With the bulk of the flat season now behind us we look ahead to the colder months as the ground starts to soften and the jumps make their long-awaited return.
Here we will provide a wide-ranging overview with everything you need to know to get you up to scratch on the upcoming jumps season.
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What to Expect from the Jump Racing Season 2023/24
Overview of the upcoming jump racing season
As with every National Hunt season, the 2023/24 term will bring back old favourites from bygone seasons and see top performers defending their titles in the biggest races.
Spanning October to April, the National Hunt season never fails to add flavour to the chilly winter months and keeps fans captivated with the highs and lows.
Key highlights and events
For many, the highlight of the Jumps season is the Cheltenham Festival or the Grand National, but in the run up to these events there are plenty more races which are just as important and make up the framework of the late-season festivals.
The significance of the 2023/24 season
National Hunt fans will be looking forward to seeing last term’s Champion Hurdle hero Constitution Hill come back to defend his crown. Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs will also be kept a close eye on while this season’s Gold Cup contenders – including the likes of Shishkin and Grand National winner Corach Rambler – try to close the gap.
In the mares’ division, Nicky Henderson’s Luccia will be expected to improve on her slightly disappointing performance in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, while all eyes will be on Love Envoi, who is widely considered to be among the very best mares in training.
Bet on Horse Racing Season 2023/2024 at William Hill
Jump Racing Season Schedule 2023/2024
Dates and racecourse of Horse Racing Events
Date | Racecourse | Event |
---|---|---|
13-14th October | Chepstow | Jumps Opener |
27-28th October | Cheltenham | Showcase Meeting |
3-4th November | Wetherby | Charlie Hall Meeting |
3-4th November | Down Royal | Festival of Racing |
17-19th November | Cheltenham | The November Meeting |
25th November | Haydock | Betfair Chase Day |
25-26th November | Punchestown | Winter Festival |
1-2nd December | Newbury | Gold Cup Meeting |
2nd December | Newcastle | Fighting Fifth Hurdle Day |
2-3rd December | Fairyhouse | Winter Festival |
8-9th December | Sandown | Tingle Creek Festival |
15-16th December | Cheltenham | Christmas Meeting |
26-27th December | Kempton | Christmas Festival |
26-29th December | Leopardstown | Christmas Festival |
27th December | Chepstow | Welsh Grand National Day |
1st January | Cheltenham | New Year's Day Racing |
7th January | Sandown | Veterans' Chase Day |
20th January | Ascot | Clarence House Chase Day |
26th January | Gowran Park | Thyestes Chase Day |
27th January | Cheltenham | Festival Trials Day |
3-4th February | Leopardstown | Dublin Racing Festival |
12-15th March | Cheltenham | The Cheltenham Festival |
30th March - 1st April | Fairyhouse | Easter Festival |
11-13th April | Aintree | Grand National Festival |
19-20th April | Ayr | Scottish Grand National Festival |
27th April | Sandown | Jump Finale |
30th April-4th May | Punchestown | Punchestown Festival |
How to Bet on Jump Racing
Explaining the betting options
There are numerous ways in which you can bet on horse racing.
The most popular bet is a standard ‘to win’ bet, where you back the horse only to win the race.
Each-way bets are essentially two bets in one; one backs the horse to win, while the other backs the horse to place at shorter odds.
You could place a forecast bet, which requires you to correctly predict the horses finishing first and second.
A tricast is similar, only you have to correctly predict the first, second and third finishers.
Tips for successful betting
Paying close attention to the form is the most important consideration when aiming to make a successful bet.
Take into account a horses past performances, paying mind to the distance, ground and race classification of the most recent races. Is the horse most capable on soft ground? Does it do its best work over two miles or two and a half miles? Has it run in a race of this level before?
Another tip for successful betting is watching the market itself, especially in the final few minutes before a race. Sometimes horses whose prices shorten up significantly late on can be good to side with.