Student Racing Magazine April 2011

by students for students

ISSUE 06 www.studentracing.co.uk/April 2011

STUDENT RACING

student racing magazine april_18248:Layout 1 28/3/11 11:43 Page 1

Chief Executives

Mike Spence & Alex [email protected]

Designed by

Weatherbys [email protected]

Printed by

Weatherbys Printing [email protected]

Supported by

Racing for Change

PAGE 04/05Interview with

– CLARE BALDING

PAGE 12/13Interview with

– SAMWALEY-COHEN

PAGE 6/7Information

– 5 THINGS

PAGE 20/21Information

– BETTRENDS

PAGE 15Horse In Focus

– LONG RUN

PAGE 16/17Focus On

– GRANDNATIONAL

PAGE 22/23This Months

– FIXTURES

contents

This month

interviews information racing

Clare Balding

5 Things

The Flat is Back

03o say it was a busy month inthe racing world is one hell ofan understatement.

Cheltenham fever gripped thecountry as we saw 3 new championsemerge by the end of a long week.Hurricane Fly, Sizing Europe and LongRun all established themselves aschampions and Big Bucks retained hisstatus as champion by winning theWorld Hurdle for the 3rd time in a row.

Many however see Cheltenham as thepoint at which the flat season is fastapproaching, before that really gets intofull swing though there is the GrandNational at Aintree. Superstar Frankel isset to appear in mid April at theGreenham meeting and it will befascinating to see how he fares.

The racing world has been holding itsbreath for the last 6 months to see if hecan retain the huge amounts of abilitythat he showed last season. At Aintree, AP McCoy will look to win back to backGrand Nationals after winning the prizethat eluded him for so long last yearaboard Don’t Push It.

Next month’s edition will have a Guineaspreview as well as a full flat preview andhopefully highlighting some nice earlyprices for the Investec Derby. The worldwill be tuning in to watch Aintree sothere are a few tips for the big race in ourGrand National preview towards theback of the magazine.

Good Luck!

Tby students for students

now you can visit us online at

WWW.STUDENTRACING.CO.UK

SIGN UP To our monthly E-Newsletter

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER www.twitter.co.uk/studentracing

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.co.uk/studentracing

ONLINE FEATURES INCLUDE

Downloadable Digital Magazine

Expert Tipsters

Videos, Tours, Gallery and Blog

News, Tickets and Interviews


interview05A familiar face to many, Clare has been around in the

television business for a while and is widely appreciated to beone of the most coveted live presenters out there. Many ofyou will recognise her from coverage of the BBC racing butshe has proved equally adept at presenting other sportsranging from darts, to the Olympics and with her move intomainstream tv, you'll be seeing a lot more of her in the future.

Did you find the transition from racing

to main stream tv tricky or not?

I've done non-sports programmes for a long time, I did a live daytime show for BBC1 called Housecall in the Country about 8 years ago and I've presentedRamblings (a walking programme) on Radio 4 forabout 12 years now. I've always believed in pushingmyself out of my comfort zone and racing is a verygood prep for anything. Essentially, I have been doing entertainment programmes all my life - that's my job between races so the transition didn't feel like one at all.

Do you prefer covering the racing

or hosting a prime time tv show?

You get very spoilt when you do an entertainmentshow - fancy hotels, a personal runner dedicated togetting anything you need, a stylist to help you withclothes, script writers, researchers etc. etc. Luckily, Iknew there was no point getting used to it. On theracing, I wouldn't expect anyone to wrap me in cottonwool - and they don't.

What was it like working with

all the stars of comic relief?

I filmed with Sir Paul McCartney, who was absolutelylovely. Everything you would hope an icon would beand more. He likes watching the racing and asked mefor a tip, which shocked me somewhat! James Corden isfabulous and very talented - I've worked with him a lot.Dermot O'Leary, JLS, the Harry Potter boys and RobertWinston were all there too. I went back on another dayto film with Rio Ferdinand, who was very nice.

How did you get into the presenting game?

I started in radio and served a year as a trainee in BBCSport. They were keen for me to do lots of sport awayfrom racing - I was comfortable doing racing but theywanted to see what I sounded like on cricket, football,tennis, golf and even boxing. I presented the sportsbulletins on Radio 1 when Chris Evans was doing theBreakfast Show. Julian Wilson was presenting theracing with Tracy Piggott (Lester's daughter) comingover from Ireland for the big meetings. When shedecided to take on a busier role at RTE and stay inIreland, BBC TV started screen testing for a femaleracing reporter. I applied and got the job. Three orfour years later, Julian decided not to renew hiscontract and I took over as the main racing presenter.

Cheltenham or Royal Ascot?

Cheltenham

Obviously Long Run was unbelievably

impressive at Cheltenham can you see him

being champion for many years to come?

If he can stay fit and healthy, he will get stronger andimprove over the next 4 years before an inevitable lossof speed. He will be the horse to beat until at least2016.

Favourite moment of the meeting?

Big Buck's winning the World Hurdle for a third time.

Have you got a horse for students to follow

this season?

I hope Carlton House will be as good as they think - it would brilliant for the Queen to have a really good horse.

Biggest perk of being a tv presenter?

The variety of life. Every week I am working onsomething different, going somewhere else, gettingimmersed in another event and meeting new people. I love the adrenaline rush of live TV or radio.

Who would you be backing for

the Grand National?

I'll have a few bets - definitely Oscar Time, State ofPlay and Silver By Nature.

CB

CB

CB

CB

CB

CB

CB

CB

CB

CB

04 INTERVIEW

Clare BaldingIn line with trying to bring something new every month, this time we sat down with Clare Baldingto talk about life as being a tv presenter and we even managed to squeeze out some tips from her.


BUMPY RUN IN FOR UNITED

It looks set to be a bumpy run in for ManchesterUnited this year, having been rocked by injuries and

suspensions to over half their defensive line. Rio Ferdinand isseemingly always injured and new injuries to Rafael, Vidic and asuspension to Evans has left Fergie scratching his head over whoto play. Michael Carrick has filled in a few times, but certainlydoesn’t command the respect that Rio Ferdinand would do.With Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal within the next month it’scertainly not going to be smooth sailing at Old Trafford in theirbid to win the famous treble. This time next month and theycould be clutching at straws and under pressure to deliver in thePremiership.

4

IRISH DOMINANCE

They saw, they came, they conquered. Asaying from medieval times that can easily betranslated into the battering that the Irish gave theEnglish during the Cheltenham Festival. Havingonly lost 2 of the 4 championship races the Englishwill feel relieved after the dominance Irelandshowed across the rest of the card. In a meetingwhere the English should dominate, it was left fartoo close between the two nations at the end of theweek with England only narrowly scraping victorywith 15 victories against Ireland’s 12. There willhave to be some serious thinking as the English willtry to work out how to retain some of the prizemoney in 2010.

5

ALL OUT

When a horse has to extend itself fully to win.

AMATEUR

Amateur, i.e. unpaid, riders can usually ride only in racesconfined to them in Flat racing. In racecards and newspapersthey are usually listed with a title (Mr, Mrs, Miss etc) todifferentiate them from professional jockeys.

BACKMARKER

Horse at the back of the field during a race.

BLOODSTOCK AGENT

Bloodstock Agent ?Person who purchases horses for otherpeople as a business, with a commission being charged.

FINISHING STRAIGHT

The part of the course which runs in front of the Grandstandand includes the finishing post.

jargon buster

Unitedfeeling the strain?

information0706 5 THINGS

5 thingswe’ve learnt this month

WORLD CUP DREAMS

Despite a crushing loss to a dominantIreland in Dublin, England were able to

celebrate lifting the Six Nations Championship,although being deprived of a first Grand Slamsince 2003. England have improved significantlysince the autumn internationals; however there arestill major areas which need to improve if they areto make a considerable impact on the RugbyWorld Cup in New Zealand later this year. Attimes England demonstrated glimpses of genius,but far too often surrounded by moments ofinadequacy; however they are young, inexpe-rienced, and rapidly improving. Martin Johnsonseems to be sticking to his guns by starting Floodat 10, in place of the experienced Wilkinson. Thisyear’s World Cup may prove to be too soon for thelikes of Ashton, Youngs and Flood to shinethrough, thus making it rather difficult to look farpast New Zealand on home soil to lift the trophyin 2011.

1

AUGUSTA SET TO HOST 75TH MASTERS

The first major golf championship is set to begin this week with the2011 Masters at Augusta. Phil Mickelson will go looking to win his

fourth Green Jacket having previously won the championship in 2004, 2006and 2010. All eyes will be on Tiger Woods though who has now gone over 18months without a win on the PGA. Another American looking to make hismark by winning his first Masters title is Nick Watney. Watney started 2011with three successive top six finishes and that hot form culminated in his biggestvictory to date when he beat all the other members of the world's top 50 towalk away with the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral. With 6 Europeansin the world’s top 10 golfers this may be the year for the first European to winthe title since José María Olazába won it in 1999.

3

CHAMPIONS LEAGUEWE’RE HAVIN’ A LAFF’

Finding ourselves at the quarter finals of theChampions League and like year after year thereis still a strong English contingent representing thegreatest league in the world. Usual suspectsManchester United and Chelsea are unsurprisinglystill going strong but also Champions Leaguevirgins and surprise package Tottenham Hotspur.Spurs have overcome the Rossoneri, in a heatedaffair, and reigning champions Inter, the joint topscorers will certainly give Mourinho’s men a runaround in what could turn out to be a fairytalecampaign. Whoever triumphs out of Man Utdand Chelsea will back themselves to win thecompetition even with Barcelona’s current form. Itcould be argued that the Champions League last16 is becoming repetitive as the same teams seemto end up there year on year and it would be greatfrom a neutral perspective to see Harry’s menmarch on to Wembley and cause a stir.

2


racing09In the last issue of Student Racing, we gave you a preview of what we expected at this

year's jumps racing showpiece, the Cheltenham Festival. After four days when the sun

shone on perfect jumps racing ground, some new stars rose and stormed up the famous

Prestbury hill, announcing themselves on the scene like a young Wayne Rooney or

Jack Wilshire lighting up the Premier League. While the new kids forced their way to the

top in some races, more familiar heroes, both equine and human, returned to show that

they weren't quite ready to hand over their crowns just yet. All in all, it was quite a four

days in the Cotswolds...

Day TwoWednesday, 16th March 2011

The second day of the festival provided another new

name on the Champion Chase roll of honour. As with the

Champion Hurdle, the prize was carried off back over to

Ireland, as the Irish prepared for St Patrick's Day by

taking Cheltenham by storm with 6 winners out of the

days 7 races. The winner came in the form of Sizing

Europe (10/1), who had been the winner of the previous

year's Arkle, for Henry De Bromhead and young jockey

Andrew Lynch.

The same duo had tasted Cheltenham success barely 24 hours earlier when teaming up with cross country race winner

Sizing Australia, and to see the faces of the husband and wife who owned both horses was to see two people who

couldn't believe their luck! With the British public heavily supporting the former champion Master Minded before the

race and defending champion Big Zeb looking ominously ready to defend his title, the race was set up to be a cracker.

However, Sizing Europe travelled like the winner a long way from home, and skipped away up the hill looking fresh

as Rafa Nadal after the first round at Wimbledon to be 5 lengths clear of Big Zeb at the line.

Elsewhere there were big priced winners aplenty to appease the bookmakers, with 16/1 shots Boston's Angel and

Carlito Brigante both scoring for the Irish. Day 2 was surely one for the bookies...

08 FOCUS ON

The first day of the festival without doubt belonged to the Champion Hurdle winner. The hugely impressive Hurricane

Fly (11/4) arrived from over the Irish Sea with the hopes of his countrymen on his back, but such was the ease that he

stretched away from Peddlers Cross and on to glory, it would have been no surprise if half of Ireland had been on his back

and he'd still managed to win. Looking every inch a true champion throughout, Hurricane Fly could be one to dominate

the top 2 mile races for years to come. Back in second, the previously unbeaten Peddler's Cross lost little in defeat to an

exceptional rival, but much like a team who have just come face to face with Barcelona, connections must be wondering

how they are going to be able to reverse the form in future! Third placed Oscar Whisky continued a run of placed efforts

from Nicky Henderson's team, with Henderson having provided the second placed horses in both preceding races- the

Supreme Novice Hurdle and the Arkle.

Both races have seen many a bubble burst, and in the past two seasons short priced Irish raiders Cousin Vinny and

Dunguib had both met with somewhat surprising defeats in the Supreme. Once again the race saw a reputation suffer, as

many people's banker Cue Card was beaten into third place by Al Ferof, who stormed up the hill from an unlikely winning

position for champion trainer Paul Nicholls and hugely popular jockey Ruby Walsh.

The Arkle, a race for novices run over 2 miles over fences, went to Captain Chris, who much like Al Ferof dug into deep

reserves of stamina and guts to climb the hill in front. Both look hugely talented and worth keeping an eye on!

Day OneTuesday, 15th March 2011

Student Racing reviews all the action from this years festival

Cheltenham2011


racing11

The final day of the festival, and all eyes were on the showpiece event,

the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The main contenders all lined up, and

cantered out onto again perfect jumping ground tuned to the minute

for the gruelling 3 1/4 miles ahead of them. Would the reigning champ

Imperial Commander again come clear after the final fence, could

either of the ageing superstars Kauto Star or Denman turn back the

clock and regain their crown, or would a new equine hero emerge after

nearly 7 minutes of combat? The resulting race was up there as one of

the best in the long and glittering history of Cheltenham, if not purely

on the formbook, but for the thrills the action provided for so many.

Coming round the final bend, the field was on the stretch led by Kauto

and Denman, both looking as strong and as willing as at any time

during their 3 year dominance of jumps racing, travelling and jumping

strongly and in doing so producing support levels from the crowd and

from armchairs across the country that may not have been so truly

heartfelt since the days of people's champions Desert Orchid and One

Man.

Just as many on course and at home began to dream of the two great

champions fighting to the finish, the arrival of Long Run (7/2) to join

the party at the second last fence shifted the attention, and almost as

soon as he had arrived on the scene Long Run had gone clear and was

not for catching, simply powering up the hill which many had

believed would be too much for him to handle. On his back was

Sam Waley-Cohen, an amateur jockey (featured elsewhere in this

magazine) and son of the owner, who at times had been criticised for

employing his son and not a professional to ride his horse. All criticism

was forgotten as Waley-Cohen produced a flawless display of

horsemanship, in turn providing Nicky Henderson with his first Gold

Cup in 30 years of trying... enough drama for a Christmas special of

Eastenders, and all in course record time!

Day FourFriday, 18th March 2011

2012As is the norm with jumps racing, already the

sport turns its attention to next year's

Cheltenham festival. With three new

champions of the four championship races,

there will be the usual mighty attempts to

unseat them in 12 months time. With

Hurricane Fly and Long Run having age on

their side, both could dominate their respective

races for years to come, but if there's one thing

for sure at Cheltenham- nobody should take

anything for granted.

When a sportsman or team can prove themselves to be at the top of their sport for 3 years running, it is fair to say they

have earned their place in history. By winning a third straight World Hurdle (3 miles of hurdles to contend with) Big Buck's

(10/11) confirmed himself to be at the top of the staying hurdle tree and almost without doubt the best horse ever to have

competed in the race.

In debates about every other championship race at the festival, talk could go on for days about who was truly the greatest,

but as far as the World Hurdle is concerned the conversation would be very short indeed! Faced with at least one

potentially serious rival in Grands Crus, Big Buck's was allowed to drift out in the market to odds against in the week

leading up to the race, however on course punters showed tremendous faith in their star, emptying the bookies pockets

after Paul Nicholls' horse provided a tremendous demonstration of class and stamina to finally break the heart of Grands

Crus up the hill. All this after Ruby Walsh had dropped his whip when the action was beginning to unfold!

St Patrick's day also saw repeat Cheltenham wins for 2010 winners Albertas Run (Ryanair) and Buena Vista (Pertemps

Final), proving that the old saying "horses for courses" is very much still worth remembering.

Day ThreeWednesday, 16th March 2011

Student Racing reviews all the action from this years festival

Cheltenham2011


interviews13

You’re obviously the only jockey to have ridden

Long Run in England, did you always have a

very high opinion of him?

I always had an incredibly high impression of him andso did Nicky. He had performed very impressively so Ialways had high expectations of him.

Long Run made a few mistakes during the

race, was there any point where you thought

today just wasn’t going to be your day?

In most races you do need a bit of luck but themistakes weren’t costing him much ground and weren’ttaking too much out of him. I thought he was runninghis race it was just whether he was going to be goodenough at the end

Many experts now predict Long Run to

dominate the sport for a few years to come,

do you share this view?

Racing is so fickle, one day you have a horse who is ontop of the world and the next you have an injury. If wecan keep him injury-free there is every hope he can do.

Do you feel the pressure more riding as an

amateur against the professionals?

There is an expectation to perform as they put theirfaith in you as an amateur and there is expectation tolive up to the opportunity. You’ve done all thepreparation so after that there’s not much more youcan do.

Long Run was very well supported on the day,

did this increase the pressure you felt?

Not really, having a live contender for the Gold Cup isenough pressure in itself, you’re going to ride it exactlythe same no matter how well supported it is on the day

Why did you decide to be an amateur and not

go the whole way to being a professional?It was just a sport that I love and what it means to bea professional takes away some of the things I mostenjoy about riding.

Apart from Long Run, what was the

performance that really caught your eye

during the Cheltenham festival?

I loved the race of Big Buck’s and Grands Crus, therewere certainly some impressive performances. CaptainChris was very impressive and Al Ferof was hugelyimpressive.

What is your favourite course to ride?

The Grand National course. When it’s going right andyou’re having a clear round nothing compares to it.

SWC

SWC

SWC

SWC

SWC

SWC

SWC

SWC

In most races you do need a bit of luck .. it was just

whether he was going to be good enough at the end“ ”

12 INTERVIEW

Sam Waley-Cohen


15 HORSE IN FOCUS

horse in focus...

Long Runracing

15

The 2010/2011 national hunt season in Britain has this year seen the emergence of ayoung superstar by the name of Long Run. Having only run 6 times, he wasn’t ahousehold name by any means, in fact he was hardly a household name in the racingworld. Since the 15th January 2011, that has all changed.

After winning his first two starts in Britain, Long Run looked to be

heading for the top, however two below-par runs at Cheltenham left

many question marks over his head and many were looking elsewhere.

The King George VI Chase at Kempton then came about and while

everyone was talking about Kauto Star, 9/2 shot Long Run emerged

round the final bend as if he’d started halfway round the course.

Cantering away from the field on the homestretch people began to talk

about Long Run as a possible superstar for the future.

His next run was set to be the Gold Cup, a race frequently dominated

by older horses who have been around the block. Having run twice at

Cheltenham and been beaten twice, question marks were once again

raised over his ability to beat previous champions Imperial Commander,

Kauto Star and Denman. Many punters still kept the faith and in the

end he was sent off the 7/2 favourite. After making a few mistakes it

wasn’t looking so likely for Long Run, however once again he came

round the final bend travelling very strongly. He took up the lead just

before the final fence and stayed on strongly to record a famous victory

for trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Sam Waley-Cohen.

The sky is now the limit for Long Run and many predict he will

dominate the 3 mile division for years to come.

BET ANYTIMEANYWHERE.

Image used for illustrative purposes only.William Hill rules apply. Over 18s only. FOR ADVICE & INFORMATION VISIT WWW.GAMBLEAWARE.CO.UK


racing17

The thrills and spills of the Grand National

A P McCoy celebrates on Don’t Push It

Silver By Nature (16/1) does not have such experience over

course and distance, but seems to have both the class and

staying power to go close. Lucinda Russell's powerful grey

has been almost faultless in his jumping in recent outings

and this quality will prove extremely useful over these

hugely demanding fences. Should the ground soften then he

will surely be a serious contender.

At a slightly bigger price, Andrew Parker's Merigo (33/1)

looks promising. He proved his relentless staying power

when winning the Scottish Grand National and has since

been given an ideal preparation for this race. Racing off just

10 stone 1lb he seems to have a good chance of making the

frame and therefore rates great value at the current price.

All in all, the 2011 John Smith’s Grand National looks to be

every bit as thrilling as those of previous years with huge

amounts of excitement, drama and unpredictability. If you

bear in mind the trends of former champions, you may find

that it is not beyond the realms of possibility to finally pick

the winner in this hugely competitive handicap chase.

Grand National Advice:Big Fella Thanks 16/1Silver By Nature 16/1Merigo 33/1

The John Smith's Grand National Chase is one of the most famous horse races in theworld, with thirty monstrous fences to jump, during a grueling four and a half miles. Withforty horses aiming to scoop a valuable prize of about half a million pounds, many seethis race to be a complete lottery.

However there are certain ingredients required to produce a Grand National winner, andby looking at the history of the race, many statistical trends become apparent.

THEJOHNSMITH’S

GRANDNATIONAL

16 FOCUS ON

The weight that the horse carries is probably the most

relevant pointer of success, as only the late great Red

Rum has carried more than 11stone 5lbs to victory in

the last half century and only a couple of contenders

have managed to overcome the burden of 11 stone in

more recent years.

Age is a key factor: horses between the ages of eight

and eleven have filled all twenty-four places in the last

six years, whilst seven of the last ten winners have been

either nine or ten years old.

Stamina is clearly a necessity in a race of this nature

and therefore it is no great surprise that the previous

forty winners have all gained victories over three miles

or more before taking the ultimate prize.

It takes not only staying power to gain victory in this

most prestigious event but also class, and it is no

coincidence that the ten previous winners had already

won a Listed or Graded contest.

Last year's winner, Don't Push It, who gave AP

McCoy his first success in the Grand National,

satisfied such criteria but looks up against it this time

around, as he heads the weights at 11 stone 10lbs.

Ferdy Murphy is aiming to gain success over the

Grand National fences for the first time since his son

Paul rode Gee-A to victory in the Foxhunters Chase

almost twenty years ago. He seems to have a good

chance of doing so with Big Fella Thanks (16/1) who

is looking to make it third time lucky in this race,

having come sixth behind Mon Mome in 2009 before

finishing fourth last year.


racing19

HavantOn paper 3 year old Havant doesn’t jump off the page, having only run twice. Havant on the other hand wouldn’t agree

with you, her performances in her two races couldn’t have been more impressive. Soft ground is very important to her so

if the heavens open it could be time to open the wallet and make your way to the bookies. Her main target this year is

surely the Oaks at Epsom and at this stage she looks to have as good a chance as anybody. Her first target looks set to be

the 1,000 Guineas on the 1st May over a mile but her profile suggests she’ll be better the further she goes.

Saamidd33/1 shot Saamidd though, could be the one to throw down

the biggest challenge to Frankel. Unbeaten in his first two

starts which included a devastating performance in the

Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, Saamidd went on to run a

very poor race at Newmarket behind Frankel in the

Dewhurst. The ground and lack of pace was against him

that day and if a heatwave hits Britain in the week before

the Guineas, Saamidd is the horse to take sides with.

Snow FairySuper filly Snow Fairy is fast becoming a people’s

favourite, having won the Oaks in breathtaking style

under Ryan Moore last June at Epsom, she will run

again this year with her first start likely to be in June

once again at Royal Ascot. After the Oaks, Ryan

Moore described called her “a bit of a freak” and it’s

fair to say she’s not your ordinary horse. She has the

acceleration Usain Bolt would be proud to have and if

she is in the same mood this year as she was last year

she’s definitely one to have on your side.

SR Ante-post adviceSaamidd 2,000 Guineas. 33/1 each-wayHavant Oaks. 10/1 each-way

FrankelDescribed by his jockey Tom Queally as being “very

special”, Frankel set the world alight last year winning all

of his 4 starts and is the horse that the racing world

cannot wait to watch. April 16 will be the date when

Frankel will make his first appearance of the year in the

Greenham stakes at Newbury. Favourite for the 2,000

Guineas and the Derby, many think Frankel won’t get

beaten this year. Going by last year, it’s going to take

something very special to beat him this year.

Workforce2010 Derby winner Workforce is a bit unpredictable as

the best of times. Arguably the best horse in training, on

his 5 starts he’s managed to get himself beaten twice.

Also ridden by Ryan Moore, Workforce ran four times

in 2010, producing two phenomenal performances to

win the Derby in June and then the Prix L’Arc De

Triomphe across the channel in France in October but

producing a moody performance in mid-summer when

running well below-par at Ascot behind Harbinger. He’s

unlikely to be seen again until the mid-summer and is

sure to be hitting the headlines if producing

performances we know he’s capable of.

It’s that time of year again, flat racing is back. After a few months of flat racing fans having to watch Southwell,

Wolverhampton, Lingfield and Kempton, the turf season is back. Next month’s edition will give a full preview

of the flat season ahead of us but we just couldn’t resist nominating 5 horses for students to follow this year. At

least 3 of which will run during April, with an early each-way prediction for the 2,000 Guineas at 33/1.

The Flat is Back18 FOCUS ON


make www.bettrends.co.uk your first point of call for daily sports news and betting advice

Football FocusApril sees the QFs of the Champions League taking place but closer to home the Premier League will be

building to its dramatic conclusion and there are plenty of fixtures to whet the appetite.

Liverpool have looked a different team since Kenny Dalglish returned to the dugout and they will fancy their

chances of hindering Man City’s push for that final Champions League qualification position. The visitors have

been criticised in the press for their negative approach to games and with Liverpool seemingly buoyed by

the return of ‘King Kenny’ they should be able to make home advantage count. The forward partnership of

Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll will take time to bed in but the Uruguayan striker already looks the real deal

and he can cause the City rearguard plenty of headaches.

A week later and Harry Redknapp’s Spurs team welcome their North London rivals Arsenal to White Hart

Lane and you have got to fancy the home side to complete the league double. Arsenal are not out of the

title race but away days do not get much tougher than this, especially at this stage of the season, and their

hosts will like nothing more to drive another nail into the coffin of their title aspirations. At the time of

writing Arsenal have lost just twice on their travels in the league but it seems their Carling Cup defeat at the

hands of Birmingham has really taken the wind out of their sails.

Horseracing

Football

Darts

Golf

F1

information21

Get the shortlist of potential winners, race by race, via

text message. Sent at the latest by 6pm, the evening

before each days racing, this will ensure that those all

important selections are only the touch of a button away.

Just £5 for all 3 days!

aintree special - SMS alertsCall 0011993333 330044777766 quoting “student racing” now just £5!

weatherbysshop

aintree betting guidetext alerts

A winning Formula?betting with direction

Nico Rosberg – podium in Malaysia Price not available

Sebastian Vettel – pole-victory double in China Price not available

Liverpool 8/5 (Bwin)

Spurs 24/13 (Bwin)

The Formula One season belatedly got underway at

the end of March with the Australian Grand Prix in

Melbourne following the postponement of the

scheduled season-opener in Bahrain, which was

cancelled due to the political unrest in the country.

And following the Melbourne race we’ve got two

more Grand Prix to look forward to in April.

It is a tough two-week period for the teams as they

face back-to-back weekends of action in Malaysia

(April 10) and China (April 17), but the action usually is

exciting at both Sepang and the Shanghai Circuit due

to the unpredictability of the climate in the Far East as

well as the quick turnaround between races.

Last year, Red Bull dominated in Malaysia – taking pole

position in qualifying with Mark Webber blowing

team-mate Sebastian Vettel away with a stunning lap,

the German being left in third behind Mercedes’ Nico

Rosberg. But in the race, it was the world champion-

elect Vettel who led home a one-two for Red Bull

with Rosberg claiming the final place on the podium.

There is every chance that Red Bull will shine again in

Malaysia with the long straights likely to play into their

hands and, with team orders permitted this season,

Vettel has to be the choice ahead of Webber. Don’t

discount Rosberg repeating his podium finish either

with the German a potential star in 2011.

It is in China were the best betting opportunities can

arise due to the inclement weather, with temperatures

significantly colder than in Malaysia and rain aplenty –

as we found out last year when the race started under

wet conditions due to downpours prior to the start. If

the wet weather does arrive on raceday it is worth

exploring drivers outside of the front row of the grid

with Jenson Button proving that last year when

winning from sixth.

But the stats of the seven Chinese Grand Prix to be

held since the Shanghai track was built in 2004 show

that more than half (four of the seven) have been won

by the driver starting from pole position. So, it could

well be worth investing in a pole position/race victory

double again this time around – particularly if the

forecast is for dry conditions.

The man that sticks out for the bet is Red Bull’s

reigning world champion Vettel, who has started from

pole position in China in the last two years and who

will have a car suited to the combination of long

straights and twisty turns of the track.

Written by Neil Hubbard and Gary Emmerson of bettrends.co.uk

bettrendsadvice


thursday friday saturday sunday

LeicesterLudlowWolverhampton

AintreeHerefordKempton ParkRipon

BeverleyCheltenhamKempton park

NewmarketSedgefield

FolkestoneLudlowWincanton

Bath BrightonHereford

Perth Southwell

Musselburgh Newcastle Stratford-On-Avon Wolverhampton

AintreeFontwell ParkNewcastleWolverhampton

Ayr BrightonChepstow

NewburyWolverhampton

Good Friday

Bangor-On-DeeDoncasterFontwell Park

Leicester Perth

ChepstowDoncasterKempton ParkUttoxeter

AintreeBangor-On-DeeChepstowLingfield Park

ThirskWolverhampton

AyrDoncasterHaydock ParkLeicester

CarlisleHaydock ParkKelsoMusselburgh

Newton AbbotNottinghamSandown

DoncasterMarket Rasen

AscotLudlowWincanton

Stratfor-On-Avon Wetherby

MusselburghPlumptonSandownTowcester

Hamilton ParkNewmarketSalisbury

FFeeaattuurree RRaacceess TThhiiss MMoonntthh IInncclluuddee......

William Hill Lincoln - DDoonnccaasstteerr

John Smith’s Grand National - AAiinnttrreeee

Coral Scottish Grand National - AAyyrr

2000 Guineas - NNeewwmmaarrkkeettFixtures shown as red on calendar

racing23

DoncasterGoodwoodHexham

NewmarketThirsk Uttoxeter

w/c

28th march

4th april

11th april

18th april

25th april

monday tuesday wednesday

PlumptonTowcesterWolverhampton

FolkestoneKelsoWindsor

Ffos LasHexhamPlumpton

WindsorWolverhampton

ExeterRedcarTowcesterWindsor

Fakenham Ffos LasHuntingdonMarket Rasen

PlumptonRedcar WarwickYarmouth

Lingfield ParkSouthwellTaunton

ExeterKempton ParkPontefract

FolkestoneSouthwellTaunton

TowcesterWolverhampton

BathFontwell ParkPontefract

SouthwellWolverhampton

Exeter Lingfield ParkSedgefield

WolverhamptonYarmouth

CatterickHerefordLingfield ParkWolverhampton

BeverleyKempton ParkLingfield ParkNottingham

CatterickCheltenhamKempton Park

NewmarketSouthwell

EpsomHerefordKempton park

NewcastleSouthwell

Ascot Kempton ParkNewcastle

Perth Pontefract

Racing Fixtures this month....


*Free Bet is a win single added to your account on settlement of first bet. Free Bet must be on a different event to the initial stake.Free Bet stake not included in any winnings, valid for 7 days. Correct promo code must be used. Over 18s only. William Hill Rules apply.FOR ADVICE & INFORMATION VISIT WWW.GAMBLEAWARE.CO.UK

GET A£25FREE BET.New Online Customers place a

bet of £25 using Promo Code F25

and get a Free £25 win single bet.

Claim your free bet today at

studentracing.co.uk


Documents

Student Racing Magazine April 2011