Daily Punt

Cheltenham Showcase Gets Underway As Calico Chases Hat-Trick

John Burke — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 07:39:19 +0000

Hi all, The weather is playing havoc with the final Flat fixtures of the season. We’ve already lost today’s Newbury card due to waterlogging, and if the forecast rain arrives with Storm Austen, Saturday’s ITV card looks set to go the same way. Doncaster should escape, although further rain could see the ground turn heavy… Read More »Cheltenham Showcase Gets Underway As Calico Chases Hat-Trick

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Flat Season’s Slow Fade-Out Serves No One as Cheltenham Returns

John Burke — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 07:11:38 +0000

Hi all, I’m putting the Flat form book into the bottom drawer. To all intents and purposes, the Flat season ends on Champions Day. Sure, we have the final Group 1 of the season on Saturday with the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster. The turf season then officially draws to a close, as ever, with the… Read More »Flat Season’s Slow Fade-Out Serves No One as Cheltenham Returns

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Ombudsman’s Champions Day Masterclass As Marble Sands Targets Pontefract

John Burke — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 05:50:03 +0000

Hi all, Inside today’s main piece, I’m reviewing the first six races on the Champions Day card. Champions Day 2026 Review It was good, fast ground at Ascot for Champions Day 2026. The card looked strong on paper and promised plenty. We can safely say it delivered. We saw genuine champions crowned and some thrilling… Read More »Ombudsman’s Champions Day Masterclass As Marble Sands Targets Pontefract

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Excellent Believe Can Deliver Balmoral Handicap Value

John Burke — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 06:57:42 +0000

Hi all, Dubai Racing Champions Day at Ascot has arrived. Not only is it the most valuable day’s racing in Britain but it’s also the best card of the flat season. It’s a seven-race card and you watch all seven races live on ITV Racing this afternoon. Proceeding’s get underway early with first race off… Read More »Excellent Believe Can Deliver Balmoral Handicap Value

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Night In Vegas Can Hit The Jackpot At Ascot

John Burke — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 06:00:54 +0000

Hi all, The final declarations for Champions Day came out yesterday, with the big names all among the entries. However, the anticipated distance changes for stablemates Gstaad and Constitution River won’t happen. Gstaad stays at a mile for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, while Constitution River takes on Calandagan and Ombudsman in the Champion Stakes.… Read More »Night In Vegas Can Hit The Jackpot At Ascot

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Almeraq Leads The Charge Into Champions Sprint

John Burke — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 06:00:09 +0000

Hi all, I gave you a few trends for Champions Day in Wednesday’s column. If you want to dig deeper, though, you won’t find many better than those compiled by Andy Stephens on the Racing TV website. Qatar Racing British Champions Day 2026 Excitement for Champions Day will step up a gear when final declarations… Read More »Almeraq Leads The Charge Into Champions Sprint

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Champions Day Trends Expose Market Flaws

John Burke — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 04:46:01 +0000

Hi all, Inside today’s main piece, I’m previewing Saturday’s Champions Day at Ascot. I’ve also looked at the best of the jumps action at Ffos Las and the Unibet London Sprint Series Final Handicap at Kempton this evening. Qatar Champions Day Stats Chris Cook wrote an interesting article in Monday’s Racing Post about the increasing… Read More »Champions Day Trends Expose Market Flaws

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Musical Times Leads The Classic Trail

John Burke — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:20:12 +0000

Hi all, Normally, at this time of year, I’d be starting to switch my attention to the NH scene. Last weekend’s Welsh Racing Festival at Chepstow is usually the meeting when I begin adding future jumps winners to the tracker. This year was different. All the races over the three days were hurdles, and I… Read More »Musical Times Leads The Classic Trail

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Darkness Falls Lights Up Dewhurst As Triple Crown Dream Grows

John Burke — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 06:48:22 +0000

Hi all, Although Saturday’s big betting race was the Cesarewitch Handicap, a marathon 2m2f contest that starts in Cambridgeshire and finishes in Suffolk, the final day of the Dubai Future Champions Festival was really all about top-class juveniles and potential Classic contenders. Three of the five live ITV races from Newmarket were for 2yos, with… Read More »Darkness Falls Lights Up Dewhurst As Triple Crown Dream Grows

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Musical Times Can Strike A Chord In Fillies’ Mile

John Burke — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 06:18:58 +0000

Hi all, There’s still some life left in the Flat season. There’s more big-race action from Newmarket as the Dubai Future Champions Festival gets underway on Friday. The feature race is the Group 1 bet365 Fillies’ Mile (2:57). There’s also a strong undercard, with the bet365 Old Rowley Cup Handicap (3:30) the best of the… Read More »Musical Times Can Strike A Chord In Fillies’ Mile

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