Author: Paul Davidson

In contrast to the lead-up to the 2000 Guineas being raced on Saturday, the ante-post betting market for the 1000 Guineas has lacked a dominant figure. In fact, current favourite Qabala was only promoted into 3/1 market leader off-the-back of her taking performance a fortnight ago at Newmarket. Qabala has…

The Irish Grand National finishes off the usual spring series of marathon-staying steeplechases for another year. Fairyhouse is the host on Easter Monday and we have two selections for the Irish showpiece. As a general rule, it has paid to stick with novice or second-season chasers in recent years and…

The Scots follow up with their own edition of the Grand National this weekend. Not quite the same test as the Aintree event, nor the Tiger Roll-level of talent on show. The Scottish Grand National’s a more conventional handicapping race that is usually run on fast ground conditions. Favourites generally…

The Grand National is always a cracking betting occasion with 40 handicappers out to run in the ultimate staying marathon. So, where to start? Well, where else, but with the 2018 winner, Tiger Roll. It’s easy to run out of superlatives to describe how much this horse has done during…

Now we all know the Midlands Grand National on this Saturday is in complete contrast to the week just experienced at The Festival. And no race portrays that better than the gruelling, four mile two furlong trip at Uttoxeter. Ms. Parfois could take all the beating based on her novice…

The Pertemps has produced some excellent winners over the years and generally they have gone on to do bigger and better things with the likes of Fingal Bay, Delta Work and Presenting Percy to name a few recent victors. Sire Du Berlais has been well-supported in the ante-post market since…

The Fred Winter is normally run at a frenetic gallop in what can often be an untidy looking race. Paul Nicholls and Gordon Elliot have dominated proceedings in recent seasons and the latter holds a strong hand this year with the Paul Nicholls fancy, Friend Or Foe, missing out at…

The first edition of handicap tips for the Cheltenham Festival this year features the Close Brothers Novices Handicap Chase on Champion Day. Last year’s winner Mister Whitaker runs in the Ultima earlier on the card and he came into this carrying bottom-weight of 11st 2lbs last season. Clearly he was…

Nobody should feel ashamed for wanting Cheltenham to arrive now and on the penultimate weekend before the festival there are plenty of horses being kept away from the action. There’s a nice looking Veterans’ Handicap Chase over at Newbury though with plenty of old favourites on show again like The…

The four-mile Eider Handicap Chase at Newcastle is normally run in an absolute bog. But not this year. This unseasonably quick ground will favour the stronger travelling types over the plodders, and that rules out quite a few who would have preferred more juice in the ground. The current jolly…