Spindleberry’s a ripe pick for historic Gold Cup double January 20, 2026 PRIOR to the Cheltenham Festival, we’ve got the small matter of the Dublin Racing Festival in little over a week’s time, which brings two days of top-quality action from Leopardstown. The headline of the weekend is undoubtedly the Irish Gold Cup, where Galopin Des Champs will be looking to make it four successive victories in [...]
Worth taking a plunge with Issam and Lake January 13, 2026 A SMALL field of five have been entered for this weekend’s feature race, Ascot’s Grade One Clarence House Chase (3.30pm), with Willie Mullins’ Il Etait Temps heading the betting. He hasn’t been to Ascot before but judging by his recent performances at Sandown, last time when thumping Jonbon in the Grade One Tingle Creek, he [...]
Wendi looks a Goer for Snowden in Brown Advisory January 13, 2026 WITH the big week growing ever closer, it’s time to take another look at the ante-post betting markets for the Cheltenham Festival. I’m going to focus on the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, where the market is dominated by the likes of Final Demand and Romeo Coolio for Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott. Final Demand is [...]
Back Bawn to start the New Year with a Boom January 6, 2026 AFTER huge crowds packed into Kempton for two high-class days of racing over Christmas, which saw a brilliant three-way finish in the King George, racing returns to the Sunbury-on-Thames venue this Saturday. Ground conditions continue to be much dryer than the norm for this time of the year, and while rain is due later this [...]
Have a few Bob on Olinger to retain Stayers’ Hurdle January 6, 2026 WITH the turn of the year behind us and the 2026 Cheltenham Festival looming in the not-so-distant future, now is the time to begin building our ante-post portfolio for the Festival. Tipping an 11-year-old in one of the Championship races at this point might raise a few eyebrows, but I think there’s plenty to suggest [...]
Victtorino can deliver Christmas gold again December 16, 2025 THERE is one final chance this weekend to swell the Christmas coffers before the big day and the festival of racing that follows on Boxing Day. A high-class card from Ascot takes centre stage, where the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle (2.25pm) is the feature and the Fergal O’Brien-trained Crambo is bidding to join staying [...]
Supreme to be punters’ Silver Lining at Haydock December 16, 2025 AWAY from the Grade One action at Ascot, there’s a competitive card at Haydock with the Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase (2.05pm) the pick of the races. This three-and-a-quarter-mile contest is often a slog, and this year looks no different with attritional conditions forecast, so finding one that thrives when the mud is flying is imperative. [...]
December tis season to see Joly win gold December 9, 2025 CHELTENHAM is the scene of another big Saturday with the feature of their two-day Christmas Meeting being the Support The Hunt Family Fund December Gold Cup (1.50pm), renamed this year in honour of commentator John Hunt and family. Horses that have run in November’s Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham have a very good record [...]
Pick Doc to go one better in the Pennine Handicap December 9, 2025 AWAY from Cheltenham on Saturday, there’s an intriguing card over at Doncaster with several competitive handicaps, including the Pennine Handicap Chase (2.05pm). Richard Hobson’s DOCPICKEDME returns to the race after he was just held in the contest last year. He was headed three fences from home that day, but rallied bravely on the run in, [...]
Back Baxter to blitz his rivals in the Becher December 2, 2025 THERE’s added spice to this Saturday’s Becher Chase (2.40pm), over the Grand National fences at Aintree, with sponsors William Hill putting up a £500,000 bonus for any horse that wins here and goes on to land the National in April. Connections of many of the 19 that are entered will be dreaming of achieving that [...]
