Horseracing Betting Briefing: Top racing tips for October 26th - November 1st

General / Andrew Hughes / 26 October 2008 / Leave a Comment

After a great spectacle across the pond Andrew Hughes comes back down to earth to preview this week's racing.

The coverage of the Breeders Cup is, in addition to being a great sporting spectacle, another reminder of how parochial and old-fashioned British racing remains. In their attitude towards informing the punter, the sport across the Atlantic is light years ahead of our own. Details of work trials, precise race distances and of course, sectional timings are a given in the States, whilst we have to make do as best we can.

But sometimes we can make up for these deficiencies with good old fashioned British ingenuity. As my esteemed Betfair colleague Simon Rowlands mentioned in his article last week, he has been gathering hand-timed sectionals from the all-weather tracks this year, a task I have lately been assisting him with. This information is a potential goldmine for punters and fascinating to use. The gathering of the times is not all that labour intensive and well worth the effort, so if anyone would like to help us, feel free to contact either Simon or myself.

Sunday 26th October

There's the return of an autumn favourite at Aintree, with the Old Roan Chase, a two-and-a-half mile Grade Two Handicap. There looks to be a decent card this year with entries including deposed Champion Chaser Voy Por Ustedes, Gold Cup perennial Exotic Dancer and Monet's Garden. As ever at this time of year, fitness will be a key factor and careful paddock study will be rewarded.

Elsewhere today, there's a decent race at Wincanton; the Desert Orchid Handicap Chase over three and a half miles and if Galway survives an early inspection, it is worth noting the Ballybrit Novices Chase for future prospects.

Monday 27th October

A soporific Monday enlivened by some flat racing action from Leopardstown. Best races on the card are the seven furlong Killavullan Stakes, a contest farmed by Aidan O'Brien in recent years and the Trigo Stakes over ten furlongs for Listed types.

Thursday 30th October

The all-weather season is in full swing now and this afternoon Lingfield holds a couple of Listed contests for fillies. The Fleur de Lys Stakes is a well contested mile around the tight Surrey course likely to attract some decent horses from top stables and the Eden Fillies Stakes is a competitive staying contest over just short of two miles.

Friday 31st October

Action from Newmarket and Wetherby today, a taste of the variety on offer in British racing. From the headquarters of UK flat racing there's the Bosra Sham Fillies Stakes for speedy two year old fillies. And up at Wetherby there's a competitive Listed Handicap race over two and a half miles as well as the Wensleydale Juvenile Novices Hurdle which may include one or two early contenders for the Triumph Hurdle.

Saturday 1st November

The James Nicholson Wine Merchant Chase is a high class contest, won by the likes of Beef or Salmon and Taranis in the past and this renewal is given added lustre by the likely presence of Kauto Star as he begins the long trail to reclaim his Gold Cup crown. There's also a valuable two and a half mile Grade Three, the Killultagh Properties Steeplechase.

There's more top quality jumps action at Wetherby with the first major non handicap race of the British season in the Charlie Hall Chase, a perennially fascinating three mile contest. And don't miss the West Yorkshire Hurdle for stayers, won by Black Jack Ketchum last year.

Less exalted but still interesting jumping action at Ascot with the United House Gold Cup Chase, a handicap over three miles with a big prize on offer and the Byrne Group Handicap Chase, a competitive Listed race over two miles and a furlong for the speedier chasers.

Finally, there is a trio of interesting Listed races at Newmarket. The Montrose Fillies Stakes is a decent test for two year olds up the galloping Rowley Mile whilst the James Seymour and Ben Marshall Stakes are contests for older horses over ten and eight furlongs respectively.