In another oddity that the lockdown period has thrown up, the Epsom Derby and Oaks will this year be run on the same day – rather than across the usual two day meeting. Although some of the supporting races have been lost, Epsom have done a fantastic job at squeezing in the two classics into one card, supported by the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes and Listed Surrey Stakes. I have four selections across the Epsom card, as well as one selection from Naas – who it must be said also stages a good card on Saturday. Be sure to give me a follow on Twitter @JakePriceRacing for live updates throughout the day, as well as a link to my Eclipse Day Preview at Sandown on Sunday when it goes live!
Continue reading “Epsom – Derby & Oaks Day 2020”Tag: Horse Racing
Day 4 of the Royal Ascot meeting saw us record a third successive day of profit, with Art Power winning the opener impressively, and Golden Horde landing the feature Commonwealth Cup in fine style. That left us +3.48pts on the day, and +20.47pts over the past three days. Fingers crossed we can keep the P/L increasing on Day 5, which features three Group 1 races; the Coronation Stakes, St James’s Palace Stakes, and Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Best of luck if you’re getting involved, and be sure to give me a follow on Twitter @JakePriceRacing for updates throughout the day, and where I will share links to any future articles. Before we get into the selections, thanks for all your support so far this week – let’s hope we can end on a high!
Continue reading “Royal Ascot 2020 – Day Five”Day 2 of the Royal Ascot meeting saw us finish with a bang; firstly Tactical (13/2) landed a gamble to give The Queen a win in the Windsor Castle Stakes, before Fujaira Prince (9/2) then bolted up in the Copper Horse Handicap. That left us +13.7pts on the day! Fingers crossed we can pick up on Day 3 where we left off, to continue the good run of form. Best of luck if you’re getting involved, and be sure to give me a follow on Twitter @JakePriceRacing for updates throughout the day, including a link to the Day 4 Preview once it goes live!
Continue reading “Royal Ascot 2020 – Day Three”Despite the uncertain times we have been living in recently, Royal Ascot will be the first major Festival to take place this week since lock-down restrictions were eased. It clearly won’t be Royal Ascot as we know it, with racing taking place behind closed doors, and no Royals in sight. That’s a small price to pay to get racing back underway however, and I can’t wait for the action to get started. I’ll be the first to admit that it hasn’t been the best of starts to the season for this page, but many hours of hard work have gone into this Preview, so fingers crossed we can be rewarded with a few winners. Best of luck if you’re getting involved, and be sure to give me a follow on Twitter @JakePriceRacing for updates throughout the day, including a link to the Day 2 Preview once it goes live!
Continue reading “Royal Ascot 2020 – Day One”13:50 – Buckhounds Stakes (Listed) 4yo+ – 1m4f
“Horses for Courses” is an old adage that is used far wider than inside the racing bubble, but it particularly rings true with Mark Johnston’s Communique. This Chestnut Horse has already been a grand servant to connections having raced 24 times in his three seasons to date, but he always seems to save his best performances for Newmarket.
Continue reading “Newmarket – 1000 Guineas Day 2020”13:50 – Palace House Stakes (Group 3) 3yo+ – 5f
With no Horse rated higher than 109, on paper this looks quite a weak renewal of the Palace House Stakes. That leaves us with a fairly open contest, in which I like the chances of Clive Cox’s Shades Of Blue. This Filly had a successful three-year-old season overall, starting off with a good third behind two subsequent Listed winners in a 6f Novice Fillies’ Stakes at Doncaster in April. Shades Of Blue added black type to her own CV when finishing second in the Listed Westow Stakes at York on her next start, splitting the very useful pair of Garrus (108) and Soldier’s Call (112) – the latter of which ran a cracker on his next start when 3rd to Blue Point and Battaash in the Group 1 King’s Stand. With two top runs under her belt, Shades Of Blue travelled over to Maisons-Laffitte in France for her next start, winning the Listed Prix Hampton over 5f, staying on gamely under Hollie Doyle to win by a short-head.
Continue reading “Newmarket – 2000 Guineas Day 2020”14:25 – Abernant Stakes (Group 3) 3yo+ – 6f
This doesn’t look like a great renewal of the Abernant Stakes on paper, with the old boy Brando installed as a general 11/8 favourite. At that sort of price, I can happily leave him alone and appreciate this lad winning the race for a third time – but there seems like a good opportunity to at least pick up place money at a big price, with many of the remainder looking pretty uninspiring.
Continue reading “Newmarket – Coronation Cup Day 2020”We continued our fine run of form at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival on Thursday with two winners in Min and Simply The Betts, leaving the Preview articles +41.23pts across the three days so far. The final day of the Cheltenham Festival means we are onto Gold Cup Day, and I cannot wait to attend my first blue riband event. Good luck!
Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival 2020 – Day Four Preview”
We move onto Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival after a successful first two days of action – with the Preview articles +38.63pts to this point in time! Unfortunately my Laptop has decided to break on the worst possible weak, but I’ve put together the best article I could below. Good luck!
Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival 2020 – Day Three Preview”
In any normal year Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival is usually a clear highlight, but this season we are treated to a fantastic Day 2 card. We kick off this year’s Ladies Day with what many would call the ‘Irish Banker’ in Envoi Allen, an extremely exciting recruit to Hurdling for Gordon Elliot. That trainer is also responsible for another short-priced favourite on the day, as dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll bids to make it a hat-trick in the Cross Country Chase – setting up an unprecedented assault on Aintree to win three in a row. By far the most exciting contest on the day however is the feature Grade 1 Champion Chase, where three of the very best two-mile Chasers line up. Reigning Champion Altior will face his toughest task to date against young prodigies Defi Du Seuil and Chacun Pour Soi. In what will hopefully be a battle for the ages, let’s hope that Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival can be just as successful as the first.
Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival 2020 – Day Two Preview”
We’ve had to overcome some obstacles in the build up the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, but we are racing, and it promises to be another exhilarating week of National Hunt action! Day 1 will get underway at 13:30 on Tuesday with the famous Cheltenham roar, and there really is no better curtain raiser in sport. The first day is traditionally my favourite of the four, with the feature Grade 1 Champion Hurdle taking center stage. It’s been well documented that this year’s renewal isn’t the strongest, and that notion is perhaps backed up by a field of 17 lining up, by far the largest entry in the last decade. Although coming into the race there doesn’t look to be a star, I do believe one will emerge – similarly to Buveur D’Air in 2017. Elsewhere on the card we have two further Grade 1s for two-mile Novice Hurdlers (Supreme) and two-mile Novice Chasers (Arkle), both packed with young improving Horses. To add further spice to proceedings, we’re also treated to a brilliant renewal of the Grade 1 Mares Hurdle, with the unbeaten Honeysuckle taking on superstar Mare Benie Des Dieux. It’s safe to say that I cannot wait to get to Prestbury Park!
Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival 2020 – Day One Preview”
2m4½f Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) – Thursday 12th March 2020
The Ryanair Chase looks like a race which is going to cut up in my eyes, with the likes of Chacun Pour Soi, Delta Work, Cilaos Emery, Janika, Chris’s Dream, Bristol De Mai and Dynamite Dollars either running elsewhere, or skipping Cheltenham altogether. To be fair to the race however, these omissions won’t dampen the quality – with the top three in the betting all very good Horses.
Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post: Ryanair Chase”
3m½f RSA Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) – Wednesday 11th March 2020
There are two types of people in this world; those who are big fans of Champ, and those who cannot have him at all. I’m certainly in the latter camp. Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post: RSA Novices’ Chase”
2m½f Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) – Tuesday 10th March 2020
You don’t need me to tell you that this year’s renewal of the Champion Hurdle isn’t a vintage one – countless pundits and writers have been saying the same thing for months now. It’s funny how much a year changes a division in National Hunt Racing; it was only 12 months ago that we were licking our lips at the prospect of Laurina vs Apple’s Jade vs Buveur D’Air! As it turned out, the first two flopped and the latter named former Champion got injured on his sole start this season. In addition to the sad loss of last year’s brilliant winner Espoir D’Allen, the already fairly undistinguished 2019/20 two-mile Hurdle division has been blown apart – crying out for a new Champion to arise.
Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post: Champion Hurdle”
2m4½f Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase (Grade 3) – Thursday 12th March 2020
The Brown Advisory and Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase (Stable Plate for short!) is run over two-and-a-half miles on Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival. The race takes place on the New Course, and is open to Horses aged five-years-old or over – providing that they have had at least three runs over Fences. Whilst the Stable Plate is a Handicap, there is no ceiling – which has allowed Horses with ratings as high as 158 to run over the past ten renewals. With the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase run over the same course and distance just over an hour prior, the race is aimed at Horses who are just below this level – and now also provides an opportunity for Horses who can’t get into the ever-competitive Northern Trust Novices’ Handicap Chase on Day 1 of the Festival. For many years this race had been considered a ‘British banker’ in terms of the Prestbury Cup, but the Irish have made a strong resurgence in recent times.
Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post: Stable Plate Handicap Chase”
2m½f Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) – Wednesday 11th March 2020
The Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (better known as the Fred Winter) is run over two-miles on Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival, and is the last Hurdles race of the week ran on the Old Course. The race is for four-year-old Horses only, and serves the purpose of taking lower rated Horses out of the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle. Despite some seemingly less talented Juveniles running in the race, it is usually extremely competitive due to the nature of improving young Horses. The race has been won by some nice types in the past, with the likes of Sanctuaire, Diego Du Charmil and more recently Band Of Outlaws victorious. French recruits have an extremely good record in the race, but the last two winners have come off the Flat – including Joseph O’Brien’s 8/1 winner for this blog last year.
Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post: Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle”
3m Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) – Thursday 12th March 2020
The Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle is run over three-miles on Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival, culminating a 16 race long Qualifying series. Qualifiers for the Pertemps Final begin at Cheltenham way back in October of the current season, with races taking place across the UK from Exeter to Musselburgh, as well as Leopardstown and Punchestown in Ireland. In order to Qualify for the race a Horse must finish in the first six places of a Qualifier, which means that Horses with Handicap marks high enough to get into the race would usually rather finish sixth than first! This caveat means the Pertemps Final has a completely different dynamic to that of an ordinary Cheltenham Festival race, as it’s not all about finding a Horse with the best recent form. One factor that does remain constant in regard to finding a Festival Handicap winner however is that you need a Horse who is ahead of their mark, be that through careful plotting by connections, or untapped potential.
Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post: Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle”
2m5f Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) – Tuesday 11th March 2020
The Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle is the first Handicap on Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival, run over two-and-a-half miles. The race will inevitably have a bit of cross-over with the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle as they are run over the same distance, but the Coral Cup is aimed at Horses higher up in the Handicap. Last year William Henry saw off the top weight and much missed Wicklow Brave in a thrilling finish. Recently the Coral Cup has been contested by subsequent Grade 1 performers Whisper, Supasundae and Topofthegame.
Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post: Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle”
The Dublin Racing Festival has been a fantastic initiative so far, with two fantastic days of National Hunt Racing at Leopardstown, featuring 8 Grade 1 events. The first of those two days is all about speed, with six races ran over two-miles including the Grade 1 Dublin Chase and Grade 1 Irish Champion Hurdle. Below are my selections for an extremely competitive card. Best of luck!
Continue reading “Leopardstown – Dublin Racing Festival Day 1”
2m4½f Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) – Friday 13th March 2020
The Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle is the concluding race of the Cheltenham Festival, run over two-and-a-half miles. The race is for Conditional Jockeys’ only, and is named in honour of the legendary fifteen-times Champion Trainer. Certain trainers like to target this race due to their admiration and respect for Martin Pipe – especially Gordon Elliot. Whilst the race isn’t one of the most high-class affairs of the week, you can start to get a picture as to who is being targeted for the race around this time of year. The British and Irish Handicappers start giving marks to Novices’ who have had three runs over Hurdles (usually happens around January time), which gives a rough idea as to if a Horse is Grade 1 standard. Although some Horses might not be up to that level before the Spring Festivals, plenty will get a mark that looks exploitable in Handicaps – with further improvement likely to come. When you combine these sorts of Horses with trainers who like to win the Martin Pipe, betting angles start to shine through.
Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post: Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle”
Cheltenham Trials Day is always one of my favourite National Hunt meetings to attend, with anticipation building for the main event starting in just over a months time. Last season we were treated to three winners going on to land Festival success; Siruh Du Lac (Stable Plate Handicap Chase), Frodon (Ryanair Chase) and Paisley Park (Stayers Hurdle). This season the card looks as competitive as ever, with Paisley Park bidding to retain his Cleeve Hurdle crown, and Bristol De Mai taking dead aim on the Cotswold Chase. I’ll be attending the Prestbury Park meeting as usual, and will provide live updates from the track on Twitter @JakePriceRacing. Be sure to give me a follow to keep up to date with daily selections, Horses to Follow, and 2020 Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post Previews.
3m6f National Hunt Amateur Riders’ Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) – Tuesday 10th March 2020
The National Hunt Chase is the longest race run at the Cheltenham Festival, traditionally being dubbed the ‘four-miler’. After the controversies of last year’s renewal with only four Horses finishing the race however, a BHA review has made several changes to the race conditions for 2020. Significantly, the race distance has been reduced to 3m6f, with the number of fences jumped decreasing from 25 to 23. The participants also have more boxes to tick; Horses must have a minimum rating of 120, have ran at least twice over fences (including finishing in the first four of a Chase over 2m7f+), and have ran at least once during the current season. With the race being for Amateur riders, the Jockey’s also have new conditions to meet; they must have ridden a minimum of 20 times over fences, achieving at least five winners, all under National Hunt rules. Safety is clearly paramount in Racing, so fingers crossed these changes to the race conditions will provide a middle ground – as some fantastic Horses have graduated from this race in recent years including; Cause Of Causes, Minella Rocco, Rathvinden, Native River and of course the legendary Tiger Roll.
Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post: National Hunt Chase”
2m4f Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase (Listed) – Tuesday 10th March 2020
The Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase is always an intriguing race, aimed at Novice Chasers who aren’t quite yet up to Grade 1 standard. The rating band was changed in 2018 from a 0-140 to a 0-145, attracting a highly competitive field with just 7lbs between the top and bottom weights in 2019, and 8lbs in 2018 (excluding any claims). The race was extremely kind to my selections twelve months ago, with leading fancy A Plus Tard bolting up, and my second selection Tower Bridge following him home. The performance of A Plus Tard from a rating of 144 was that of an incredibly well Handicapped Horse, which has since been proven by him landing a Grade 1 at Leopardstown and earning a mark of 165. A similar story applies to 2018 winner Mister Whitaker, who won the Grade 2 Silver Trophy Handicap in April from a mark of 149 (12lbs higher than when winning this contest). This highlights the type of Horse required to win the race however, as essentially the weights are now irrelevant; Horses who wish to participate will need a mark of 140 to guarantee themselves a run, but obviously cannot be rated higher than 145. Whilst it is no longer an issue winning the race off top-weight, it will inevitably require a Horse who is ahead of the assessor.
Continue reading “Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post: Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase”
The Showcase meeting is the traditional curtain raiser for Cheltenham’s season, kicking off what promises to be a fantastic National Hunt season at Jumps Racing HQ. We’re treated to an absolutely fantastic card on Day 1, with starts such as Al Dancer, Getaway Trump and Wholestone all taking their chances in Novice Chase events. I’ll be at the track across both Days this weekend, so be sure to Follow me on twitter @JakePriceRacing for updates throughout the day. Cheltenham is back!
After a break since the King George meeting at Ascot, I’m back with my weekly article taking a look at the live ITV Racing on Saturday. This week’s feature race is the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes at Newbury, whilst Ripon also provides a Class 2 Handicap. I’ve ended up writing a lot more than planned on my three selections, but each would be a fairly strong fancy for me with the rainfall today (Friday). Be sure to follow me on twitter @JakePriceRacing for live updates through-out the day, and to ensure you never miss any of my selections. Good luck!
Continue reading “Newbury & Ripon – Saturday Racing 17/08/19”
All eyes are on Ascot this Saturday as the King George VI Stakes provides a fantastic Group 1 contest, headlined by superstar Mare Enable bidding to repeat her 2017 success. Fresh from victory in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, this relentless John Gosden five-year-old takes on Sir Michael Stoute’s Crystal Ocean in a tantalising clash. I’m lucky enough to be attending the Berkshire track on Saturday, and can’t wait to see Enable once more. Elsewhere we also have good action up at York, where Ante-Post selection Regal Reality lines up in the Group 2 York Stakes. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @JakePriceRacing for live updates throughout the day, and to ensure that you don’t miss any selections going forward. Good luck with your bets and enjoy the Flat Racing! Continue reading “Ascot – King George Day 2019”
This Saturday is an unusual in the context of the Flat season, with two Listed National Hunt races live on ITV Racing alongside the Flat action at Newbury. Whilst I haven’t been punting on the Summer Jumpers as much as I usually would – mainly due to the Flat Racing content taking priority – I do have one selection in the Listed Summer Hurdle up at Market Rasen. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @JakePriceRacing for updates throughout the day. Good luck!
Continue reading “Newbury & Market Rasen – Saturday Racing 20/07/19”
This weekend sees the return of ‘Super Saturday’ as ITV Racing broadcast 10 live races, with top class action throughout the day. Newmarket’s July Festival comes to a close with the feature Group 1 July Cup, whilst York hosts a very competitive card. As if that action wasn’t enough, Ascot also host a premier race-day featuring the Group 2 Summer Mile. Be sure to follow me on twitter @JakePriceRacing for updates throughout the day. Good luck!
Continue reading “Newmarket, York & Ascot – Super Saturday 13/07/19”
With so much fantastic racing going on over the next couple of days, I’ve decided to split my thoughts into two articles – one covering Thursday and Friday, and one covering Saturday as usual. This week sees the beginning of Newmarket’s July Festival, culminating in ‘Super Saturday’ with other big meetings at York and Ascot. I have some strong selections across the three days, with Day 1 and 2 the focus here. Be sure to check back on Friday for all my Saturday selections, and follow me on twitter @JakePriceRacing for any further fancies. Good luck!
