Archive for the ‘Horse Racing News’ Category

The Darley July Cup is a Group 1 race for horses aged 3 years and older. It is part of the July meeting at Newmarket Racecourse and is usually run in early July.

The July Cup was first run in 1876 and has been sponsored by Darley Stud since 1996. The race became part of the Global Sprint Challenge in 2008 and is regarded as one of the biggest races in the British Flat racing season.

Although a number of Australian runners have been well fancied for recent renewals of the July Cup, only one has managed to place from the last eight. Horses aged older than five also seem to struggle.

Darley July Cup Details

Next running: Friday 9th July

Trip: 6 Furlongs

First Run: 1876

Location: Newmarket Racecourse

Darley July Cup Trends

10 of the last 10 winners had run in the last 30 days
9 of the last 10 winners ran at the Royal meeting on their previous start
9 of the last 10 winners had won a listed or group race.
8 of the last 10 winners came from the first 5 in the betting
7 of the last 10 winners came from stall 9 or higher
7 of the last 10 winners finished in the 1st 3 last time out
6 of the last 10 winners ran in the King’s Stand Stakes
3 of the last 10 winners ran in the Golden Jubilee Stakes

Darley July Cup Betting

Darley July Cup Tips

The 2010 renewal of the Darley July Cup takes places on Friday 9th July and looks sure to be another competitive and exciting event. Last year’s renewal was won by the Jeremy Noseda trained Fleeting Spirit and the mare is likely to put up another bold show this year under Frankie Dettori.

Lat month’s Golden Jubilee Stakes winner Starspangledbanner is sure to be popular with punters beating a high class field in a fairly comfortable fashion on that occasion on what was only his 2nd start for trainer Aidan O’Brien.

At around 14/1, Barry Hills Equiano seems like a big price on the back of his win in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. His form this season has been very solid and although personally I can never get him right, Equiano is certainly good each way value.

Showcasing was bitterly disappointing in the Golden Jubilee but was very badly away and wasn’t given a hard time by jockey William Buick once his chance was gone. Don’t be surprised to see an improved performance from John Gosden’s charge here.

2010 Darley July Cup Selections

2pts win Fleeting Spirit @9/2 William Hill

0.5pt e/w Showcasing @ 20/1 Bet 365

Get more horse racing tips on the Newmarket July Meeting from our horse racing forum.

The 2,000 Guineas Stakes is the first of the five British Classic Races which are run each year. The other Classic races are the 1,000 Guineas, the Epsom Oaks, the Epsom Derby and the St Leger Stakes.

The 2010 renewal of the 2,000 Guineas is due to be run on Saturday 1st May. Newmarket Racecourse hosts the 2,000 Guineas each May where the race is run on the Rowley Mile. Bookmaker Stan James currently sponsor the race.

Fillies are eligible to run in the 2,000 Guineas but they generally run in the 1,000 Guineas, which takes place the following day. The last filly to win the 2,000 Guineas was Garden Path in 1944.

In recent years trainer Aidan O’Brien has dominated the 2,000 Guineas, having trained four of the last eight winners. The overall record for the Irish is even stronger in recent times, with Irish trainers having won six of the last eight renewals.

2,000 Guineas Stakes Details

First Run: 1809

Trip: 1 mile

Class: Group 1

Age: 3yos

2,000 Guineas Stakes Trends

10 of the last 10 winners finished in the first 3 last time out
10 of the last 10 winners had their most recent run in August or later
10 of the last 10 winners were born before 7th April
9 of the last 10 winners had won over a trip of 7f or a mile
8 of the last 10 winners have been priced between 9/2 and 11/1
8 of the last 10 winners won on their first run as a 2yo
7 of the last 10 winners had won at Group level
7 of the last 10 winners were having their first run of the season
7 of the last 10 winners were by a sire who had won a Group 1 race over a mile
6 of the last 10 winners have been trained in Ireland
4 of the last 10 winners have been trained by Aidan O’Brien
1 of the last 10 winners have been favourite

2,000 Guineas Stakes Winners

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Price
2000	King's Best	Kieren Falon	Sir Michael Stoute	13/2
2001	Golan	Kieren Fallon	Sir Michael Stoute	11/1
2002	Rock Of Gibraltar	Johnny Murtagh	Aidan O'Brien	9/1
2003	Refuse To Bend	Pat Smullen	Dermot Weld	9/2
2004	Haafhd	Richard Hills	Barry Hills	11/2
2005	Footstepsinthesand	Kieren Fallon	Aidan O'Brien	13/2
2006	George Washington	Kieren Fallon	Aidan O'Brien	6/4f
2007	Cockney Rebel	Olivier Peslier	Geoff Huffer	25/1
2008	Henrythenavigator	Johnny Murtagh	Aidan O'Brien	11/1
2009	Sea The Stars	Mick Kinane	John Oxx	8/1

2010 2,000 Guineas Preview and Tips

The 2010 renewal of the 2,000 Guineas looks like a mouth watering contest. Winner of the Racing Post Trophy, St Nicholas Abbey has the potential to be an absolute superstar. His comprehensive victory over Elusive Pimpernel last season is rock solid form and the runner up franked that with authority in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket earlier this season. Couple this with Aidan O’Brien’s fabulous record in the 2,000 Guineas and it makes St Nicholas Abbey a very hard horse to oppose. Whether the current odds of even money can be described as value is debatable but O’Brien’s charge is very clearly the horse they all have to beat.

Elusive Pimpernel could well finish runner up to St Nicholas Abbey again here as was the case in the Racing Post Trophy. John Dunlop’s runner does have a couple of advantages over the Irish favourite this time however. Firstly, he should have the fitness edge over St Nicholas Abbey having won the Craven Stakes last time out. That victory also came on fast ground, something St Nich is yet to encounter. Elusive Pimpernel looks like an each way bet to nothing at a best price of 5/1.

Canford Cliffs is well fancied in some quarters but personally, I think he’s going to find it tough against the front two in the market. That being said, his stable couldn’t be in much better form and it will be very interesting to see if Hannon decides to run the winner of the Greenham Stakes Dick Turpin. Turpin beat stable mate Canford Cliffs on that occasion but is double the price of the runner up.

I’m not Richard Hills’ biggest fan but I’m not part of his hate mob either and I’m hoping he can find one of his better performances to get the Mark Johnston trained Awzaan home in front. Awzaan is unbeaten and is proven on the likely fast going. Mark Johnston’s runners at this level never want for fitness and the horse also won on his debut as a two year old. His handler won the 2,000 Guineas in 1994 with Mr Baileys and this would probably be his best chance of another victory in the race since. At 9/1 with Bet365, Awzaan is my selection for the race.

1pt e/w Awzaan @ 9/1 Bet365

The 2010 Scottish Grand National takes place on Saturday 17th April at Ayr Racecourse. This is just a week later than the English equivalent at Aintree. The race was first run in 1867 and originally took place at Bogside Racecourse but moved to Ayr in 1966 following the closure of Bogside.

Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies has won the race three times in his career. The only horse to have won the Scottish and English Grand National in the same year was Red Rum in 1974.

Scottish Grand National Details

First Run: 1867

Class: Grade 3

Trip: 4 miles

Fences: 27

Scottish Grand National Betting

Scottish Grand National Trends

10 of the last 10 winners had won a chase at class 3 or higher
10 of the last 10 winners had run between 3 and 6 times that season
9 of the last 10 winners had won over 3 miles or further
9 of the last 10 winners had run in past 60 days
8 of the last 10 winners were rated between 132 and 143
8 of the last 10 winners won a chase worth £15,000 or more
8 of the last 10 winners went off at 12/1 or bigger
6 of the last 10 winners had run in 8 or fewer handicap chases
5 of the last 10 winners have been aged 8 years old
4 of the last 10 winners had won at Ayr
3 of the last 10 winners have been trained by Ferdy Murphy
3 of the last 10 winners had run in that season’s Hennessy Gold Cup
2 of the last 10 winners ran at the Cheltenham Festival
1 of the last 10 winners was favourite
0 of the last 10 winners ran in the Aintree Grand National

Scottish Grand National Winners

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Price
2000	Paris Pike	Adrian Maguire	Ferdy Murphy	5/1jf
2001	Gingembre	Andrew Thornton	Lavinia Taylor	12/1
2002	Take Control	Ruby Walsh	Martin Pipe	20/1
2003	Ryalux	Richard McGrath	Andy Crook	15/2
2004	Grey Abbey	Graham Lee	Howard Johnson	12/1
2005	Joes Edge	Keith Mercer	Ferdy Murphy	20/1
2006	Run For Paddy	Carl Llewellyn	Carl Llewellyn	33/1
2007	Hot Weld	P J McDonald	Ferdy Murphy	14/1
2008	Iris De Balme	Charlie Huxley	Sean Curran	66/1
2009	Hello Bud	Paddy Brennan	Nigel Twiston-Davies	12/1

2010 Scottish Grand National Preview and Tips

The betting for the 2010 Scottish Grand National is currently headed by the Ferdy Murphy trained Poker De Sivola. His most recent outing was when winning the National Hunt Challenege Cup at Cheltenham under Katie Walsh. Ferdy Murphy has a great record in the Scottish Grand National and the horse doesn’t look badly handicapped so a big run is on the cards and the 6/1 currently available seems like a fair price.

Top weight Killyglen has also proved popular in the Ante Post market. Howard Johnson’s charge put a couple of disappointing efforts behind him with an excellent second place finish to the progressive Wogan. This is a classy individual and a mark of 153 might not be beyond him here.

One very interesting contender with just 10st to carry is Lothian Falcon. Currently a 20/1 chance, Lothian Flacon had been off the track since January 09 before having a pipe opener at Bangor at the end of last month. That run was obviously just a prep for a serious crack at this event and he has bits of form over fences that would give him a very serious chance.

1pt e/w Lothian Falcon @ 20/1 with Coral

The 2010 Craven Stakes takes place Thursday 15th April at Newmarket Racecourse. The race is a key trial for the 2000 Guineas as it is run over the same course and distance. The Craven is open to three year old colts and geldings. All runners are due to carry 8st 12lbs but any horse that has won a Group 1 or Group 2 race previously gets a 3lbs penalty.

Craven Stakes Trends

10 of the last 10 winners were having their first run of the season
10 of the last 10 winners had won a race as a 2yo
10 of the last 10 winners were born no later than 11th April
8 of the last 10 winners had won over 7 furlongs or further
8 of the last 10 winners had run in a group race as a 2yo
8 of the last 10 winners came from the first 4 in the betting
7 of the last 10 winners ran at Newmarket on their previous start
6 of the last 10 winners won first time out as a 2yo
6 of the last 10 winners had won at Newmarket
4 of the last 10 winners ran in the Dewhurst last time out
3 of the last 10 winners have been favourite
3 of the last 10 winners have been trained by Richard Hannon
2 of the last 10 winners have been trained by Sir Michael Stoute
2 of the last 10 winners have been trained by Barry Hills

Craven Stakes Winners

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Price
2009	Delegator	Jamie Spencer	Brian Meehan	4/6f
2008	Twice Over	Ted Durcan	Henry Cecil	9/4
2007	Adagio	Kerrin McEvoy	Sir Michael Stoute	5/4f
2006	Killybegs	Michael Hills	Barry Hills	9/2
2005	Democratic Deficit	Kevin Manning	Jim Bolger	12/1
2004	Haafhd	Richard Hills	Barry Hills	100/30
2003	Hurricane Alan	Jimmy Fortune	Richard Hannon	9/1
2002	King of Happiness	Kieren Fallon	Sir Michael Stoute	9/4f
2001	King's Ironbridge	Richard Hughes	Richard Hannon	12/1
2000	Umistim	Richard Hughes	Richard Hannon	8/1

Craven Stakes Preview and Tips

Considering the excellent record his trainer has in the race, Dick Turpin must be seriously considered for this year’s Craven Stakes. Richard Hannon’s charge won the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood before going on to finish in the Dewhurst. He may well have been over the top by that stage of the season and is better than that form suggests.

The John Dunlop trained Elusive Pimpernel is also sure to be popular with punters. He won his first two starts before finishing an excellent 2nd in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster last October. The horse lost nothing in defeat that day behind the top class St Nicholas Abbey who is the current Ante Post favourite for the 2000 Guineas.

Best of the rest could well be Pleasant Day from the Brian Meehan yard. He seemed to get better as last season went on and could really come into his own as a 3yo. His 2nd place finish in the Horris Hill Stakes reads well and depending on how the market shapes up, this horse could well be where the value lies in the 2010 Craven Stakes.

1pt e/w Pleasant Day

Click here to back Pleasant Day with Stan James and get a £25 Free Bet

If you want to place an each way bet on the 2010 Grand National but don’t know where to put your money, our guide to the best Aintree Grand National outsiders should help. Backing a horse at big odds each way gives you a chance to win some money even if your selection finishes 2nd, 3rd or 4th. Here are some of the better animals competing in this year’s Grand National at bigger odds.

King Johns Castle

– Current Odds 33/1
This Irish challenger finished 2nd in the 2008 Grand National behind Comply Or Die and this year gets to carry less weight. Paul Carberry is certainly the man for the big occasion but doesn’t seem to have popped up for a while. The 2010 Grand National could be just the time for Carberry to take the headlines from his sister Nina and ride King Johns Castle to victory.

Back King Johns Castle at 33/1 with Stan James

Irish Raptor

– Current Odds 33/1
Irish Raptor goes for the Gold Cup winning team of jockey Paddy Brennan and trainer Nigel Twiston Davies. Peddy Brennan had the choice of a number of runners in the National but has gone for the eleven year old Irish Raptor who has won at Aintree in the past. With the form they are in this year, who is to say the Brennan/Twiston Davies combination can’t add a Grand National to their Gold Cup victory.

Back Irish Raptor at 33/1 with Paddy Power

Flintoff

– Current Odds 66/1
Venetia Williams won the Grand National with 100/1 outsider Mon Mome last year. While everyone is expecting that horse to have a good chance of making it back to back victories in the race, maybe she can surprise us all again and win with 66/1 outsider Flintoff. The horse is owned by and named after cricketer Andrew Flintoff and is a talented but slightly mischievous sort just like his owner! It would be a great story were Flintoff to win the 2010 Grand National and with these connections, he must have every chance.

Back Flintoff at 66/1 with Stan James

2010 Grand National Advice

You can get more horse racing tips on the 2010 Grand National from our horse racing forum as well as Grand National Tips on our homepage from our Pro Tipster Team.

Grand National Free Bet

Stan James are one of our recommended bookmakers for placing your bet on this year’s Grand National. They offer new clients a £25 free bet. Visit Stan James now!

As you might have noticed, all the runners listed for the 2010 Aintree Grand National have a different weight next to their names. I know this often causes confusion for people that are new to betting and even some punters who bet frequently don’t properly understand why their Grand National selection has been allotted a certain weight. To alleviate some of this horse racing puzzlement, I’ll try to explain why in as simple terms as possible!

The Aintree Grand National is a handicap race. What this means is all the runners are given a rating and carry a weight according to that rating. Handicaps are used to give all the runners an equal chance of winning. The handicap system isn’t perfect system but it does make the race a more level playing field.

Horses are given a rating by the handicapper after three runs. They are reassessed after each subsequent run and their rating adjusted accordingly. This in turn affects the weight a horse will carry. If they win or run well their rating is usually increased, and if they run poorly, their rating normally goes down.

An example of the Grand National Handicap Weights

Let’s say you want to back previous Grand National winner Comply or Die. He is rated 153 and due to carry 11 stone and 5 pounds. This means he would carry two pounds more than Cloudy Lane who is rated 151 and due to carry 11 stone and three pounds. In theory, those two pounds should make the two horses finish the race together if the handicapper has got it right. Obviously this happens very rarely and all horses perform differently on the day but this is the idea behind the handicapping system.

2010 Grand National Advice

Visit our horse racing forum if you have any questions about Grand National weights. Our members are a friendly bunch and more than happy to advise beginners.

You can get horse racing tips on the Aintree Grand National from our homepage as well as our forum in the run up to the race. Get all the 2010 Grand National tips you need here at Expert Betting Advice!

If you are new to horse racing but want to have a bet on the 2010 Aintree Grand National, you have come to the right place!

Betting on the Grand National can be a simple process, especially if you place your bet online.

Follow our Grand National tips below and you’ll be off and running before you know it!

Step 1 – Select your horse from the list of runners below. The number on the right is the current best price on your selection and which bookmaker those odds are with.

Step 2 – Click the bookmaker logo to take you to their site.

Step 3 – Find the join, register or open an account link.

Step 4 – Complete the registration process – it’s fairly quick and easy and very secure.

Step 5 – Follow the instructions on screen to make a deposit.

Step 6 – Click the horse racing link or there is likely a direct link to the Grand National runners.

Step 7 – Click on your horse, enter your stake and choose a win or each way bet. An each way bet means if your horse finishes 2nd, 3rd or 4th you will still get a payout. Keep in mind an each way bet will cost you double. For example, £5 each way costs £10 (£5 to win and £5 to place).

Step 8 – Confirm your bet and get ready for the excitement of the 2010 Grand National!

Read our article ‘Should I place a Win or Each Way Grand National Bet?’ for more a detailed explanation of win and each bets on the Grand National (link below)

Should I place a Win or Each Way Grand National Bet?

If you are looking for 2010 Grand National Tips you can visit our horse racing tips homepage and our horse racing forum. Both areas of the site will provide you with our fancies for the 2010 Aintree Grand National.

Good luck!

Grand National betting terminology can be a little confusing for people placing bets for the first time or those who just like to have a flutter once a year on Aintree Grand National day. When placing your Grand National bet, you have the choice to bet your horse to win or each way.

Grand National Win Bet

A win Grand National bet is fairly obvious; your horse must win for you to get a payout from the bet.

Grand National Each Way Bet

An each way Grand National bet means your horse can finish 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th and you get a return. The amount you get back depends on your horse’s finishing position.

If your runner wins the Grand National you are paid twice, once for the win part of the bet and once for the place part.

If your runner is placed 2nd, 3rd or 4th, you will get paid on the place part of the bet.

Remember your each way bet will cost double your unit stake. For example, if you place £5 each way the total cost of your bet will be £10. If you place £10 each way, the total cost will be £20, and so on.

Which Grand National bet should you place?

I’d recommend betting each way if the odds on your 2010 Aintree Grand National selection are 20/1 or bigger. At that sort of price, the amount you get back if your horse places 2nd, 3rd or 4th is still quite a good return on your investment. You get paid out at ¼ the odds on the Grand National so a 20/1 place is equivalent to a 5/1 winner.

In the end, it might come down to the type of person you are. If you like to throw caution to the wind and land the big money then back your selection to win. If you’re more cautious with money and like to protect your investment, go with an each way Grand National wager.

2010 Grand National Tips

If you need some help with your Grand National selections, visit out horse racing forum for 2010 Grand National tips or to ask questions and advice on this year’s Aintree Grand National.

In what can only be described as the biggest free to enter online horse racing competition, EBA have teamed up with Betdaq to give one lucky punter a £500 prize in our Betdaq Daily Naps Competition.

Simply make 1 selection per day from the UK horse racing meetings. The person with the highest level stake profit at the end of the month wins £500 courtesy of the betting exchange Betdaq. All bets will be settled as 1pt to win.

Imagine starting May with a £500 betting bank to play with. All you need to do is visit our forum and post your selections each day during April. The only requirement is that you make at least 15 selections during the month to qualify for the £500 prize.

Click here for full details and to enter the competition

Open an account with Betdaq and get yourself a £25 free bet

The 2010 Irish Grand National takes place this coming Monday, April 5th. The race is run annually at Fairyhouse and although the better horses that compete over this sort of trip will be taking part in the Aintree Grand National the following Saturday, the Irish Grand National is still a quality event in it’s own right.

No horse has won the Irish and English Grand Nationals in the same year, but a few have won both events in different seasons. Most recently, Numbersixvalverde won the Irish Grand National in 2005 and completed the double with victory at Aintree in 2006.

Irish Grand National Details

Trip: 3 Miles and 5 Furlongs

Fences: 23

Class: Handicap

First Run: 1870

Next running: Monday 5th April 2010

Irish Grand National Trends

Only 1 of the last 10 winners has carried 11st or more.

8 of the last 10 winners have carried 10st 8lbs or less.

9 of the last 10 winners were rated between 125 and 136.

9 of the last 10 winners had run in the last 50 days.

All of the last 10 winners had run at least 3 times that season.

All of the last 10 winners had run in 13 chases or less.

All of the last 10 winners had run in 8 handicap chases or less.

No favourite has won in the last 10 years.

Only 1 winner aged older than 9 in the last 10 years.

No winner aged younger than 7 in the last 10 years.

Willie Mullins has not managed one place in the last 10 renewals from 11 runners.

Irish Grand National Betting

2010 Irish Grand National

The picture for the 2010 Irish Grand National should become clearer once the final declarations are released because there are currently a number of horses double engaged with the Aintree Grand National being their other possible destination.

Winner of this year’s Cross Country event at the Cheltenham Festival was A New Story and he is a very interesting Irish Grand National contender. He has been placed in three of the last four renewals and was brought down in 2007. A New Story is currently a 12/1 chance with Betfred and looks solid each way material.

Current market leader Saddlers Storm looks a very progressive sort having won his last three starts, two of which have been at Fairyhouse. His win at Navan last time was particularly eye catching and you can see why he is as short as 7/1 in places.

Horses such as Arbour Supreme and Snowy Morning are well fancied in the Irish Grand National but they are also well fancied for the Aintree Grand National so the market is likely to change a lot in the next few days if theses runners are withdrawn.

We will have a clearer picture of the race in the next few days so visit our horse racing forum to get up to date news, discussion and Irish Grand National Tips.

2010 Irish Grand National Tips

Join in the debate on our dedicated Irish Grand National thread and share your 2010 Grand National tips.