It's been a loooong time coming, but the upgraded Query Tool is very, very nearly ready. In fact, it is ready and we'll be deploying it to the site this week, probably tomorrow (Wednesday). In this post - video and, underneath, text/images - I'll show you what's new and, I hope, improved. One very important […]
On we go, to the fourth day of five at Royal Ascot but the final day of our full preview coverage. I hope we've managed to add some fun - and maybe a winner or two - to your week. There have been some fireworks already and perhaps, if it's not being greedy, we can […]
It's Gold Cup day, or Ladies' Day - or even Thursday, or Day 3. The hump day of Royal Ascot features the showcase event, the Gold Cup, a Group 1 run over two and a half miles. There is, of course, a further trio of top class shermozzles either side of that blockbuster, so let's […]
It's Day Two, Wednesday, at Royal Ascot and we have seven more top class races to watch / puzzles to solve. They are led off by the juvenile fillies but, before that, a couple of reminders... Reminder 1: you can also check out our full Royal Ascot Wednesday trends page here Reminder 2: we've got […]
Royal Ascot 2026: Day One Preview, Trends, Tips For most flat enthusiasts, it's the best week of the racing calendar as five days of elite action unfold in the presence of royalty at the 2026 Royal Ascot festival. There are plenty of domestic runners from the pointiest part of the ability pyramid, alongside a select […]
It's Dante day, and I'm on the iron horse headed north to the Knavesmire. While I've a moment I wanted to share a few notices about various things, some of them even related to horse racing... HBF Survey As longer suffering readers will know, I used to be Chair of the Horseracing Bettors Forum, a […]
We've added a couple of new features in Query Tool - woohoo! The first is 'Course Characteristics', which covers the direction of the track, its profile (flat, undulating or very undulating), its general configuration (galloping, sharp or very sharp), and any specific configuration elements (sharp bends, uphill finish). And the second, which might be more […]
Some Long Range Ante Post Picks for the 2027 Cheltenham Festival Straight after the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, I had a crack at putting together some ante post plays for last week's jamboree. In the end, none of the picks hit their mark; but that really does only tell half the story, as you can read […]
2026 proved to be a difficult Cheltenham Festival for punters, and this punter was no exception. What follows is my traditional bearing of soul - in wagering terms - for your entertainment and, oftentimes, amusement. No long intros, let's crack on. [Feel free to share how you got on in the comments below ] Matt […]
Cheltenham Festival 2026: Day Four Preview, Tips And so to Friday, Gold Cup day, on what has - for me at least - been a chastening week. The Chastening Festival: I hope that doesn't catch on. Regardless of where you are against your ledger, we have seven spectacular servings of sport to savour so let's […]
Cheltenham Festival 2026: Day 3 Preview, Tips Day Three, Thursday, and it's a case of New Courses for Old as we 'change ends' for the second half. Fresh ground, then, probably nicely watered so no excuses - apart from the obvious (picking the wrong horse). 1.20 Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2, 2m 1f) […]
Cheltenham Festival 2026: Day Two Preview, Trends, Tips We're onto Wednesday, the second quarter and the second of two days on the Old course at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. Seven more brainteasers, seven more invitations to the most coveted roll of honour in the sport. Let's proceed with haste to... 1.20 Turners Novices' Hurdle (Grade […]
Cheltenham Festival 2026: Day One Preview, Tips So, here we are again. The 2026 Cheltenham Festival draws ever closer and, after a million preview nights and just as many horses tipped, we are now on the very cusp of getting answers to those thorny questions. Remember, first race is a 1.20pm kick off each day, […]
It was with the usual excitement that I headed west from Hackney to the monied enclaves of Kensington for an evening of Cheltenham chat with a panel of bona fide experts at the London Racing Club's annual Cheltenham Festival Preview night. The panel was comprised of Racing TV's 'Road to Cheltenham' voice, Lydia Hislop (LH); […]
On the fourth and final day of Tix Week, I'm going to bring it all together. As well as looking at yesterday's play - with a few observations on that - I answer some of your questions; share which framework I use in different scenarios; and offer a few hints and tips to optimise your […]
