Bill Esdaile

THERE’S no doubt that Cheltenham’s Saturday action will capture most punters’ attention this weekend, but I think I’ve found a bet on a less heralded card on the same day. Kateira is clearly a mare going in the right direction for the Skelton team, but her price is on the short side for my liking [...]

SATURDAY’s racing offers up some tasty festive appetisers ahead of next week’s festive bonanza, which begins with a bang on Boxing Day. It’s always nice to attempt to pay for the Christmas turkey before it’s cooked, and Ascot’s card presents a few good chances of doing just that. The Grade One Long Walk Hurdle is [...]

THOROUGHBRED Aftercare Programme's (TAP) launch at the Howden Christmas Racing Weekend at Ascot Racecourse is the latest evolution in the significant investment made into eventing by David Howden.

RECENT weather has wreaked havoc on the fixture list with wind, rain and snow battering Britain’s racecourses since the turn of the year. With the forecast remaining unsettled this weekend’s fixtures could well be in the balance, and if key meetings at Kempton and Warwick do get the go-ahead, then racing is sure to take [...]

CHELTENHAM is now little over two months away and in the coming weeks I’m going to begin to build an ante-post portfolio ahead of the Festival. The aim with these bets is to find something at big odds that is likely to go off a much shorter price if lining up in March. While there’s [...]

MILLIONS are on offer this weekend. Quite literally, as Windsor (Friday and Sunday) and Ascot (Saturday) host the inaugural three-day Berkshire Winter Millions Festival with £1.2 million up for grabs. With a strong card up at Haydock as well, several horses hold multiple entries, so there are some risks with ante-post punting. First on the [...]

REGULAR readers will know that I tipped a Venetia Williams horse in my first Road to Cheltenham ante-post column last week. Well, I’m going in again I’m afraid! Make no mistake, Williams is an outstanding trainer, particularly of chasers, and I just think L’HOMME PRESSE is too big at 25/1 for the Boodles Gold Cup. [...]

Tom Marriott and Bill Esdaile run through Saturday's ITV races, while Wally Pyrah gives his view on Sunday's Group 1s at Sha Tin. Plus Lucinda Russell dials in to discuss her weekend runners.

BACKING the winner of the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival is almost always a tough ask, but I think I’ve found a bet in the race seven weeks out. Defending champion Teahupoo is undoubtedly the worthy favourite to retain his crown after he comfortably won the race 12 months ago, and he sits at [...]

ALL EYES will be on Cheltenham this Saturday when the Cotswolds course hosts its Festival Trials Day, which could see a surprise outing for superstar hurdler Constitution Hill. Nicky Henderson announced earlier this week that the Unibet Hurdle (3:00pm) was a distinct possibility for Constitution Hill, having previously thought he would head straight to the [...]