How to pick a winner at the 2012 Cheltenham Festival - 0 views

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  #1 Efren Sampson on 05 Mar 12

   

  So with so much to consider, how do you pick the winning horse? By the time you've finished reading this guide, you will be better placed to identify a horse that you understand the Odds alongside the Grand National and Ascot; the 2012 Gold Cup attracts a huge amount of interest and bets from fans and non-fans of horse racing. However many see the process of betting, with varying odds and different stake options, to be too complicated and daunting to pursue. Understanding the odds and how to place a bet is the first step on the road to picking a winner and netting a tidy sum of money. Regardless of what John McCririck might suggest, sporting odds are actually quite easy to understand. The two different numbers that you will see next to a horse's name relate to how probable that horse is to win that race. The shorter the odds, or the lower the numbers, the greater its chance winning. These numbers are separated by a slash and referred to as being one number to another, for example 10/1 or ten to one. When a horse is favorite to win a race or odds on, a bookmaker regards its chances of winning the race as better than 50%. This is when you see larger numbers as the second number in the horse's odds, like 1/2.
  
  
  The trainer and the jockey possibly the best way to select a winner are to see who is riding the horse and who trains it. Certain jockeys and trainers seem to love Cheltenham and always do well there. The one jockey that never fails to disappoint is Ruby Walsh. With six top jockey awards in the last eight years, there are few who can compete with Walsh and his record total of 30 winners at the Cheltenham Festival. When it comes to trainers, the top spot is more competitive with a number of consistent and successful festivals over the years. The ones to look out for are Paul Nicholls, who has the aforementioned Ruby Walsh as his number one jockey, and is one of the most successful trainers in the sport.
  
  In 2010, Nicky Henderson became the trainer with the most wins at Cheltenham and counts Barry Geraghty, the 2003 top jockey at the festival, as his main partner. When the going gets tough you may have heard the term the going in relation to horse racing before and may be aware that it's related to the condition of the ground on which the race will take place. If it has rained heavily the night before, the track might be considered soft, or even heavy. If it's been dry for a long time it might be hard or firm. Different horses are suited to different conditions and so it's wise to check the going before picking your horse.
  
  Big strong horses are able to battle through heavier conditions, whereas the leaner, faster horses prefer harder conditions. Note that French horses are often bred to run on harder ground and so suit those conditions better than they do when it's heavy. Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase, held on the Cheltenham New Course, run over 3 miles and 2½ furlongs, and over 22 fences.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">So with so much to consider, how do you pick the winning horse? By the time you've finished reading this guide, you will be better placed to identify a horse that you understand the Odds alongside the Grand National and Ascot; the <a href="http://goldcup.co.uk/Cheltenham-Gold-Cup-2012.htm" rel="nofollow">2012 Gold Cup</a> attracts a huge amount of interest and bets from fans and non-fans of horse racing. However many see the process of betting, with varying odds and different stake options, to be too complicated and daunting to pursue. Understanding the odds and how to place a bet is the first step on the road to picking a winner and netting a tidy sum of money. Regardless of what John McCririck might suggest, sporting odds are actually quite easy to understand. The two different numbers that you will see next to a horse's name relate to how probable that horse is to win that race. The shorter the odds, or the lower the numbers, the greater its chance winning. These numbers are separated by a slash and referred to as being one number to another, for example 10/1 or ten to one. When a horse is favorite to win a race or odds on, a bookmaker regards its chances of winning the race as better than 50%. This is when you see larger numbers as the second number in the horse's odds, like 1/2. <br /><br /><br />The trainer and the jockey possibly the best way to select a winner are to see who is riding the horse and who trains it. Certain jockeys and trainers seem to love Cheltenham and always do well there. The one jockey that never fails to disappoint is Ruby Walsh. With six top jockey awards in the last eight years, there are few who can compete with Walsh and his record total of 30 winners at the Cheltenham Festival. When it comes to trainers, the top spot is more competitive with a number of consistent and successful festivals over the years. The ones to look out for are Paul Nicholls, who has the aforementioned Ruby Walsh as his number one jockey, and is one of the most successful trainers in the sport. <br /><br />In 2010, Nicky Henderson became the trainer with the most wins at Cheltenham and counts Barry Geraghty, the 2003 top jockey at the festival, as his main partner. When the going gets tough you may have heard the term the going in relation to horse racing before and may be aware that it's related to the condition of the ground on which the race will take place. If it has rained heavily the night before, the track might be considered soft, or even heavy. If it's been dry for a long time it might be hard or firm. Different horses are suited to different conditions and so it's wise to check the going before picking your horse. <br /><br />Big strong horses are able to battle through heavier conditions, whereas the leaner, faster horses prefer harder conditions. Note that French horses are often bred to run on harder ground and so suit those conditions better than they do when it's heavy. <a href="http://www.goldcup.co.uk" rel="nofollow">Gold Cup</a> is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase, held on the Cheltenham New Course, run over 3 miles and 2½ furlongs, and over 22 fences.</div>

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