#Not So Sleepy

Nicky Henderson believes Epatante must be treated as "still a possible runner" in the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle - despite her not featuring among the initial entries for the Cheltenham Festival contest. The winner of the Unibet Champion Hurdle in 2020 before placing behind Honeysuckle the following two years, Epatante has been given the option…

THE latest Cheltenham Festival entries have been revealed - and there are some early shocks. Racing's biggest meeting gets underway nine weeks today and several of the fields are starting to take shape. But there were eyebrows raised on Tuesday when it was revealed JP McManus' Epatante had not been entered in the Mares' Hurdle. The Nicky…

MONSTER hurdler Constitution Hill is already on track to beat a Cheltenham Festival record - nine weeks before it begins. Nicky Henderson's superstar two miler is 1-4 to win the Champion Hurdle on the first day of the Festival. Nothing has got within 12 lengths of Constitution Hill in his five runs under rules. And his 17-length demolition job of…

13:15 Sandown - CERTAINLY RED 13:30 Wincanton - MESSIRE DES OBEAUX 13:50 Sandown - FRERO BANBOU 14:05 Wincanton - ANOTHER CRICK 14:25 Sandown - AUTHORISED SPEED 15:00 Sandown - SAINT XAVIER 15:15 Wincanton - CHIANTI CLASSICO 15:35 Sandown - LIGHTLY SQUEEZE *All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at…

32Red Christmas Festival Race 7 Kempton Park Racecourse, England 26.12.2022 16:20 Odds Bet Type Bookmaker Claim Bonus! Odds2,75 Bet TypeWinner - №1 Champ Bookmaker Bet Now! In the upcoming 32Red Christmas Festival, we are predicting a jam packed racecourse with people coming from all over the England to witness what's considered as an amazing…

Clan Des Obeaux is out to win a third King George. Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Minella Indo, the mount of Rachael Blackmore and stablemate Frodon are among the runners Clan Des Obeaux has had "his best preparation ever" for his bid to join the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase greats on Boxing Day. Paul Nicholls launches an awesome three-pronged assault…

Kempton hosts an absolutely cracking card on St Stephen's Day as some of the UK's best National Hunt horses do battle. The King George is the feature race of the day at 2.30pm, but it's a cracking support card too with old rivals Champ and Paisley Park set to do battle again in the rearranged Long Walk hurdle before Champion Hurdle favourite…

A scroll through Twitter on the evening of December 26 in recent years has tended to reveal Paul Nicholls celebrating King George success with a McDonald's on the way back from Kempton. The Ditcheat maestro, who is seeking a record-extending 13th win in the race, could well be lovin' it again on Monday with Bravemansgame and Hitman among the main…

Bravemansgame and L'Homme Presse feature among a final field of nine horses declared for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton. Paul Nicholls has long since considered the Boxing Day showpiece as a tailor-made target for Bravemansgame, who was a brilliant winner of the Kauto Star Novices' Chase on this day last season. The seven-year-old…

Constitution Hill is on a road to greatness. The 5-year-old Gelding has won 4 out of 4 Hurdle races and 4 out of 4 rules races, giving him an impeccable record. Many of you might be familiar with Constitution Hill as one of Honeysuckle's main rivals. The two horses developed somewhat of a rivalry during last year's Cheltenham event, when both…

Steve Packham (third left): hoping Goshen can gain a first Grade 1 in the Long Walk Hurdle No-one could begrudge Steve Packham a first Grade 1 winner at Kempton on Monday and Goshen's owner believes his fans' favourite will relish a first try over three miles in the Ladbrokes Long Walk Hurdle (12.45). The Gary Moore-trained Goshen looked a Grade 1…

Sky Sports Racing presenter Alex Hammond is back with her Christmas blog, taking aim at the King George, Long Walk Hurdle and the Welsh Grand National. Amongst all the rushing around for Christmas in the Hammond house, there is some serious racing to look forward to over the festive period, it's no wonder my house guests choose to leave on Boxing…

It's time to get excited everyone as one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar, the Cheltenham Festival, is about to get underway. Jump racing's elite will descend upon Cheltenham this week with the 2022 edition kicking off on Tuesday and there are plenty of exciting runners to keep your eye out for. Fans will be back in their numbers to…

Paul Nicholls will look to tighten his grip on the trainers' championship as he heads to Boxing Day with 12 chances across the day, three of which feature in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (3.05). Clan Des Obeaux was king of Kempton in 2018 and 2019 before his stablemate Frodon caused a surprise last season and the pair are poised to play a…

Protektorat flew the Lodge Hill flag high with victory in the Grade One Betfair Chase at Haydock but it is Skelton's handicappers who have been in scintillating form since then and the trainer has chances in both the Betfair Exchange Trophy - a race he first won with Willow's Saviour in 2013 - and the Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase. The…

Get ready to place your bets and cheer your horses home - the 2022 Cheltenham Festival is here. Fans return to the four-day meeting after missing out last year, with sales hitting record levels. Over 60000 people will watch the thrilling sporting action from the grandstands during the week. The feature Gold Cup, sponsored by Boodles, is wide open…

THE Champion Hurdle is one of the big races at Cheltenham Festival. And with it coming up in just a few weeks, the ante post mark is hotting up nicely. Henry de Bromhead won it last year with the unbeaten Honeysuckle. Rachael Blackmore rode the superstar mare to victory by more than six lengths. Here, SunSport looks at the current ante post market…

Rachael Blackmore's mount Honeysuckle is favourite for the feature race on day 1 of Cheltenham Festival 2022. The mighty mare is a short price in the betting with the bookies APPRECIATE IT is fancied to take Honeysuckle's Champion Hurdle (3.30) crown at Cheltenham. Training king Willie Mullins has an outstanding record at getting a horse to peak…

Golden Pal and Nature Strip are vying for favouritism in the King's Stand Stakes on day one of Royal Ascot 2022. All of the racing action will be on ITV from 1.30pm All the talk revolves around Baaeed maintaining his perfect record on day one of Royal Ascot. But the opening card is not just a one star show, with 2000 Guineas hero Coroebus and the…

Attempting to land the Fighting Fifth Hurdle for a second successive year after dead-heating last term, Not So Sleepy was third to Nicky Henderson's Champion Hurdle favourite, some 14 and a half lengths behind. Trainer Hughie Morrison was satisfied with the 10-year-old's display, although questioned the wisdom of taking on the impressive winner…

For once, you couldn't blame Matt Chapman's enthusiasm. "Nicky, you were rated 6lb below Istabraq going into that, have we seen, arguably, the greatest hurdler of the modern era just now?" Nicky Henderson, watery eyed at Newbury, 300 miles away from the scene of the Betfair Fighting Fifth, tried his best to play it cool. "Now now, hang on a minute,…

Constitution Hill is in "electric" form ahead of his belated and eagerly-anticipated seasonal debut in the Betfair Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle. The Champion Hurdle favourite has not run since trouncing stablemate Jonbon by 22 lengths in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. Unseasonably quick ground has forced trainer Nicky…

BOOKIES think Constitution Hill will miss this weekend's Fighting Fifth - after the Ascot fiasco. Trainer Nicky Henderson said there was no chance he was going to run his sensational Supreme winner on good ground last weekend. That immediately raised the prospect of a head-to-head with stablemate Epatante at Newcastle this Saturday. But…

2022-03-14Cheltenham Festival News: Hughie Morrison alert to Not So Sleepy's Champion Hurdle chances Trainer Hughie Morrison is going into Tuesday's Unibet Champion Hurdle with his eyes wide open but is hoping a new training schedule will pay dividends with Not So Sleepy. A 125/1 outsider for the Champion Hurdle, Morrison's charge ran a huge race…

Last week I was waxing lyrical about the autumnal conditions and how we should all be embracing the end of summer. Well, that didn't age particularly well, did it? As a result, you may have to forgive me if I repeat myself at times this week. Ascot staged their November meeting last weekend, and whilst it was November in name, it was not in nature.…

Fighting Fifth Hurdle: takes place this Saturday at Newcastle Newcastle is optimistic conditions will be on the slower side for its flagship jumps meeting on Saturday raising hopes that two of racing's most exciting stars, Constitution Hill and L'Homme Presse, may run a week on from their late withdrawals on a decimated Ascot card. Constitution…

Minella Indo's owner Barry Maloney is relishing the chance to finally have a shot at the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (3.05) with his Gold Cup hero, who is set to wear cheekpieces for the first time when he faces eight rivals at Kempton on Sunday. Maloney had been due to be represented in last year's King George by Monalee, but a travel ban due…

James Knight, Coral Secret Reprieve was a really popular winner with punters when winning last year's Coral Welsh National (2.50 Chepstow) and I have a feeling he would be a very poor result for us again as he bids for a repeat win in the race. Frank Hickey, Paddy Power Forever Blessed has looked really good in two starts over hurdles and I don't…

Epatante lands the Christmas Hurdle for a second time Sunday: Kempton The familiar service of Nicky Henderson and owner JP McManus dominating the Christmas Hurdle resumed in glorious fashion as Epatante showed her sparkle and style remains by regaining her crown in a performance the trainer insisted was Champion Hurdle-worthy. An imperious winner…

THE Cesarewitch at Newmarket is one of the biggest betting heats of the season. It's a 2m2f cavalry charge capable of throwing up some huge price winners. Below, Templegate goes through every runner, gives them a rating out of five and reveals his tip at the bottom. Back any one of the horses by clicking their odds below. RANCH HAND 2 HAND off.…

The Sky Bet Ebor (15:35) at York on Saturday is available as a free Race Pass, which means logged-in customers can view all our premium comments and ratings. Highlight of the final day of some top-class racing at York this week is the Sky Bet Ebor (15:35), Europe's richest Flat handicap, with 22 runners declared chasing a first prize of…