Latest news with #handicap
Telegraph
28-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Horse racing tips: Wednesday, May 28
Today's NAP runs in a handicap at Hamilton this afternoon, while our second selection goes at Kempton this evening and has been on our expert's radar for a while. Ron Wood's selections: Odds provided by William Hill and correct at the time of writing. Stars denote strength of selection (max 5). If you already have a William Hill account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use for this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts. 2.30 Hamilton – Class 5 Handicap (1m) This looks a good opportunity for MOUTAI, the race being a lowly event for his handicap debut. Ed Walker's runner has shown ability in maidens and novices at some of the bigger tracks, and most recently he probably needed the race on his seasonal reappearance at Doncaster (7f, good to firm). He has snuck into this 0-72 contest at the top of the weights. He's also a half-brother to a few winners, including one at Group 3 level, and he cost €225,000 last May, so there's a fair chance he will prove better than this class. 7.22 Kempton – Class 4 Handicap (7f) FORCE AND VALOUR struggled when dropped to 6f at Chester last time, but he had been off for three months and that was a Class 3 contest. He drops in grade and steps back up in trip, so he's worth another chance to confirm the promise he showed when third against older rivals from a tough draw in a handicap at Meydan two starts back. Selection: Force And Valour @ 9/2 with William Hill Today's racing (Flat unless stated) Hamilton 2.00-5.03 Beverley 2.10-5.10 Newton Abbot (NH) 2.18-4.48 Wexford (NH) 4.55-8.30 Kempton 5.18-8.52 Cartmel (NH) 5.40-8.40 Ron Wood 2025 horse racing P/L Star ratings explained ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - confident selection ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - strong fancy ⭐⭐⭐ - fair claims ⭐⭐ - tentative choice ⭐ - minimum confidence If you want to find more odds and offers, take a look at our list of the best betting sites and free bets If you're looking for casino bonuses, we've ranked UK welcome offers here
Telegraph
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Horse racing tips: Thursday, May 22
Both of today's selections come from the afternoon Flat meeting at Haydock, with our NAP tackling the opening staying handicap and our second pick looking to land a decent sprint handicap over the minimum trip. Ron Wood's selections: Odds provided by William Hill and correct at the time of writing. Stars denote strength of selection (max 5). If you already have a William Hill account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use for this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts. 2.17 Haydock – Class 5 Handicap (2m) THE CRAFTY MOLE (NAP) won five staying handicaps last season and looks ready to go in again now. The four-year-old seems to keep a bit back for himself at times, which has allowed him to stay ahead of the handicapper. His recent form figures may not be too inspiring, but he had a busy campaign in 2024, and there was nothing wrong with last month's run on his reappearance at Thirsk. That return outing was over an inadequate trip of 1m 4f and he raced without his usual visor. He should be fitter now – he won second time out last year – and he goes back up in distance with the headgear refitted. He is also reunited with Daniel Tudhope, who was on board for his last two wins, and drops down from Class 4. 3.47 Haydock – Class 3 Handicap (5f) DURAN produced an eye-catching performance when finishing second behind Blue Day in an Ascot handicap over 5f last time out, and is taken to reverse the form and prove best overall. This Nigel Tinkler-trained sprinter kept finding trouble in that race and ended up being switched out widest with his challenge. He did well to get second and, in contrast, Blue Day got a dream run up the rail and has gone up 6lb in the weights. Duran won three times last year, including two useful handicaps, and he looks capable of kicking on again now. He's a half-brother to a couple of Group-race winners, including Thistle Bird who won at the top level. Selection: Duran @ 3/1 with William Hill Ron Wood 2025 horse racing P/L Star ratings explained ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - confident selection ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - strong fancy ⭐⭐⭐ - fair claims ⭐⭐ - tentative choice ⭐ - minimum confidence If you want to find more odds and offers, take a look at our list of the best betting sites and free bets If you're looking for casino bonuses, we've ranked UK welcome offers here
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Horse racing tips: Tuesday, May 13
A low-key day of racing features three meetings of either code, from which our expert Ron Wood has picked a pair of handicappers, one of whom has yet to win and one who triumphed last time out. Our selections race at Beverley (2.12-4.42pm) and Chepstow (2.20-4.55), with Killarney (5.20-8.20) completing the Flat line-up. Jump racing takes place at Worcester (2.00-5.35), Sligo (5.30-8.30) and Sedgefield (5.40-8.10). Ron Wood's NAP: Other selection: Odds provided by Betfair and correct at the time of writing. If you already have a Betfair account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use for this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts. 4.20 Chepstow – Class 5 Handicap (6f) There looks like being more to come from the Patrick Chamings-trained FRANCISCO. His maiden win at Wolverhampton in April came over seven furlongs, but he quickened well off a slow pace, so he's not short of speed and he deserves credit for challenging wide on the turn as the tempo got hotter. The selection now has to prove himself on turf, but he ran well enough on his only previous outing on grass, at Newmarket on his debut in October 2023, to think he'll be fine. Francisco can be a slow starter but he should get plenty of pace to chase this time, and he has the pedigree to think he can rate higher than what is still just a modest handicap mark, the four-year-old having been nudged up only 2lb for the Wolverhampton success. 4.42 Beverley – Class 6 Handicap (1m 4f) There's a straightforward case for ANALOGICAL (NAP). Although his form figures – 799 – may look uninspiring, his three runs came over seven furlongs last year and he's likely to improve for stepping up significantly in distance on his handicap debut as a three-year-old. He is just the sort that his trainer Sir Mark Prescott does well with and he looks as though he will have too much for some ordinary, more exposed rivals.
The Guardian
09-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Horse racing: Chester Cup day, latest news, tips and more
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Good afternoon from Chester on the final day of the track's May meeting, when after two days of stepping stones to Epsom's Classics and the Royal meeting at Ascot, the big race is all about backing a winner at decent odds in the here and now. The Chester Cup is a race for the punters, pure and simple, and they have been cramming onto the Roodee in the hope of returning home with a lot more money in their pockets ever since Doge Of Venice took the first running all the way back in 1824 (barely a quarter of a century after the abdication of the last actual Doge of Venice in 1797). It is, when all's said and done, just a handicap. But like the Grand National over jumps, the fact that the Chester Cup is a handicap also means that it is not a race that can be won simply by throwing enough money at it. It adds to the fascination. You could hatch a plot to get a horse into this race with a handicap mark a stone short of its true ability, and it could still be frustrated by the draw or bad luck in running as the field makes two circuits of Britain's tightest track. Aidan O'Brien won the Chester Vase for the 11th time on Wednesday, and picked up a 12th Dee Stakes yesterday. But in its 201-year history, no trainer – or jockey – has ever won the Chester Cup more than four times, and it took the super-shrewd Barry Hills nearly 30 years to get those wins with Arapahos (1980), Rainbow High (1999 & 2001) and Daraahem (2009). The Chester Cup is due off at 3.05, and the card's main supporting race, the 10-furlong Huxley Stakes – the only Group Two event at the three-day meeting – is at 2.35. The sun is out at Chester, the going is good and we're under way at 1.30. Share
