Author: Peter McNeile

Betting, a time-honoured activity, has consistently engaged generations with its thrilling combination of anticipation and excitement. The rush of placing a bet and the suspense of waiting for the outcome has always been a major draw. Recent years have witnessed substantial improvements in the casino sector, particularly with the advent of live casinos and other innovative technical developments.

Horse racing is one of the oldest types of wagering entertainment. Its history extends over centuries, and this rich tradition, steeped in history and culture, continues to captivate enthusiasts to this day.

This article delves into the unique and fascinating psychological dimensions of these two kinds of gambling, highlighting their contrasts and similarities as beloved pastimes which remain ever-popular today. 

Casino gambling

A unique problem arises in risk evaluation when comparing casinos to horse betting. In the casino environment, players focus on assessing the odds the house sets rather than examining external factors. Diverse games like poker, roulette, and blackjack exhibit varying degrees of risk, necessitating players to meticulously evaluate prospective profits and losses in proportion to their bankrolls, and it’s easy to know how to get a casino bonus.

Casino gambling relies on a certain array of decision-making abilities. In poker, participants employ clever methods to deceive their adversaries. Simultaneously, blackjack aficionados contend with choices like standing, hitting, or doubling down, influenced by their hand and the dealer’s face-up card. Roulette aficionados must judiciously position wagers on the wheel’s bewildering assortment of numbers. These judgements require a combination of expertise, strategy, and, to some extent, a touch of fortune.

Horse racing betting

Conversely, betting on horse racing focuses on risk evaluation. Gamblers assess a complex array of factors, including the horse’s history, the jockey’s efficacy, and the caprices of meteorological conditions. This information enables individuals to make educated judgements, thus reducing the component of chance. It involves not only chance but comprehending the sport and executing smart decisions. The method of choice in horse racing betting is a distinctive amalgamation of analysis, intuition, and instinctive judgement. Committed gamblers invest significant time analysing historical performances, examining data, and occasionally visiting the racecourse for direct horse assessments. Nevertheless, the erratic character of horse racing frequently surpasses statistical analysis, permitting the influence of intuition and subjective evaluation. Fundamentally, horse racing betting encompasses numerical data and the bettor’s judgement and intuition.

Horseracing & casino gambling: a rich heritage

According to historical accounts, horse racing and casino gambling are rich in heritage, with the earliest horse races dating back over 200 years. Global courses have a historical lineage spanning decades, with renowned races and illustrious tracks that embody legacy and grandeur. The customs and practices linked to major racing days may involve attire such as morning dress and elegant gowns, but has also lower standards at the lesser meetings in the racing calendar. You can still wear wellington boots at your local point-to-point.

Likewise, the casino sector is established on the basis of tradition. While games have undergone modernisation, chips and cards remain emblematic of casinos. Numerous individuals cherish tradition, as it fosters a sense of continuity. Contemporary casinos utilise games developed over a comparable timeframe as horse racing. Individuals hosting casino game evenings at home sometimes use formal attire, such as evening dress, and incorporate both real and digital casino games. While you may disregard dress requirements or the traditions many businesses uphold, they indisputably persist in both casinos and horse racing.

Horseracing vs casino gambling: the societal dimension

Individuals may also contemplate the social aspect of these sectors. Horse racing events are social gatherings where individuals can go with companions or converse while present. Most horse racing events provide opportunities for social engagement for in-person attendees, frequently featuring bars and clubhouse-style facilities where individuals may dine and converse with others. Groups may convene for a day excursion, for instance. Certain casinos serve as social hubs, and while one may consider traditional in-person casinos, online gambling platforms also include a significant social component. In addition, casinos have effectively integrated social interaction into the digital realm through group chats and live dealers.

When horseracing meets casino gambling

In recent years, a compelling trend has arisen in casino gambling: the introduction of horse racing-themed casino games. These unique games adeptly merge the core elements of horse racing with the traditional excitement of casino gambling. Participants may engage in virtual horse races or enjoy horse racing-themed slot machines, enhancing their gaming experience with extra excitement.

The increasing popularity of horse racing-themed casino games is due to their intrinsic allure. These games provide a distinctive fusion of the exhilaration of horse racing with the timeless appeal of casino gambling. They serve aficionados of both domains, providing the excitement of the racecourse and the casino in a unified experience. It is essential to prioritise appropriate gambling habits, whether wagering on actual horse races or engaging in virtual simulations.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, although horse racing and casino gambling seem disparate, they converge in the domain of the betting mentality. Both activities need individuals to evaluate risks, make informed decisions, and accept the exhilarating nature of uncertainty. The distinguishing aspects reside in these hazards, and the techniques utilised. With the rising popularity of horse racing-themed casino games, they provide a unique hybrid experience for enthusiasts of both realms.

Spectators might have been forgiven for thinking they’d been sold short at Stratford on Saturday, when the card was restricted to the scheduled 6 races for the first time in several fixtures. As the tempo of the autumn season begins to wind up, the demand to run is evidently being satisfied by the increased number of fixtures elsewhere. Nevertheless, 53 runners competed over the day on good ground.

Tis the season of Ten to Follow competitions, when punters look to horses that will pay their way through the winter. One such is Roaring Legend, whose performances since pulling up in the Supreme Novices have enhanced his splendid name. Breaking his duck in a maiden at Chepstow at the end of April, he reappeared here is a small field for little more than a schooling run, justifying even money favouritism to clock his first fully fledged novice hurdle by 10l. Rated 119, he’ll compete for bigger prizes for trainer Olly Murphy and rider Sean Bowen.

In the feature Wynchwood Handicap Chase, Move It Like Minnie graduated to chasing successfully albeit a more demanding course might find weaknesses in his jumping. The Twiston-Davies 7 year old is a winner of 4 of his 18 starts over the smaller obstacles, and the Naunton maestro had recognized that this immediate step up to handicap company might avoid a pricey foreign import from one of the bigger yards. There’s a race to be found for second placed Sir Tivo, 5 1/2l back, having led into the straight for the Hanmer-Dunne combination.

Gary Hanmer didn’t leave Stratford empty-handed however. The opening selling hurdle, restricted to conditionals, was won by his Razzo Italiano, under 3lb claimer Jack Hogan. Always handy, he took it up approaching the last and went on to score by a length. There was no bid for the winner; in fact, post race auctions, so often a feature of Stratford and Leicester, have all but died out. Sixth – placed Nadim, and seventh Queen of Steel were both claimed however.

The Bowen dynasty has many layers. Led by Peter and eldest son Micky, the training provides ammunition for championship contender Sean, but younger brother James is no pushover. He doesn’t enjoy the volume of rides of his elder brother, but is more than capable, as illustrated by a 24th winner of the term on Charles and Adam Pogson’s Callin Baton Rouge in the Power Utilities Group Handicap Hurdle over the minimum trip. He completed a hattrick of victories at this level with a comfortable 8l victory over Martin Keighley’s don Rafael, and may yet defy a penalty to strike again.

A rather mediocre group of runners faced the starter in the Class 5 Power Utilities Group Handicap Chase over 2m6f in which only 6 of the original 11 starters completed. Honours went to Nickelforce, a Ben Case – trained 5 year old breaking his maiden chasing tag on debut under Harry Bannister.

Stratford bumpers have been worth staying on for these past few months, with some notable fledgling stars making their debut, like Ronnies Rules. Irish-bred Serious Chat looks to be on the upgrade, seeing off the challenge of Olly Murphy’s newcomer All Well And Good to come good on the promise he showed at Kilbeggan back in June. It was a welcome Stratford success for Brian Hughes whose winner ratio in Warwickshire this term has been rather subdued.

Stratford’s summer season is enjoying unseasonably large fields as the BHA’s reduction in the volume of races has led to near safety factor fields on meeting after meeting. This final evening fixture was the third consecutive fixture in which a race was divided due to oversubscription, hopefully an indication that field sizes are set to rise on a consistent basis.

Quality will out, however many horses face the starter however, and Alcester trainer and Championship runner-up in 23-24 Dan Skelton, is making a determined effort to ensure he does not fail for want of a couple of hundred thousand £ in winnings on April 26th 2025. A short-priced double last night brought his tally to date to 44 winners and £344,000 in prize money, totals rarely seen since the days of Martin Pipe, or 20 years earlier, John Jenkins.

Got Grey set the ball rolling in the first division of a divided 2m handicap hurdle with a ready 3 1/2l win over Calshot Spit and Buxted Too, Harry Skelton in the plate. Got Grey is the winner of an Irish Point-to-point, and certainly has the size and physique to go chasing. Some credit must go to Devon-based Helen Nelmes, who has nurtured the horse through several placed efforts earlier in the summer, before Got Grey transferred to Skelton’s a week ago.

Of perhaps more interest was the final winner of the evening and Skelton’s second, the well-backed Ronnies Rules, running in and winning his third consecutive bumper at Stratford. By contrast to the divided handicap hurdle, the bumper attracted a mere 5 runners, which begs the question as to whether BHA should be reassessing the volume of these races. The fast-finishing Presenting Milan is one to keep an eye on on for the future, but owner Nick Sutton has a horse to look ahead with in Ronnies Rules, as does his rider son, Ben.

The £25,000 prize for the feature Brian & Sheila Vaughan Memorial Chase over 2m 3f looked an expensive route to attracting a mere 5 runners, and begs the perennial question from racecourses as to why they should extend their finances when prize money is so eschewed. Nevertheless, it provided an entertaining race. Winner Rotten Row was held up in rear until 3 out, and turning out of the back straight, both first and second were bringing up the rear. However, Robbie Dunne’s vigorous ride on Rotten Row gave him an edge, and he ran out a ready 4l winner, La Dominiale running on into second after being outpaced. Gary Hanmer’s horses are to be respected at this level, although few improve enough to trouble the mid-season Saturday cards.

An equally weak field faced odds-on favourite Glynn in the Racing TV Club Day Novices Handicap Chase over an additional 3f earlier in the card to produce a bloodless 26l victory for the 4/6 chance, in what transpired to be 3 separate training gallops, the distance to the third another 35l. It may well have been Sam Twiston-Davies’ easiest ride of the season, and as likely Anthony Honeyball’s too as his trainer.

Eight runners in the final of the three chases, a 3m 3f handicap, sadly didn’t make for anything but a muddling pace, the race finishing nearly 30 seconds slower than standard. Adam Wedge had been scraping the paint on the inner all the way round and led into the last from Great d’Ange, but the second took the final fence better and looked to have gained an advantage. Wedge encouraged Honey I’m Good to rally and run out a 2 3/4l winner for Evan Williams, with the fast-finishing No Promises just failing to touch off great d’Ange for second by a head.

An hour earlier had seen a welcome return to the jumping scene for Ian Williams, whose attention has been more focused on the flat in recent years. Five year old mare, Mary, is owned by Eventmasters, one of the key players in the sale of hospitality at the Cheltenham Festival, led by Mark Sheasby, who looked chuffed to have finally found a winning formula at the ninth attempt in the second division of the handicap hurdle, beating the unfancied Call Blue from the Twiston-Davies team. From the dizzy heights of 46 winners 10 years ago, Jumps runners have dwindled to around 100 per season, as the focus on the flat has delivered in spades for the former Doumen assistant. Who can blame him; that focus has delivered over £900,000 in prize money for his owners this season alone.

Two races remain to be reported in front of a decent crowd this Tuesday after a bank holiday.

A quick glance at results might have led the untutored eye to a rare British ride for Closutton’s Danny Mullins when Alistair Ralph’s BravewhenIneedtobe showed good flat speed to run out a 5l winner in the 2m6f handicap hurdle. Danny normally rides in Ireland, but his stats in this early part of the season are notable: no less than a 33% strike rate on just 3 rides. Take note before the big guns come out if he comes over again.

Writing of big guns, the card opened with the return of a Paul Nicholls winner to the Stratford winner’s enclosure in Huelgoat, who is making the most of his novice status over hurdles to mop up. Despite already having campaigned over fences, accumulating 5 victories in 12 runs, the switch back to the smaller obstacles seems to be working, this being his second victory this season following a 3l success at Newton Abbot in June. This time, Freddie Gingell was in the plate for an undemanding 5l victory over yellow Car from Graeme McPherson and David Killahena’s Stow yard. Expect Huelgoat to defy a penalty.

Although the National Hunt season is on the low burner during the summer months, there’s still plenty of action to be enjoyed over the fences here at Stratford.

We hold racedays throughout July and August, with one such meeting in July providing Paul Nicholls with a rare summer treble.

And he’ll be hoping this early season form can act as a springboard for success throughout the rest of the campaign, even if former assistant, now rival, Dan Skelton, has embraced the summer campaign to give himself a £200,000 championship head start on his former boss.

The big time

Many UK bookmakers offer betting odds for races taking place weeks and months ahead – these are their ‘ante post’ markets.

So you can wager on the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Grand National and many other big races in advance via the Paddy Power horse racing odds – and Nicholls is expected to be a key player in many of the most prestigious renewals this season.

The sports betting guides for the King George VI Chase will no doubt feature Bravemansgame, the current 14/1 chance that won this Grade I race in 2022 and followed up by finishing second for Nicholls in the 2023 edition.

Bravemansgame – a 13th win in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase for @PFNicholls under @CobdenHarry

🏆 2022 G1 King George VI Chase
🏆 2021 G1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase
👑 King of @kemptonparkrace pic.twitter.com/tM7dItvGGC

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 26, 2022

Pic D’Orhy, who has won the Ascot Chase and Melling Chase since April 2023, is another big-time player on the National Hunt’s Grade One calendar, while Ginny’s Destiny has triumphed twice at Cheltenham and was a close second to Grey Dawning in the Turners Novices’ Chase there at the Festival in March.

Others, such as Rubaud, Stage Star and Stay Away Fay, will also be geared by Nicholls towards the big races in 2024/25 – will they deliver under the spotlight and add to the trainer’s incredible history in the sport? Two of these three returned to Ditcheat last month after a dispersal sale by leading Nicholls owner Chris Giles, who is scaling back, having been bought by other owners in the yard.

Sounding the horn

Nicholls’ Manor Farm Stables yard has been in excellent form this summer; a status that has been on full display at Stratford in recent times.

His six-year-old, Matterhorn, has particularly enjoyed the track here at the racecourse. He was a really handy winner in the Davisons Law Anniversary Novices’ Handicap Chase on July 2, running out a 12-length winner and justifying his 8/11 favouritism.

A couple of weeks later, Nicholls returned with a strong squad for the next Stratford raceday, with Matterhorn again front and centre in his gang of contenders.

This time, he was favourite for the John Murtagh 60th Birthday Handicap Chase. And with ace jockey Nico de Boinville on board in place of the injured Harry Cobden, Matterhorn once again lived up to the billing, romping away by eight lengths to bank his connections a handsome £13,000 payday.

Matterhorn is too good for his rivals in the John Murtagh 60th Birthday Handicap Chase with the six-year-old extending clear under @NdeBoinville for trainer @PFNicholls 🏆 pic.twitter.com/IIcf2s42yb

— Stratford Racecourse (@stratfordraces) July 21, 2024

So Matterhorn is undoubtedly a horse to watch in the rest of 2024 and into next year, but he’s not the only Nicholls winner at Stratford this summer.

Brave Knight defied a handicap that saw him as the second top weight horse in the field in the Ladies Day Winners Novices’ Hurdle, winning by more than nine lengths in a truly impressive showing.

Soir de Gala made it a hat-trick for Nicholls at our July 21 raceday. The French horse, again with De Boinville in the saddle, travelled well throughout and, after asserting dominance at the business end of the race, was driven on to complete a four-and-a-half length victory.

What a great summer it’s been for Nicholls at Stratford; 4 of his 17 winners to date have been chez nous. What else will the 2024/25 season have in store?

Two themes punctuated the chatter at Stratford’s annual Ladies Day, thronged with the great, good and glamorous of Warwickshire. Understandably, paddock picks were on this occasion not limited to the inside of the parade ring; there is nothing like dressing up to generate conversation at least among lady racing spectators.

The other chatter of course concerned the broadcast of Champions – Full Gallop, ITV’s new six part docuseries charting the highs and lows of the past jumps season. An early star of the show is Mr Hollywood himself, Harry Cobden, whose good looks and boyish charm engage spectators and viewers alike in equal measure. That he happens to be champion too only adds to that allure. We haven’t had a poster boy champion since John Francome, with no offence to other champion riders in the interim. Even A P would acknowledge he is no Adonis!

However, even champions have their upsets. it’s an unappealing stat for any budding rider that a fall will occur every 12 rides, and Cobden’s law of probability caught up with him in the opener, when an unseat on the Nicholls – trained Kick Up A Storm left him stood down for the rest of the afternoon, and an enforced couple of weeks on the sidelines.

The race, a 2m 6f handicap hurdle, went to the Alan King – trained Royal Pretender, under Tom Cannon, winning his third hurdle from 19 starts.

As any rider will know, one man’s loss is another’s gain, and the principal beneficiary this time around was Nico de Boinville, previously booked for just one rider for the Seven barrows team, who was promptly snapped up by Nicholls for a winning ride on novice chaser Matterhorn, who scored an 8l victory in the feature 2m John Murtagh 60th Birthday Handicap Chase. The winner is likely to turn out again next month when Newton Abbot’s programme includes a £25,000 handicap chase, even though he remains a novice. He looks a fun addition to owner Johnny de la Hey’s burgeoning stable of stars.

That collection of good horses is only likely to increase, given the imminent sale of Chris Giles impressive string of bloodstock today, which includes horses like Stay Away Fay and Rubaud, which Nicholls will surely want to keep at Ditcheat.

De Boinville’s good fortune with Nicholls continued when Soir de Gala justified 5/2 favouritism in winning the Watch Champions Full Gallop on ITVX Novices Handicap Chase over 2m 3f later in the afternoon for owner J P McManus. As first rides for a new trainer, this was something of a nice pick-me-up on an afternoon in which Nicholls added a third ready winner in the 2m novices hurdle with Brave Knight, this time under Harry Skelton.

There has never been a summer when Stratford enjoyed race divisions at three consecutive fixtures, but the confluence of unseasonably wetter conditions and a reduction in races by some 300, has precipitated some extraordinary results. Divisions 1 & 2 of the Allan Atkinson Memorial Handicap Hurdle over 3m2f may never feature in their own right in some racing quiz or other, but they provided 2 winning opportunities where only one was planned.

Entirely characteristic of the summer programme, the Twiston-Davies yard was quick to take advantage, producing Fine By Me to win the first division easily. Like many of his summer runners, Fine By Me runs in the colours of Twiston-Davies Equine, building up value until a suitable owner hoves into view.

Division II was not much more competitive, the winning distances being 6l and 17l, this time by six year old Catuaba, trained by Charlie Longsdon and ridden by 7lb claimer Elizabeth Gale, her ninth winner overall.

On a day when favourites won 5 of the seven races, layers were given some brief relief when Gary Hanmer produced a 1-2 in the Ardencote Mares Hurdle, where Marina Ocarina beat stablemate Northern Rose a head to delight the few backers of her at 25/1.

Normal service was resumed in the final bumper, when Dan Skelton kept up his early season push for winners and prize money, reaching 39 and over £320,000, when Ronnies Rules kept a 100% record under Rules when following up on debut success here at the start of the month for amateur Ben Sutton.

The prestigious York Ebor Festival in August is undoubtedly one of the biggest betting events of the year in the United Kingdom. The four-day meeting features several Group races and top-class handicaps, each of which provide punters with useful form pointers for later in the season.

Some of the races at the Ebor Festival are a stepping stone to major contests in Australia including the iconic Melbourne Cup in November.

With that in mind, read on as we look at some of the horses who will be bidding to showcase their big race credentials during the upcoming meeting at York.

Weld Eyeing Another Tilt at the Melbourne Cup

Dermot Weld was the first European trainer to saddle the winner of the Melbourne Cup, achieving the feat with Vintage Crop (1993) before following up with Media Puzzle (2002).

He is considering another attempt at winning ‘the race that stops the nation’ with promising stayer Harbour Wind following his recent victory at Limerick.

The horse overcame a near nine-month absence to win the Listed Martin Molony Stakes and has a couple of potential engagements lined up at York.

Weld is considering running the horse in either the Lonsdale Cup or Ebor Handicap and a victory at York would spark a shake-up in the Melbourne Cup market.

With bettors already eagerly searching for Melbourne Cup tips despite the race being more than three months away, there will be plenty of focus on Harbour Wind next month. Weld confirmed after the Limerick contest that the four-year-old could be aimed at the race, although he admitted there are ‘many bridges to cross before then’.

“It was a workmanlike, battling performance under a very good ride from Chris Hayes,” Weld said. “We’ll see how he comes out of the race and discuss future plans with the owner as to where we go next. He’ll be sharper for that.

“The Melbourne Cup is in my thoughts, but it is early days and we will see how the year progresses. He has to step up considerably.”

Mullins Could be Triple-Handed in Melbourne

Willie Mullins has made no secret of his desire to win the Melbourne Cup and is eager to have another crack at the race this year.

He is planning to use the Ebor Festival as the next step along the road for three of his talented stayers – Belloccio, Absurde and Vauban.

Belloccio is on track to line-up in the Ebor Handicap after winning well at Royal Ascot, while Absurde and Vauban could contest the Lonsdale Cup.

Absurde won the Ebor Handicap last year on his way to finishing seventh in the Melbourne Cup and will once again use York to warm-up for his run in Australia. He’s no stranger to jumps fans either, his last outing being a handy length victory in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Belloccio triumphed in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot in June – the same race Vauban won on his way to running in the Melbourne Cup.

Vauban finished 14th last year despite being made favourite for the race, and owner Rich Ricci is keen to head Down Under again in November. The horse ran well to finish fourth in the Ascot Gold Cup and Ricci believes he will be more competitive at Flemington Racecourse this time around.

“We’re definitely going back to Melbourne – 100 percent,” Ricci told Sky Sports Racing. “Melbourne is definitely the plan and we’ll see what we do from here.

“We’ve been second, third, sixth, nowhere – we learned a lot last year and we’re going to change things up a bit this year.”

Mullins has another six horses entered in the Ebor Handicap including Ethical Diamond, who ran a race full of promise when finishing fourth in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot. The step up 14 furlongs should suit the horse and he could become a live Melbourne Cup contender if he emerges victorious at York.

The sun shone as Stratford donned its glad rags for the annual Family Day, and spectators were able to flit between the Alcaraz – Djokovic final at Wimbledon and a bumper card with 7 races, courtesy of a second division in as many fixtures. All the talk among the menfolk at any rate was of the impending match in Berlin, which rounded off a vintage day for Spanish sport.

Six And Out seems therefore an appropriate winner for the feature Barry The Butcher Raise The Steaks Summer Salver, Stratford’s summer feature hurdle, given that hero Gareth Southgate must surely stay on as England manager to take the team he has guided through five major tournaments to a successful sixth equivalent. His equine counterpart, the David Weston trained six year old, may never hit the same dizzy heights, but he had every right to this 2 1/4l victory under James Davies, his second in 3 attempts at Stratford this summer. David Weston runs the stud at East Kennet, and jumping is his sinecure, Six And Out being one of just two runners this season for the yard.

Second -placed Finest View continued the run of form from Alan King, but weight told, giving a stone to the winner.

If a series of elegantly dressed racegoers hadn’t been enough to raise the pulse, the finish of the opening Esme, Ellie, Myla & Harvey Allsopp Handicap Chase certainly was, proving the old adage that it’s not always horses of the highest quality that force the most exciting result. Eleven runners set off on the 2m 3f trip, but two out, the chase was among five remaining, led by Invincible Wish and Lonimoss Bareliere, both maidens, who jumped the last as one, before James Best squeezed a little more from 12 year old Invincible Wish to win over obstacles for the first time in 22 starts for Leominster-based Sara-Jayne Davies.

A boys’ race next, albeit the conditionals’ ranks nowadays include some highly competent women riders, this renewal punctuated y a majority of experienced riders who have ridden out their claim. Just two riders were able to claim weight allowances.

Eight year old Outback Frontiers surprised everyone, not least his trainer John O’Shea, with a determined last gasp win by a neck, having shown nothing in his previous races this Spring, beaten a cumulative 104l. It was a race only celebrated in the ring where layers enjoyed a halfway decent margin on the 14/1 shot courtesy of Caoilin Quinn, narrowly denying the Graeme McPherson-trained Eagles Realm.

McPherson and business partner David Killahena didn’t have long to wait however, as Aviewtosea performed above his previous best to land the 2m6f Barbara Shepherd 80th Birthday Celebration Handicap Chase by 1 3/4l under Kielan Woods. The Stow-on-the-Wold training establishment is finding its feet again after the split with Fergal O’Brien, this their seventh winner of the summer.

Another yard looking as if they might be running into some form is Condicote’s Martin Keighley, two miles the other side of Stow-on-the-Wold. Don Rafael’s 3 3/4l victory in the maiden hurdle won’t be setting ante-post markets alight just yet, but was a second winner in five runners, indicating there may be more to come from the one-time home of the Duke. This 31st winner of the summer for Sean Bowen keeps his title hopes alive after narrowly missing out in April to Harry Cobden.

Battle of Omdurman was testing a few onlookers’ history knowledge as he took prominent order in the Malcolm Wheeler 70th Birthday Celebration Juvenile Hurdle. The famoius victory of British troops over the Mahdi in 1898 avenged the death of one General Gordon at Khartoum 13 years previously. Battle of Omdurman won with a fluency that indicates this son of Churchill (who fought at Omdurman) may yet win again as he learns his new craft after transferring from Ollie Sangster.

The University Hospitals Birmingham Charity Novices Handicap hurdle divided at 48 hour entry, and both divisions produced fine tight finishes. in the first division, Hammer Dan justified 9/4 favouritism for Jack Tudor and trainer David Pipe in the latter’s absence on holiday, with a 3/4l success over No More No, whilst the jolly also won the finale, as Inspector Lynley outlasted Joker du Chenet by a neck for Neil Mulholland and Sam Twiston-Davies.

Alan King is seen sparingly at summer jumps meets nowadays, having fielded just 45 runners in five seasons across Stratford’s March-November calendar. Rather more fruitful pickings have been found pursuing the more lucrative flat calendar which now makes up half the Barbury handler’s stable winnings nowadays.

However, his infrequent runners always merit consideration, as a 30/1 double yesterday confirmed. Both ridden by Tom Cannon, juvenile Zodiac Star and handicapper On Se Calme brought the seasonal tally to five, of which 3 have been at Luddington Road.

Four year old Zodiac Star has failed to score in 8 starts on the level, but got his act together to overhaul Archie Watson’s Polling Day on the run-in to win by 3/4l and break his duck. He hadn’t looked the obvious winner turning in, but stuck to his task admirably under a form ride from Cannon.

Three jumped the second last in a line in the Hook Norton Vets Handicap Hurdle (Div II) with a winner possible from any of the 9 runners remaining in the tightly bunched field. On Se Calme was the first to make the bend and kept on well to the line, despite a renewed challenge from Bernard Llewellyn’s Good Impression.

It might well have been a Marlborough – themed evening, as near neighbour Robbie Llewellyn returned his second winner of the new term when Paddy’s Island avoided the early race incident to win by 3 1/2l. A Day To Dream proved to be a nightmare, unseating Brian Hughes at the first then running across the field and carrying out two more and precipitating the fall of a third at the second hurdle. That left just five to continue, and Charlie Price had Paddy’s Island well-placed to pick off the leader Hot Fizzy Lizzy who eventually faded into third place behind Scintillante.

Llewellyn scaled up significantly last season, scoring 25 winners, mostly of low calibre, but at a 23% strike rate, which measures favourably with the senior stables. He’s a welcome addition to the 5 stables now surrounding Barbury Castle following the move of Simon Earle to the estate.

The summer campaign is populated by familiar names for the most part – Jonjo O’Neill, Ben Pauling, Fergal O’Brien, and not merely because Stratford is in close proximity to their yards. The summer’s low grade races afford a chance for some of the lesser lights of these big stables to have their moment in the sun, whilst also establishing a position in the Trainers’ Championship.

No surprise then to see a winner for two of these, as Fergal O’Brien led in commentator’s nightmare Sacchoandvenzetti to score for the first time since his transfer to Ravenswell from John Queally’s twelve months ago in the Saige Composite Products Handicap Hurdle over 2m 6f. It was a smooth and accomplished ride from Jonathan Burke, but won’t have enamoured the affable O’Brien to his landlord Rupert Lowe, busy campaigning in Great Yarmouth for the Reform Party, whose Art Approval came in second.

Ben Pauling is another to make hay during the summer, and he may need it to resolve a property dispute with debenture holders at Naunton Downs Golf Club, home to the stable, which Pauling purchased 2 years ago. Suffice to say, golf and racehorses are not proving a perfect mix; reason enough to press home the success of course and distance winner Chess Player in the visitracingtv.com Handicap Chase over 2m 3f. The four time chase winner is not always the most fluent of jumpers, but Kielan Woods steered him home to a 2 1/4l win over Nibra’s Gold, who may have been closer with a cleaner jump at the last.

Bob O’Rhino pinned his colours to the mast from flagfall in the second division of the maiden hurdle, disputing the lead from the off under Gavin Sheehan. Sheehan asserted from 3 out and had enough in the tank to see off the resolute Far Away West by a length.

Paul Nicholls’ summer team is very select; in truth, it’s not really his scene, but if he is to wrest the Championship back from Willie Mullins, and keep former assistant Dan Skelton at bay, then some pretence at the summer’s calendar is necessary. 12 winners to date compares poorly to Skelton’s 38, but Matterhorn’s 12l stroll in the Davisons Law Anniversary Novices Handicap Chase helped the total along just a smidgen for prominent owner Johnny de la Hey.

That 38 winners for Skelton was helped along by a final race winner for the local Alcester yard in the concluding bumper. A maiden Point-to-Point winner at taylorstown in May, Ronnies Rules was in a hurry from the off, and made out an easy debut 5l Rules winner under Ben Sutton to add to the young horse cavalry squadron at Skelton HQ awaiting the autumn.

Stratford’s enhanced lunch offering for owners with runners demonstrated its worth yesterday when a healthy 73 runners populated a card where not one but two races divided at declaration. Despite coinciding with the opening day of the Royal meeting, there was a healthy attendance, and an Owners & Trainers lunch pavilion enjoyed by many.

The damp and cold May has enabled the popular Warwickshire track to provide unseasonably soft conditions. Our so-called summer provided good to soft ground more readily found in November than mid-June. However, the sun made an appearance and shirtsleeves were the order of the day throughout.

Dan Skelton is leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of his first Trainers’ Championship. Having fought off his former boss, Paul Nicholls, he might reasonably have considered the 2023-24 title his by right, until the Spring exploits of one Willie Mullins denied him. Whilst Mullins was demonstrating his expertise across both codes of the sport with a winner in the final race of Tuesday’s card at Ascot, the Skelton brothers made hay nearer to home, with a 2 1/2-1 double at their home track.

The Alcester yard has gone off like a scalded cat this Spring, with 33 winners already chalked up and £255,000 banked: just the sort of figure that could make all the difference next April when the chips are down. There were no great surprises around the victories of Juan Bermudez or Climate Precedent, both sent off favourite for their respective races.

Juan Bermudez was last seen here at the start of the month when winning a similar novices hurdle over 2m2f, and this looked a textbook ride from the hard puller, who always had Jazz Puller in his sights before pulling clear 100 yards from the line under Skelton Jnr. The 5 year old gelding, a son of Nathaniel, has plenty of speed, and can defy a penalty again.

A change of scene appears to have freshened up Climate Precedent, who proceeded to conclude the card with an accomplished 5 1/2l victory under Harry in the second division of the Novices Handicap Hurdle to wrap up the Skelton double. Formerly with James Owen since coming off the Flat mid summer last year, this was enough to allow the four year old to break his duck over obstacles.

Trainers were in short supply with a majority amusing themselves at Ascot. Alan King chose to saddle Tritonic at Ascot in favour of Theonlywayiswessex in the Injured Jockeys Fund 60th Anniversary Novices Handicap Chase. Tom Cannon, whose sole ride of the day this was, deputized admirably, and rode a perfect race to break the gelding’s duck over fences after a placed effort here a month ago. The IJF was represented by a number of former riders and Lisa Hancock, CEO of the organisation that does so much to pick up injured riders and put them back together. It’s heart-warming to see the positivity with which so many see their lives, not least when their mobility has been compromised on a permanent basis by the sport we all love.

The lot of the smaller trainer is hard. It’s undisputably a young person’s game, so no surprise that Daisy Hitchins has carried on where Brian Barr left off. Barr’s long-serving assistant now runs the Dorset yard and sent out her second winner of the summer when 3/1 favourite Bhold made good at the third time of asking here at Stratford in the Happy Birthday Mary Handicap Chase, the only other race over the larger obstacles. Rider Harry Reed always had enough in hand to see off Callum Bewley on Do No Wrong, the distance 2 1/4l.

Another of the emerging generation of trainers collared the opener, as Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero’s Cawthorne Cracker returned from a 238 day break to land the Conditional Riders handicap hurdle opening the card, under 3lb claimer Toby Wynne. Wynne has 17 more winners to lose his claim altogether.

Two Gloucestershire neighbours were head to head in the finish of the day in the second division of the 2m2f Novices Hurdle. After an eventful start in which Rocky Breeze pulled up, and Six And Out and Habibi hampered each other and unseated their riders, the business end of the race was fought out between Martin Keighley’s Pacific and 10/11 favourite Go Go Chicago, trained by David Killahena and Graeme McPherson. The two stables are within 3 miles of each other either side of Stow-on-the-Wold. Kielan Woods had to ride a fearsome finish to overhaul James Best on the Keighley horse, but prevailed by a neck at the line.

Time was when Lambourn was a racing village dominated by the major Jump yards, but times have changed. The village is top-heavy in Flat yards nowadays, although Seven Barrows flies a flag for the winter sport. Among the leading remaining jumps yards is Folly House in Upper Lambourn, home to Jamie Snowden.

The last two seasons have seen the Snowden yard accelerate to be prominent among that tier of his profession winning shy of £1m, which equates to the 5-15th places in the table. It’s rarely a golden summer for Snowden, whose horses are kept for the core season, but that said, his recent strike rate has been above par in May and June, suggesting our late Spring has enabled him to keep some winter horses going.

One such is Donnie Azoff, who secured his third win in 15 months in the 2m handicap hurdle with a 9l win over Pam Sly’s Take It Easy. This will have been one of Gavin Sheehan’s easier winners, and at this level, Donnie Azoff can score again before the handicapper gives him an unsurmountable weight.

Farrier Andrew Martin has just 8 horses in his yard at Chipping Norton, none of them meriting much consideration. Come On Nia provided a welcome fillip when holding off Gary and Josh Moore’s Sanitiser 1 1/4l in the first division of the novices handicap hurdle to merit a 25% strike rate, comparable to stables at the top of the tree.

In 2022, racing at Stratford Upon Avon underwent an important change. As part of a new initiative, the fence take off boards were changed from orange to white. The transformation across UK racing happened over ten months with work being completed in 2023. Other racecourses across the UK also saw 368 fences change colour, along with 2,132 hurdle panels. The traditional florescent orange colour might have been synonymous with Stratford racecourse, but there was a big reason behind the change, and it’s all to do with the welfare of the horses. Once again, Stratford pioneered the change.

The pursuit of safety in an inherently dangerous sport might seem somewhat anomalous. Yet British racing has an unparalleled reputation for its efforts in reducing injuries and fatalities in Jump racing. The pressure on the sport from lobby groups is intense, as witnessed by the demonstrators at last year’s Grand National.

In other countries of Europe, racing over obstacles has all but expired. There are around 5 Jump races in the whole of Germany, whilst in Sweden, direction from the public has led bookmakers to suspend betting on any jump race. In a sport under pressure to demonstrate it is managing safety of its equine athletes proactively, the BHA has shown strong leadership.

Horse Welfare Board

The Horse Welfare Board were in charge of overseeing the fence colour project. They noted research which was carried out by Exeter University regarding how horses’ vision filters colour. The original research was commissioned by the BHA, and backed by the Racing Foundation. The university found that after trialling numerous colour options under different racing conditions, including the traditional orange markings, horses have reduced dichromatic vision when compared to humans. Although they can see a range of colours clearly, most of their colour vision revolves around blues and yellow. They are unable to tell orange, green and red apart.

The study found that when the wood and vinyl padding on racecourses, guard rails and top boards were changed to white, this gave horses increased visibility. It even helped to improve jumping performance by stimulating the focus around the take off markings.

When betting on races from a trusted UK  bookmaker, race conditions are often taken into account when calculating the chance of a horse winning. Since the fences changed colour, this has led to some horses having a better performance on the track. Punters should have also taken the change of colour into account when formulating horse racing betting strategies, as previous poor jumpers may now perform better.

Adjusting to the change

As a result of the change that happened across racecourses over the last few years, horse trainers and owners have also been making adjustments. Trainers have now adopted white fences when schooling and the alterations have filtered all the way down to the Point-to-Point division too, to try and help horses adjust to the new conditions they may see on the track.

Since the fences changed colour at racecourses across the UK, organisers have also been working to make horse racing safer in other ways. At Aintree, organisers moved the start time from 5:15 pm to 4 pm in an attempt to improve the ground, and the distance to the first fence was cut to ensure horses had a slower speed when making the first jump. Additional veterinary checks were implemented, along with a standing start. Changes like this are set to move across other big horse races, and could even be a focus for smaller race tracks as well moving forward. Softer foam, and rubber toe boards have also been added to numerous race courses.

As time goes on, horse safety is becoming more and more of a priority, and with changes like this set to alter horse performance, it’s certainly helping to make things more interesting for punters.