UK Horse Racing Tips

A local racing’s calendar year in Australia will never be complete without the Melbourne Cup. One of the biggest in the country, it attracts hundreds of thousands of attendees annually with many coming from Victoria, Melbourne, and other parts of the world. There are also thousands more tuning on their TV. In this article, you’ll find out why you should never miss this yourself, and why you’re at it, don’t forget to use your Melbourne Cup free bets.

A Grand Throwback

There’s a good reason why the Melbourne Cup is called the race that stops a nation. The race, which happens every first Tuesday of the eleventh month (it’s scheduled on November 7, 2017), is a public holiday in the city. But it is also rich in history and has created a culture that helped shape and define Australia’s horse racing.

The Melbourne Cup began in 1861 as part of the city’s spring racing carnival. It is a competition among Thoroughbred racehorses. Earlier, it used to be that only local horses competed. Today, it’s not unusual to have foreigners run. Nevertheless, the basic rule remains unchanged: only those that are three years old and above can join.

The race was supposed to be a two-mile handicap, which is about 3.22 in distance. However, in the 1970s, the distance decreased by almost 19 metres when the country shifted from English to metric system. Today, the horses run a distance of only 3,200 metres.

Like a lot of local events, the annual horse race started with small races until it moved to Flemington and two clubs, racing and jockey, combined to become the Victoria Racing Club.

Gaming Process

As a handicap event, the riding gear and the jockey weight are taken into consideration. The weight is also adjusted depending on the age of the horse. Either way, the minimum weight for the handicap is no less than 50 kilograms.

Although many horses – as many as 300 of them – try to join the event, only 24 of them will get to race. The fee to join is $600, which is charged per hours, and it’s usually paid during the month of August. Horses that are qualified to race would have to accept before paying the fee. The acceptance fee differs on when it was done. The first acceptance is the cheapest at $960. If it’s done a Saturday before the actual event, the fee can rise to as much as $1,450. To determine who qualifies, judges used different factors such as the weight of the handicap allotted as well as the prize money of the horse over the last two years.

Winners and Frontrunners

As in any other race, the star isn’t the jock but the horse, and for the many years the Melbourne Cup has been around, it has already produced icons.

Archer holds the distinction of the first horse to ever win the race. He’s also the first among the few who bagged two major wins in two consecutive years. By 2017, he became part of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. Besides winning the Melbourne Cup, he also earned major wins in All-Aged Stakes, among others.

Phar Lap is one of the most celebrated thoroughbred horses to ever grace the Melbourne Cup. Not only its achievements but also its journey captured the attention and hearts of both fans and non-fans of the race. Although he didn’t win his first few races, he competed and won in others until he moved up in class. He survived threats to life. From 1930 to 1931, he won fourteen consecutive races such as the Melbourne Cup.

In 2016, the winner is Almandin, but can he still hold his victory this year? To help you out, here are a few statistics to remember to increase the odds.

One, barriers 5 and 11 have the most number of wins. Only gate 18 remains to have zero winnings. The colour bay tends to be the lucky colour among the bunch followed by brown and chestnut. Male horses still dominate the female ones while in the field. For the past few years, horses coming from Japan, Germany, Ireland, and New Zealand also joined, but those that grew in Australia remained the likeliest to win.

Punters would have to wait until the middle of September, in which the order of entry will be released. By then, you will have a clearer idea on who’s the best bet. However, as early as now, bookmakers are putting their money on Almandin for 20/1 who’s in a tie with Vazirabad. These betting odds are right over at Bet365.

In other words, you can start placing your bets and changing your strategy as more information comes in. To see to it you have the funds to play, use these Melbourne Cup free bets now.

A number of big races may have come and gone this summer but there is still much to look forward to on the tracks around the UK.

At the end of the month all eyes will be on Ascot once again for the two-day King George meeting, with the feature race being the Group One King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

It is one of Europe’s top all-aged middle-distance races and Highland Reel will be back to defend his title.

The five-year-old is the current 6/4 favourite in many places and punters looking for a flutter on the contest should check out the racing at Bethut for all the best prices, markets and sites available.

Aidan O’Brien’s charge beat Wings of Desire to land the prestigious race 12 months ago and is eyeing a hat-trick having taken Epsom’s Coronation Cup and the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

While it is too early to say who he will be facing, challenges are likely to come from Enable (6/1), Ulysses (5/1) and Cliffs of Moher (12/1).

The five-day Goodwood Festival follows in early August and the opening day will see a fascinating renewal of hostilities between Big Orange and Order of St George.

The former, trained by Michael Bell touched off O’Brien’s short-priced favourite to land the Ascot Gold Cup on June 22 and will be hoping to make it three in a row after winning at Sandown back in May.

Big Orange is 5/4 with many bookmakers to take the Group One contest, with Order of St George generally a 7/4 chance.

The Sussex Stakes takes place on Wednesday, August 3 and should see a couple of Royal Ascot winners square off.

Ribchester took the Queen Anne Stakes under William Buick while James Doyle piloted Barney Roy to glory in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

Ulysses subsequently lowered Barney Roy’s colours in the Coral-Eclipse but the three-year-old is 9/2 to return to winning ways, while Ribchester is on offer at 4/5.

Churchill (5/2) could only finish fourth in the St James’s Palace Stakes but the O’Brien – Ryan Moore partnership will hope for better things in West Sussex.

The Nassau Stakes is another Group One race and Coronation Stakes winner Winter will be hoping to keep up her superb record.

The daughter of Galileo has won three successive Group One races and is 7/4 to triumph on her first run at the venue.

Queens Trust and Nezwaah oppose but Winter looks the class animal in the field.

Towards the end of August, York’s four-day Ebor Meeting takes centre stage with the Juddmonte International Stakes on Monday, August 21 the feature race.

Almanzor, winner of the 2016 Irish Champion Stakes and Ascot’s equivalent is the early 11/4 favourite for Knavesmire glory despite not being seen since October.

On what looks set to be a fascinating contest, the big players may well all line up as Barney Roy (7/2), Ulysses (4/1), Highland Reel (5/1) and Churchill (9/1) have all be slated for a run out in Yorkshire.

Introduction

While some jockeys are known for their major title wins, others tend to better known for their jovial personalities to make up for a lack of wins. Thankfully for Paul Carberry, he manages to combine the two of them together. Having retired in 2016, Carberry was an impressive jockey with many big wins along the way in a career that’s seen its own fair share of highs and lows as time went on.

Known for his time on the back of Harchibald, where he arguably formed his best partnership, Carberry was a jockey known for an irrepressible spirit and a personality that made him stand out amongst his contemporaries. However, his career was also known for having its fair share of controversies.

Career Summary

While winning the Grand National in 1999 and the Welsh National in 2013 bookended a happy and successful career, Carberry was a man known for sometimes attracting controversy during his career. From being sentenced to jail for lighting a newspaper on fire during a flight (we’ve all done it!), to failing a breath test in 2009, he’s been involved with a few brushes with the law.. some would argue that he’s missed out on some opportunities during his career beecause of this.

Take that away, though, and you have a very impressive and talented jockey waiting at the other end. Recognised for both his personality and his quality in performance. It’s the classic style of Carberry to be involved in controversy as well as the big wins – a mix that has provided a memorable career and character. While he’s now retired, the sport will miss his eccentric and engaging nature.

Achievements & Highlights

Major Wins – Grand National (1999), Fighting Fifth Hurdle (2004, 2007), Christmas Hurdle (2004, 2008), John James McManus Memorial Hurdle (2005), Welsh National (2013).

Associations – Harchibald, Sausilito Bay, Nicanor, Florida Pearl, Beef or Salmon, Solerina , Harbour Pilot, Hairy Molly, Bobbyjo.

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