We’ve finally landed at the weekend and there is a bumper set of horse races to enjoy on Saturday with events pencilled in across the UK and Ireland at Kempton, Middlesbrough, Sandown, Wetherby, Wolverhampton and Leopardstown. It’s a massive day of racing for online horse racing betting punters everywhere and below, we’ve compiled a selection of free horse racing betting tips for the day’s action-packed line-up. Check out our racing predictions below.
Best Tip #1: Ed Keeper – Sandown 3.10
Ed Keeper wowed onlookers at Newbury in December when he won a Class 2 Hurdle Handicap over 3m and he might have followed that win up with another at Cheltenham a month later had he not made an error at the last.
The six-year-old looks ripe for further improvement however, despite picking up a 5lb rise. Indeed, improvement has been the name of the game for Ed Keeper and he should enjoy the shorter 2m 7f run at Sandown on soft ground.
Elsewhere, West Balboa deserves respect despite her disappointing 10th-place finish as favourite at Ascot last time out. She won three races on the spin at Aintree (twice) and Kempton before that and a return to form looks possible here.
Saint Davy has few miles on the clock and looks like another improver with potential while Transmission is coming off the back of a win at Plumpton and could also be in the mix.
| Bookmaker | Odds |
| Betzone UK | 7/2 |
| Planet Sport Bet | 4/1 |
| Fitzdares | 4/1 |
Best Tip #2: A Dream to Share – Leopardstown 4.40
It’s hard to look past A Dream to Share, who was a winner in each of his last five NG flat races at 2m and was generally the dominant force in bumpers last season.
The six-year-old has set the bar high, though his memorable double victory at Cheltenham and Punchestown last year cannot be dismissed, even if his layoff between races has been long. A Dream to Share’s prices are tight for good reason today, though he is still taken to showcase his class again.
Willie Mullins will expect plenty from his pair Redemption Day and You Oughta Know today. The former runs on the back of second-place finishes at Leopardstown and Punchestown, while the latter has two wins in the bank from Galway and Kilbeggan last year. My Great Mate and Joystick are also running from Mullins’ stable and both, who have been popular picks on various betting apps, are also worth keeping a loose eye on here.
| Bookmaker | Odds |
| Betzone UK | 1/1 |
| Planet Sport Bet | 11/10 |
| Fitzdares | 1/1 |
Best Roughie: Kihavah – Kempton 7.15
Kihavah landed in second spot just a couple of lengths back from top-end competitor Live Your Dream over 1m6f at Newmarket last July, and before that, he won four times on the trot over distances ranging from 1m4f to 1m5f.
The 7-year-old could ruffle feathers again if at it today and he has a big chance if his efforts last summer can be matched here. Fitness questions remain after a big gap between races, though Kihavah still earns our preference at Kempton.
Fleurman also lurks with menace at an even bigger price, despite pulling up over hurdles at Taunton just before the turn of the year.
He had a progressive record over 2m at around this time 12 months ago on Tapeta surfaces, so isn’t easily discounted on artificial ground again. Zealandia was a winner at Newcastle on New Year’s Day, and runs off a 5lb rise today. He has yet to win back-to-back races, however.
| Bookmaker | Odds |
| Betzone UK | 8/1 |
| Planet Sport Bet | 8/1 |
| Fitzdares | 8/1 |
Stats and Insights
- Gallopers routinely excel at Sandown due to the course’s 4 furlong uphill finish and horses with staying power can often be worth a look in the markets. It’s useful to be drawn low at Sandown as horses can enjoy an advantage while hugging the rail due to the bend near the start of the course.
- Leopardstown is another run for the galloping types with the circuit featuring a left-handed, flat run of around one-mile six furlongs. There aren’t many sharp bends to conquer, so free-running horses can find joy. Trainers Aidan O’Brien and Willie Mullins have long been dominant forces here.
- Kempton is among the flatter courses in the UK and it tends to suit sprinters, with stamina slightly less important. It runs for a mile and five furlongs around a right-handed circuit with little in the way of draw bias to factor into the fair setting.
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