International Horse Racing: 27th November – 3rd December

Tuesday 28th November

1:20 pm at Sedgefield, England

The 1:20 pm race in Sedgefield is worth a look for any budding horse race gambler as the richest race of the day on the track with a lucrative £8,000 prize pot to be shared out among the top finishers. This contest is affectionately known as the Neil ‘RIP’ Kirby Memorial Handicap Hurdle race and has a rich history of previous editions. The jockey, Henry Brooke, won the 2022 edition of this race when riding Maggie Barret. He’s back this year, this time on a French horse, Hashtag Boum. Could he win on this track again?

5:55 pm at Deauville, France

The Prix d’Utah Beach is set to close out the day’s action at Deauville-La Touques Racecourse on Tuesday, with 15 exciting runners ready to race around the track in Normandy, France. Sassy Rascal, the Irish 4-year-old horse came second in this event last year but isn’t highly rated by most race cards this year. She is worth a sentimental flutter for those so inclined. The veteran, Arabino, a German horse, is considered to be one of the favourites, having won its last race back in August and still with the same jockey, Eddy Hardouin.

Wednesday 29th November

12:50 pm at Hereford, England

The English countryside is often proclaimed as being an idyllic place. The Racing Specials Every Day At PlanetSportBet Handicap Hurdle will offer a change of pace, even if momentarily. While there’s no heroic horse with outrageously amazing odds, Bertie Wooster, ridden by Brendan Powell is certainly one to ponder on. This Irish horse might not have won any races, but out of the seven hurdle competitions it has participated in, it finished second or third in four of them, meaning it’s a good selection to place.

4:30 pm at Scottsville, South Africa

Scottsville is a commonly seen race track by bettors and one of the most well-known on the African continent. This race in the late afternoon of Wednesday (local time) is particularly interesting for us budding bettors. For sponsorship reasons, it’s known as the Hollywoodbets Bright Future FM 88 Handicap. Our horse to watch out for is Convocation, a filly that has recently returned to racing after being out for over 200 days. Dennis Schwarz won two races with this horse earlier in the year. Athandiwe Mgudlwa is the new jockey on Convocation and came second in early November in Scottsville as part of her re-emergence.

Thursday 30th November

12:45 pm at Thurles, Republic of Ireland

One of Ireland’s most historic racecourses is Thurles Racecourse, with events here dating back to 1732. The racing keeps going to this day, and the Thursday lunchtime BetVictor Chase (Listed Race) is one to keep an eye on, with 14 exciting runners set to compete for over €15,000 in prizes. There are two very exciting horses taking to the track here: Optimal Mix is the 7-year-old Irish horse who enjoyed a lot of success in 2022 and is returning to racing now, having finished second in its last race back in May 2023. The other notable runner is Vanillier, a French 8-year-old who finished second in the 2023 Grand National at Aintree. Could either of these two pull out a win?

Friday 1st December

3:00 pm at Newbury, England

The weekend starts early in Newbury as the race for horses aged four and over is set to hand out a lucrative £60,000 in prizes to the best horses in this three-mile dash. Dashel Drasher used to be placing and even winning the occasional race to the delight of its owners and long-time jockey, Rex Dingle. This race will be the acid test to see whether the horse still has the legs to win and compete.

3:15 pm at Musselburgh, Scotland

Just to the east of Edinburgh sits Musselburgh Racecourse in East Lothian. The 3:15 pm race, otherwise known as the Visit racingtv.com “Newcomers” National Hunt Flat Race, is open to horses who’ve not raced in a long time or absolute beginners. While it’s difficult to predict a winner or specific horses to watch out for, given there’s not much prior data – this race is still worth following to gauge the quality of emerging British horses.

Saturday 2nd December

Stayers Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse, Japan

There are relatively few other thoroughbred flat races in Japan, but the annual Stayers Stakes race dates back to 1967. Located to the east of Tokyo, this circuit enjoys both domestic and international coverage. Ryan Moore, an English jockey, made history here in Chiba as he won the race in three consecutive meetings between 2015 and 2017 with his horse, Albert. This year, one of the most appealing-looking horses is Dandyism, a horse that has been very busy in 2023 and has started to place well in races.

Sunday 3rd December

Champions Cup at Chukyo Racecourse, Japan

While Greater Tokyo has the Stayers Stakes, the next day is the turn of central Japan as Chukyo Racecourse hosts the Champions Cup. This race offers one of the most valuable purses in horse racing, with ¥ 120,000,000 set to be awarded to the winner. That’s around $1220386 in our Australian money! One of the participants to keep an eye on is Seraphic Call. The horse has won its last five races, even with three different jockeys. The horse has already raced to around 90 million yen in career winnings. Could it get more than that in this single race?