Andy Newton’s Saturday Column

So we now know what Sir AP McCoy has been doing since he retired from the saddle in 2015… he’s now a Civil Engineer! Okay, I’m only messing about, but that’s the new name of this Saturday’s Classic Chase at Warwick – The McCoy Contractors Civil Engineering Classic Handicap Chase – so it tickled me a bit! This 3m5f contest…

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Running to Form (RTF) – What Does It Mean & Can It Be Trusted?

Horse racing is full of abbreviations, and it is far too easy to get caught up in the complexities of the sport. Don’t assume that it’s impossible to win if you don’t know your TS from your RPR! Even so, a punter’s greatest weapon is knowledge, so it pays to learn and understand the various methods of ranking horses, trainers,…

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Weekly Eye-Catchers

Veteran’s Day A fairly low-key weekend on the racing front, not really surprising given the feast of racing over Christmas period. Sandown hosted a race to warm the cockles of the most cynical racing heart. Yes, it was the Veterans’ Series Final. The race, and its series of qualifiers, have quickly found favour with jumping fans. As a battle-hardened group…

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Weekly Eye-Catchers

Is 2019 The Year of The Clan? Well my holiday already seems far away, but I had a very relaxing time and the break was definitely needed. I returned from Mexico on Boxing Day, and just managed to see the action from Kempton, and what great racing it was too. The King George VI provided a bit of a shock…

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Who Were the Best Trainers in 2018?

We have come to the end of 2018 and now is as good a time as any to reflect on the best-performing trainers of the year, from the perspective of a punter. In this article, I will look at trainers on the Flat, AW, and National Hunt, and see if this year was par for the course or an anomaly.…

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Threading the Needle in the Welsh Grand National

Although it is not as famous as the Aintree equivalent, the Welsh Grand National, which takes place at Chepstow, has become a much-loved post-Christmas event. It is a gruelling 3m 5 ½f slog that typically takes place on soft or heavy ground. The Grade 3 event was won by Raz De Maree in 2018, and this year is the fourth…

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Is There Money to be Made from Forecasts & Tricasts?

Forecast and tricast bets have often been decried as ‘mug’ bets by experienced punters. In their eyes, these ‘exotic’ wagers are akin to going for a four or five horse accumulator. The odds are long, the potential payoff is massive, but the chances of winning are minimal. However, are we looking at these bets all wrong? Are they a bookmaker’s…

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Weekly Eye-Catchers

Frost Returns to Cheltenham Not for the first time I find myself praising the riding skills of Bryony Frost as she steered Frodon to victory in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup on Saturday. It’s a long time since I have seen a Cheltenham meeting runs in such gloomy conditions, but Frodon’s win did add some brightness to the day. It…

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Frequent Flyer Miles – Can You Trust Trainers and Jockeys with Vast Experience at a Particular Course?

Experienced horse racing punters know better than to take strike rates at face value. Although a jockey or trainer (or perhaps a combination of the two) may have an excellent strike rate at a specific track, it means a lot less when their horses are primarily short-priced favourites. Likewise, having a low strike rate doesn’t mean avoiding a bet because…

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Are Irish Trainers Worth Following in the UK?

There are a plethora of Irish stables who each possess a string of talented horses that are often seen running in the UK. The likes of Gordon Elliott, Willie Mullins, Aidan O’Brien and John Feane are familiar names to horse racing fans and their stables tend to fire in winners on a regular basis. These talented trainers are always on the lookout for winning opportunities…

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Weekly Eye-Catchers

The last two weeks have seen some top-class Championship performances from Bristol De Mai and Buveur D’Air on their seasonal reappearances. This week it was the turn of Altior at Sandown. There have been some great winners of the Tingle Creek Chase over the years, like Moscow Flyer, Kauto Star and Sprinter Sacre, and this year’s victor is up there…

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Who Will Win the Mini-Grand National, a Showcase for the Real Thing?

The Becher Chase, a 3m 2f handicap Chase race, takes place this weekend at Aintree. It was only established in 1992, but since then, it has become something of a ‘training ground’ for future Grand National winners. Why? Because it is run over the same fences as its iconic bigger brother.  It is not as long or as gruelling as…

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Weekly Eye-Catchers

In recent years, the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle hasn’t had the quality of field you would like to see for a race of its history. On paper, this year’s renewal looked like the race of the season so far, with Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D’Air, and Cheltenham Festival novice hurdle winners Samcro & Summerville Boy all standing their ground.…

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Can the Ladbrokes Trophy Find a Future Superstar?

The upcoming Ladbrokes Winter Carnival is Newbury’s winter highlight, and racing lovers especially look forward to the feature race, the Ladbrokes Trophy, which is for horses aged 4yo+. Although it is ‘only’ a Grade 3 handicap event, this 3m 2.5f test of stamina has a habit of highlighting horses worth following in the season’s major events. The Ladbrokes Trophy was…

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Weekly Eye-Catchers

Well, I am back in the saddle so to speak, after a short break away. Plenty to go at this week. Saturday it’s the Ladbroke Trophy Handicap Chase, formerly known as the Hennessey Gold Cup, at Newbury, which is one of my favourite handicap chases of the season. Also on Saturday it’s the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle. The Fighting…

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Forgiving a Forlorn Run: Should You Risk Money on Horses That Failed to Finish Their Last National Hunt Race?

Admit it: You have dismissed horses in the past because they failed to finish their last National Hunt race. In some cases, it is a dangerous omission because there are a variety of reasons why a horse doesn’t complete a race. Perhaps the Going was all wrong, or the jockey misjudged a fence.  Did you know that over 18% of…

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The Racing Week Ahead…

With John Burke on holiday this week, the estimable Andy Newton has stepped-in to give us his take on the week ahead. His is a detailed, interesting read, from a different perspective. Enjoy… With last weekend’s Cheltenham November Meeting behind us, it’s fair to say……jump racing is back! It’s the hedgehoppers all the way now for the next six months…

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The Cheltenham Open – Finding the Next National Hunt Superstar

Although there have been numerous National Hunt events already, the Cheltenham Open is often regarded as the true beginning of the jumps season. In recent years, the Open’s importance has grown, and it is now a three-day meeting that attracts challengers from all around Europe.  There are multiple Class 1 events and highlights include the BetVictor Gold Cup Handicap Chase…

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Weekly Eye-Catchers

Morning! Frost Returns To Wincanton I waxed lyrical about jockey Bryony Frost on a couple of occasions last year. The first time was when she won last year’s Badger Ales Trophy Handicap Chase on Present Man. It was a case of déjà vu as the combination returned to win the race again this year. Once again Bryony got the 8-year-old into a good…

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Weekly Video Diary @ The Race Advisor with Alex Peperell

This week’s round-up…

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