other course and distance winners, but none of them really make much appeal, from a form or handicapping perspective, so the main danger could well be topweight Thechildren’strust, who ran promisingly on his Fibresand debut, over 7 furlongs, here 11 days ago. Even so, despite his rising years, Showboating has plenty going for him and, off an attractive weight, it’s not hard to envisage him going, at least, very close in a race that shouldn’t take that nuch winning.

Selection: Southwell 2.50 Showboating to win

There’s no shortage of betting options today and here is our racing tips UK primary selection for the day. In the Follow Top Tipster Templegate at Sun Racing Handicap (3.30) at Southwell on Tuesday, One MoreChance won her maiden, for David Brown, over course and distance in January and ran her best race since joining new trainer Michael Appleby in October over course and distance 18 days ago. On that occasion, having just her second start since July, the Epaulette filly kept on at one pace to finish fourth of 11, beaten 5¼ lengths, behind Zodiakos; the first three home that day have all been beaten since, but One More Chance pulled nicely clear of the fourth horse and the form looks respectable enough in the context of another unexceptional race, especially as she’s been dropped 2lb in theweights in the interim.

Fitness-wise, she should be spot on after two runs last month and, having made her own running more than once – including when winning her maiden – she should have no problem tactically. From a handicapping perspective, One More Chance is now 7lb lower in the weights than when fourth of six, beaten 3¾ lengths, in a small 0-70 fillies’ handicap at Leicester on her final start for David Brown in July so, although that performance came over 6 furlongs, rather than a mile, she looks well treated in this 0-65 affair. Course and distance clearly suit her admirably so, granted luck in running, she should give us a decent run for our money.

Selection: Southwell 3.30 OneMore Chance to win 7/1

British businessman Trevor Hemmings, 83, who owns Blackpool Tower and Preston North End Football Club, became a billionaire for the second time in 2018, according to the Sunday Times’ Rich List. Aside from his business interests, which are many and varied, Hemmings also owns dozens of racehorses. By his own admission, he treats horse racing as an “expensive hobby”, but he is the most prolific winning owner this century and, jointly, the most prolific winner of all time, in the history of the Grand National.

Hemmings developed an interest in racing through his association with holiday camp tycoon, Sir Fred Pontin – whose company, Pontins, he later bought, and sold – and after meeting Noel Le Mare, owner of Red Rum, and his trainer, Donald “Ginger” McCain, was inspired to win the Grand National for himself.

So far, Hemmings has owned three Grand National winners, Hedgehunter (2005), Ballabriggs (2011) and, most recently, the ill-fated Many Clouds (2015), who collapsed and died after suffering a severe pulmonary haemorrhage at Cheltenham Racecourse less than two years later. Only the grandly-titled Captain James Octavius Machell, who owned Disturbance (1873), Reugny (1874) and Regal (1876), and, of course, Noel Le Mare, who owned Red Rum (1973, 1974, 1977), have owned as many Grand National winners.

Prior to the 2018 Grand National, Hemmings told the Northern Media Lunch at Aintree Racecourse, “The Grand National is extra special. No-one can describe the feeling when your horses cross the line and win. It’s been very special to win the Grand National three times and each race is special.”