Today's Horse Racing Tips

Aintree Tips

Aintree is the home of the £1 million Grand National, the most valuable steeplechase in the world. The National is the feature event of the three-day April meeting, one of only five races over the famous spruce-covered fences each season. The sharper Mildmay Course is not as testing and stages the Grade 1 Betway Bowl, Melling Chase and Liverpool Hurdle.

Ascot Tips

Ascot is one of the UK’s premier racecourses and stages the Royal Ascot Festival with eighteen Group races and £7million in prize money. The course is also home to The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and Champions Day as well as three Grade 1 National Hunt races. Ascot is one of the fairest tracks in the country and there are rarely excuses for beaten horses.

Ayr Racing Tips

Ayr is the leading course in Scotland for both jumps and flat racing, staging the Scottish Grand National in April. The £200,000 Ayr Gold Cup is one of the most valuable sprint handicaps of the season and is the highlight of the Western Meeting in September. Both courses are fair but there is an advantage for high numbers in sprints when the stalls are on the stands’ side.

Ballinrobe Tips

Ballinrobe is the only racecourse in County Mayo, Ireland and racing in the area can be traced back to the 1700’s. The current course was established in 1921 and stages both flat and National Hunt racing. It is a sharp, right handed track with a short run-in and a low draw is preferred in sprint races.

Bangor On Dee Tips

Bangor-on-Dee near Wrexham is a sharp, left handed track and is the only course in the UK that does not have a grandstand. National Hunt racing takes place throughout the year and the ground can get very quick. Bangor suits fast, accurate jumpers but is well supported by some of the leading stables.

Bath Racing Tips

Bath in Somerset is geographically the highest flat racing track in Britain and holds 22 meetings each year. There are two Listed races here with The Beckford Stakes recently added to the Lansdown Fillies’ Stakes. It is a left-handed galloping track with an uphill finish and the ground can ride exceptionally fast.

Bellewstown Tips

Bellewstown stages just five days of summer racing per year on the Hill of Crockafotha in County Meath, Ireland. There is a three-day flat meeting in July and two days of jumps racing at the end of August. It is a left handed, undulating track of around nine furlongs and high numbers are favoured in sprint races.

Beverley Races Tips

Beverley’s two most significant races are both over the minimum trip of five furlongs; The Hilary Needler Trophy and the Beverley Bullet. Notable winners include subsequent 1000 Guineas winner Attraction and two-time Nunthorpe Stakes winner Borderlescott. The course is notorious for a draw bias in favour of low numbers in all races up to seven furlongs.

Brighton Tips

Brighton Racecourse is situated high on the South Downs and the highlight of the season is the three-day summer festival in August. The competitive Brighton Mile Challenge Trophy is the feature race of the meeting. The undulating track and the stiff uphill finish means that previous course form is invaluable here.

Carlisle Racing Tips

Carlisle stages both flat and National Hunt racing and is home to the Carlisle Bell, one of the oldest horse races which can be traced back to 1599. The most significant jumps race at Carlisle is the Colin Parker Memorial Chase, won by Grand National winner Many Clouds in 2016. The stiff uphill finish makes this a testing track under both codes.

Cartmel Tips

Cartmel in the Lake District is a popular holiday venue which attracts large crowds for their Bank Holiday weekend meetings. Only the jumps courses at Aintree and Cheltenham can boast a higher average attendance in Britain. It is a very tight, left handed track but a run-in of half a mile from the last fence makes it a proper stamina test.

Catterick Racing Tips

Catterick Bridge stages frequent meetings throughout the year with races over jumps and on the flat. The North Yorkshire Grand National in January is the longest and most valuable race held at the track. The jumps course suits front runners while a low draw has a slight advantage in sprint races on the flat.

Chelmsford Tips

Originally known as Great Leighs between 2008 and 2009, the racecourse was re-opened as Chelmsford City in 2015. The inaugural running of the Listed Queen Charlotte Fillies’ Stakes took place in 2018, the highest graded race at the track. Front runners seem to be favoured here but there is no discernible draw bias.

Cheltenham Tips

The £4million Cheltenham Festival in March is the highlight of the National Hunt season. The Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle are the headline events as the best horses from Britain and Ireland compete over four days. The course also stages significant trials during the winter and is known for its stiff fences and uphill finish.

Chepstow Racing Tips

Chepstow stages both flat and National Hunt meetings but is best known for the Welsh Grand National in December. It is the richest race held in Wales and has been won by future Cheltenham Gold Cup and Aintree Grand National winners. The going can get extremely testing and Chepstow’s undulations put the emphasis on stamina.

Chester Races Tips

The May meeting features important trials for the Epsom Derby and Oaks but the Chester Cup is the signature race. The Cup is one of the most valuable long distance handicaps in the racing calendar. Chester is one of the sharpest tracks in the country and low numbers have a definite advantage, particularly over five furlongs.

Clonmel Tips

Clonmel in County Tipperary is a right-handed dual-purpose track which holds 12 meetings per year. The Clonmel Oil Chase in November is the highest graded race at the course, won four times by Dorans Pride (1997-2000). Although it is quite a testing track, it tends to favour front runners.

Cork Tips

Curragh Tips

The Curragh in County Kildare is the premier flat racing tack in Ireland and home to all five Irish Classic races. The Irish Derby at the end of June is one of the most prestigious Classic races in the world and one of ten Group 1 races staged at the track. The Derby course is a wide, galloping track but there is a distinct advantage in being drawn high on the sprint track.

Doncaster Racing Tips

Doncaster stages two of the world’s oldest races; The St Leger and the Doncaster Cup. The Lincoln and The November Handicap also take place at Town Moor, two big betting races that bookend the flat turf season. There are good quality jumps meetings during the winter and the galloping track with a long home straight suits long-striding horses under both codes.

Down Royal Tips

Down Royal near Lisburn stages the Northern Ireland Festival of Racing in November which features the Grade 1 Champion Chase. They also race on the flat in the summer with the Ulster Derby taking place in June. The jumps course is very fair but a low draw is an advantage on the flat sprint track.

Downpatrick Tips

Downpatrick is one of only two racecourses in Northern Ireland, the other being Down Royal. Racing was recorded here as far back as 1685 and it now stages nine days jumps racing each season. The Ulster National in March is the highlight of the racing year on a tight, right handed track of eleven furlongs.

Dundalk Racing Tips

Dundalk was closed to National Hunt racing in 2001 with a new flat racing all-weather polytrack being opened six years’ later. The only group race at Dundalk is the Diamond Stakes in October, elevated to Group 3 status in 2009. There is a distinct advantage for horses drawn low over five and six furlongs.

Epsom Downs Tips

The Epsom Derby is the most prestigious Classic race of the season and the fore-runner of all modern “Derby” races. The roll of honour includes many legends of the Turf including Sea Bird, Nijinsky, Mill Reef and Shergar. The undulating track and uphill finish make Epsom’s mile and a half the ultimate test of the thoroughbred.

Exeter Tips

Exeter was formerly called Devon and Exeter and is also known locally as Haldon, the venue for the Haldon Gold Cup. The Grade 2 Chase was won by Best Mate in 2001 but he tragically died when contesting the 2005 renewal. They race here from May to October and it is considered one of the fairest National Hunt courses in the UK.

Fairyhouse Tips

Fairyhouse is one of Ireland’s premier National Hunt racecourses and the home of the Irish Grand National. The long distance chase is the feature race of the three-day Easter meeting which also includes the Grade 1 Powers Gold Cup. They also race on the flat and Fairyhouse is considered a fair galloping track with no excuses for beaten horses.

Fakenham Tips

Fakenham is a very sharp, left handed National Hunt course in Norfolk that races eight times per year. The feature race is the Fakenham Silver Cup, held during the March spring meeting. It usually pays to race up with the pace but it can prove surprisingly testing in soft ground.

Ffos Las Tips

Ffos Las in Camarthenshire became the first new jumps course to be opened in 80 years when the inaugural meeting was held in 2009. It is the new home of the Welsh Champion Hurdle, formerly run at Chepstow before being axed in 2003. Ffos Las is a flat, galloping track which has been likened to Newbury.

Fontwell Tips

The highlight of the National Hunt season at Fontwell is the Grade 2 National Spirit Hurdle towards the end of February. The figure-of-eight course is also the home of the Southern National in November. The nature of the track suits sharp, accurate chasers and horses leading over the last are rarely pegged back.

Galway Tips

Galway racecourse is in the village of Ballybrit in County Galway and stages 12 days of racing per season, spread over three meetings. The highlight is the seven-day Galway Festival in late July/early August featuring the valuable Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle. It is a very tight, right handed track with a steep uphill finish.

Goodwood Tips

Goodwood is regarded as the most scenic of all Britain’s racecourses with stunning views across the South Downs. The Glorious Goodwood Festival in July features the Group 1 Sussex Stakes and Nassau Stakes as well as the popular Stewards’ Cup. The race is notoriously tricky for hold-up horses while the sprint track is one of the fastest in the country.

Gowran Park Tips

Gowran Park is a dual purpose racecourse in County Kilkenny which stages 16 race days per year. These include the Thyestes Chase, Gowran Park Champion Chase and the Group 3 Denny Cordell Lavarack Fillies Stakes. It is a right handed, undulating track which tends to put the emphasis on stamina.

Hamilton Racing Tips

Hamilton Park stages flat racing from May through to October including the Listed Glasgow Stakes in July. 1993 Derby winner Commander in Chief and multiple Group 1 winner Postponed are among previous winners. Hamilton is a very undulating course which can be testing in soft ground. Low numbers hold a slight advantage in sprint races on soft ground and over a mile in any conditions.

Haydock Tips

Haydock stages top quality meetings on both the Flat and over jumps. The Haydock Sprint Cup is a prestigious Group 1 sprint while the Betfair Chase is one of the top chases of the season. The flat galloping track is one of the fairest in the country but the ground can get extremely testing.

Hereford Tips

Hereford Racecourse looked to have been lost to National Hunt racing when it was closed in 2012, only to be revived in 2016. The track now stages eleven meetings between January and December. It is a right handed course of nearly a mile and a half and the ground can get very testing.

Hexham Races Tips

Hexham stages National Hunt racing from March to December including evening and twilight meetings. The course is undulating with a steep uphill finish so the emphasis is very much on stamina, particularly in soft ground. Hexham tends to suit the slow maturing, old-fashioned steeplechaser rather than ex-flat racers.

Huntingdon Tips

Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire hosts seventeen National Hunt meetings per season. The feature events are The Grade 2 Peterborough Chase in December and the Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle in February. It is a right handed, flat track and favours former flat racers and speed horses unless the going is very soft.

Kelso Tips

Kelso in the Scottish Borders is a sharp, left handed jumps track with a stiff uphill finish. It is home to the Listed Premier Chase, won by Grand National winner Many Clouds in 2016. Other notable races include the Morebattle Hurdle and the Premier Kelso Hurdle.

Kempton Park Tips

The King George VI Chase is the outstanding jump race at Kempton, ranked second only to the Cheltenham Gold Cup in terms of prestige. The National Hunt course is one of the flattest in the country and the Boxing Day feature is one of three Grade 1 races held at the venue. The all-weather track provides regular flat racing throughout the year with low numbers favoured in sprints.

Kilbeggan Tips

Kilbeggan in County Westmeath is a right handed, undulating track of nine furlongs with an uphill finish. The course has been on its present site since 1901 and stages eight National Hunt meetings between April and September. The feature race at Kilbeggan is the Midlands Grand National in July.

Killarney Tips

Killarney is in the tourist area of County Kerry in Ireland and is one of the most scenic racecourses in the world. Eleven Flat and National Hunt meetings take place here with the Listed Ruby Stakes topping the bill at the August festival. It is a left handed track of just over nine furlongs and there are no races shorter than a mile.

Laytown Tips

Laytown in County Meath is unique as they race on a beach for just one day every September. The course infrastructure is put in place the previous day and dismantled after racing. The wet sand rides very much like firm ground on the turf and there are no starting stalls.

Leicester Racing Tips

The Listed King Richard III Stakes over seven furlongs is the most prestigious flat race run at Leicester. There are also jumps meetings at the course including the Leicestershire Silver Fox Handicap Chase in December. The uphill finish can make Leicester a thorough test of stamina, particularly when the going is soft.

Leopardstown Tips

Leopardstown is a Grade 1 track near Dublin that holds top quality racing under both codes. The feature events include the Irish Champion Stakes on the flat and the Irish Gold Cup and Lexus Chase over fences. The hurdles track is on the inside of the chase course and therefore the sharper of the two.

Limerick Tips

Limerick was opened in 2001, the first new racecourse in Ireland for over fifty years. It stages both flat and jumps racing and is an oval track of around eleven furlongs. The feature races are the Dawn Run Novice Chase in March and the Dorans Pride Novice Hurdle in December.

Lingfield Racing Tips

Lingfield stages turf races on the flat and over jumps and is the home of the £1million All-Weather Championships. The polytrack surface now accounts for the majority of Lingfield’s 80 plus annual meetings. The Lingfield Derby and Oaks Trials on turf still retain some significance on a course which shares certain characteristics with Epsom.

Listowel Tips

Listowel in County Kerry is a flat, left handed course that stages both flat and National Hunt racing. The seven-day Harvest Festival in September features the valuable Guinness Kerry National over three miles. Notable previous winners include Dorans Pride (1997) and subsequent Grand National winner Monty’s Pass (2002).

Ludlow Tips

Ludlow is a popular National Hunt course in Shropshire which stages meetings throughout the winter. It is a sharp, right handed track which is ideal for former flat races who may struggle on more exacting courses. The fences are relatively easy and the top trainers have no qualms about running a novice at Ludlow.

Market Rasen Racing Tips

Market Rasen is a National Hunt course with a strong focus on summer jumping. The Summer Plate and Summer Hurdle at the July meeting are the most valuable races held here. Market Rasen is a sharp, right-handed track which tends to favour those up with the pace despite its deceptively long home straight.

Meydan Tips

Meydan replaced the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in Dubai in 2010 and was part of the massive Meydan City development. The Dubai World Cup is the climax of an evening that features eight Group races and over US$27million in prize money. Horses drawn high at Meydan are at a disadvantage, particularly in large fields.

Musselburgh Racing Tips

Musselburgh stages nearly 30 meetings per year with a mixture of flat and National Hunt racing. The £100,000 Scottish Sprint Cup in June is the richest race ever held at the track. The tight turns at Musselburgh do not suit long-striding animals and horses drawn low are favoured over five furlongs.

Naas Tips

Naas is in County Kildare, just 18 miles from Dublin, and holds good quality meetings for both Flat and National Hunt. Top jumps races include the Slaney Novice Hurdle and Newlands Chase while the leading flat race is the Group 3 Blue Wind Stakes. It is a left handed galloping track with a stiff uphill finish.

Navan Tips

Navan in County Meath is left handed track of a mile and a half with an uphill finish. There are top quality Flat and National Hunt races at the course including the Navan Novice Hurdle, Vintage Crop Stakes and the Ballysax Stakes. Low numbers have a slight advantage in sprints while the going can get extremely testing over jumps.

Newbury Racing Tips

Newbury is one of the fairest tracks in the country and holds top class meetings on the flat and over jumps. The Ladbrokes Trophy and Betfair Hurdle are two of the most valuable handicaps of the National Hunt season. The Group 1 Lockinge Stakes is the main flat race at the Berkshire track which also stages several important Classic trials in the spring.

Newcastle Racing Tips

Newcastle stages top quality jump racing on turf and regular flat racing on an all-weather tapeta surface. The Fighting Fifth Hurdle and Eider Chase are the most notable races for jumping fans and the Northumberland Plate is the most valuable flat race. The going can get very testing on the jumps track while a high draw is a disadvantage in large fields on the all-weather.

Newmarket Tips

Newmarket is the official headquarters of British horseracing and has two flat tracks; the Rowley Mile and the July Course. The Guineas Festival in May takes place on the former with the July Cup being the feature event on the summer track. Both are wide, flat tracks with no significant draw bias, although the July course does favour front-runners.

Newton Abbot Tips

Newton Abbot in Devon is a sharp, left handed National Hunt course of around nine furlongs. The feature race of the season is the Lord Mildmay Memorial Handicap Chase in August, won in 2004 by Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Take The Stand. The fences are stiff and the track suits fast, accurate chasers and hurdlers.

Nottingham Racing Tips

Nottingham stages 23 flat racing meetings per year and has three Listed races including the Further Flight Stakes. The race is named after the popular stayer trained by Barry Hills, the winner here in 1996 and 1998. The track is left handed with a long home straight but horses can struggle to come from off the pace.

Perth Racing Tips

Perth is the most northerly course in Scotland and holds popular summer jumps meetings from April through to September. The three-day Perth Festival features The Highland National and the highlight of the June meeting is the Perth Gold Cup. The course does not appear to be particularly testing but there is often a fast pace and the long run-in puts the emphasis on stamina.

Plumpton Tips

Plumpton is a small, friendly course in East Sussex with a railway station adjacent to the track. It is quite undulating and an inexperienced novice can be caught out by the downhill fences, particularly in soft ground. The biggest race in the calendar is the Sussex National over three and a half miles early in January.

Pontefract Tips

Pontefract is a flat racing track in West Yorkshire that stages five Listed races between June and October. These include the Pontefract Castle Stakes over a mile and a half in June and the Pipalong Stakes over a mile in August. The left handed track has a stiff uphill finish and it provides a thorough test of stamina.

Punchestown Tips

Punchestown is the premier National Hunt course in Ireland and stages a five-day festival in April. The Punchestown Gold Cup is one of twelve Grade 1 races during a meeting that always attracts many winners and placed horses from the Cheltenham Festival. The jumps course is a fair test of a steeplechaser but the hurdles course is quite sharp and tends to favour horses racing up with the pace.

Redcar Tips

Redcar is a flat racing venue in North Yorkshire and stages the valuable Two-year-old Trophy in October. It is also home of The Zetland Gold Cup in May, a very competitive ten furlong handicap. It is a left handed, flat oval track and it is difficult to come from off the pace on fast ground.

Ripon Races Tips

Ripon is the venue for the Listed Champion Two-year-old Trophy and the Great St Wilfrid Stakes in August. There are also popular summer meetings including the opening day of the “Go Racing in Yorkshire” Summer Festival. High Numbers have a big advantage in sprints, although this tends to be reversed in soft ground.

Roscommon Tips

Roscommon is a dual purpose course in the midlands of Ireland and holds nine meetings between May and September. The Listed Lenebane Stakes in July and the Grade 3 Kilbegnet Novice Chase in September are the top races of the season. It is a right handed track of almost a mile and a quarter with an uphill finish.

Salisbury Racing Tips

Salisbury has 15 flat meetings during the season including the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes and Dick Poole Fillies’ Stakes. The Stonehenge Stakes is one of three Listed races held at one of the UK’s most scenic courses during the summer. The track is uphill most of the way and low numbers have a slight advantage in sprint races.

Sandown Park Tips

Sandown Park hosts top quality racing under both codes and several prestigious races. The Group 1 Coral Eclipse is the highlight of the flat season while the Tingle Creek Chase and Bet365 Gold Cup are among the top National Hunt prizes. The chase track can be very testing for a novice and a low draw is an advantage in sprint races on the flat when the going is soft.

Sedgefield Tips

Sedgefield is south of the city of Durham and is a left handed undulating jumps track. The Durham National over three miles and five furlongs is held here in March. The track has produced a fair number of course specialists, notably Fatekhalkhair who won 13 times here.

Sligo Tips

Sligo in the west of Ireland is a right handed track of about a mile which has been significantly upgraded in recent years. It is a dual purpose course, hosting eight meetings between May and October. The stiff uphill finish makes this a good test of stamina and those with previous course form can be worth following.

Southwell Racing Tips

Southwell is the only fibresand track in the UK, a much deeper surface than at any of the other five all-weather courses. Low numbers have an advantage over five furlongs but this is not evident over longer distances. Southwell’s tight turf track stages the occasional flat meeting but is primarily used for National Hunt racing and favours horses that can lie up with the pace.

Stratford-On-Avon Tips

Stratford-on-Avon in Warwickshire is one of the most popular summer jumping tracks. The Stratford Foxhunters’ Champion Chase takes place in May while The Stratford Summer Cup is the main event in July. It is a sharp, left handed track and the emphasis is on speed here rather than stamina.

Taunton Tips

Taunton is in Orchard Portman, Somerset and stages good quality National Hunt racing throughout the winter. Notable races include the Carlsberg UK Handicap Hurdle in January and the Audrey Chudleigh Memorial Handicap Hurdle in November. It is a sharp, right handed track with deceptively tricky fences.

Thirsk Races Tips

Thirsk in North Yorkshire is a left handed Flat racing track of around ten furlongs. The highlight of the season is the Thirsk Hunt Cup, won by subsequent Champion Stakes winner Farhh in 2012. The draw favours high numbers in sprints on fast ground but low numbers have the advantage when the going is soft.

Thurles Tips

Thurles is one of three racecourses in County Tipperary and hosts eleven National Hunt meetings between October and March. There are several graded races including The Coolmore Mares Novice Chase and The Kinloch Brae Chase. It is a sharp right handed, undulating track of about ten furlongs and the ground is always beautifully maintained.

Tipperary Tips

Tipperary is a dual purpose racecourse in the province of Munster in Ireland and hosts eleven meetings during the season. The highlight is “Super Sunday” in October featuring three graded jumps races and the Group 3 Concorde Stakes. It is a left handed, oval track of about ten furlongs and high numbers are favoured over five furlongs.

Towcester Tips

Tramore Tips

Tramore is a coastal town in County Waterford and stages eleven meetings consisting of both flat and jumps racing during the year. The Listed Holden Plant Rentals Chase on New Years Day and the four-day August Festival are the season highlights. It is a sharp, undulating, right hand track with a stiff uphill finish.

Uttoxeter Racing Tips

Uttoxeter is home to the Midlands Grand National in March one of the top staying handicap chases of the season. Notable previous winners include Grand National winner Rag Trade (1975) and Cheltenham Gold Cup winners The Thinker (1986) and Synchronised (2010). It is a sharp, left handed track but can become extremely testing in soft ground.

Warwick Racing Tips

Warwick ended their flat racing programme in 2014 to concentrate solely on National Hunt racing. There are two Grade 2 races as well as the Grade 3 Classic Chase, won by subsequent Grand National winner One For Arthur in 2017. Both courses are quite sharp and it suits horses that like to race up with the pace.

Wetherby Tips

Wexford Tips

Flat racing was discontinued at Wexford in 2016 to focus on the National Hunt programme. It had also been changed from right to left handed the previous season and is a track of a mile and a half. It generally suits front runners but the going can vary on this undulating course.

Wincanton Tips

Wincanton stages three Grade 2 races during the National Hunt season including the Kingwell Hurdle in February. The race has an impressive roll of honour which includes Desert Orchid (1984), Kribensis (1990), Alderbrook (1995) and Binocular (2012). The right handed course is quite sharp but the stiff fences make it quite a stern test for a steeplechaser.

Windsor Racing Tips

Windsor abandoned National Hunt racing in 1998 and is now a flat only figure-of-eight track of about a mile and a quarter. The Winter Hill Stakes in August is the only Group race held at the track which stages some very well-attended evening meetings in the summer. High numbers are favoured in sprint races when the going is soft.

Wolverhampton Tips

Wolverhampton is an all-weather track with a Tapeta surface which stages around 90 fixtures each year. The Lady Wulfruna Stakes and Lincoln Trial in March are the most valuable races in the calendar. It is a sharp left handed track with a short home straight and horses drawn low have a slight advantage.

Worcester Tips

Worcester is a flat, oval course of 13 furlongs and has been a National Hunt only venue since 1966. The proximity of the River Severn and the risk of flooding means it has become increasing popular as a summer jumping course. Worcester celebrated its 300 year anniversary in 2018 with The Princess Royal in attendance.

Yarmouth Tips

Yarmouth is a popular venue for summer flat racing highlighted by the three-day Eastern meeting in September. The track is quite sharp but has a very even straight mile which was levelled and resurfaced in 2015. Some top class horses have won maiden races here including Ouija Board and Dubai Millennium.

York Racing Tips

York is one of the premier flat racecourses in Britain and is a flat, galloping track of just under two miles. The Ebor Festival meeting in August features the Group 1 International Stakes, Nunthorpe Stakes and Yorkshire Oaks. The Ebor Handicap is the signature race of the meeting, Europe’s richest handicap on the flat with prize money set to reach £1million in 2019.