International Horse Racing Preview: 11/12/23 – 17/12/23

1:20 pm – Ayr, Scotland

Ayr Racecourse has a full day of racing on Monday as part of this Coral Christmas Raceday. We’ve picked out the 1:20 pm, also known as the Coral Racing Club Handicap Steeple Chase, as the highlight of the day. A French horse called Chameron is one to watch as it makes its return to British racing, having not participated since May 2023. The horse has won races in both Hexham and Exeter, as well as placing in Leicester. Conor Rabbitt, the jockey of said horse, will be looking to win another race having tasted victory at Sedgefield with El Jefe last month.

2:22 pm – Ffos Las, Wales

The Try The Racing App Today Novices’ Limited Handicap Steeple Chase, more commonly known as the 2:22 pm at Ffos Las racecourse, is a Grade 3 contest of particular interest. Despite having a Swansea postcode, this track is out in the sticks, near the village of Trimsaran. The King of Ryhope is a fascinating selection for this race, as it has placed in each of its last five races, including two wins. Could there be another on the cards here in rural Wales?

Prix De La Piste Des Lions – Chantilly, France

Just on the outskirts of Paris is the Chantilly Racecourse, an idyllic venue for horse racing with magnificent architecture signifying the grandeur of the course, as well as the nobility of the sport in France. The Grade 2 contest, the Prix De La Piste Des Lions, starts at 1:50 pm local time. The horse, Shining Ocean, has performed well in classification 1 races before and even won on this course in a class 2 race. Could it do it all again this time?

7:30 pm – Southwell, England

To the northeast of Nottingham, near Newark-on-Trent, is a market town known for horse racing and its Minster. Interestingly, Southwell is one of only six UK racecourses to have an all-weather track, meaning it can host racing no matter the meteorological challenges. The 7:30 pm race here on Tuesday evening is of great interest with two fantastic Irish-bred horses on show. Bergerac, ridden by Tom Eaves, has shown great form recently, having won in Newcastle last month. Equally, Lord Riddiford has been performing admirably, having placed in its last two outings.

12:59 pm at Parx Racing, – Pennsylvania, US

Parx Racing has been the premier destination of horse racing in Pennsylvania since its inception in 1974. Now with adjoining casino facilities, it’s a fantastic betting experience for all. The 12:59 pm race, the third on the day, is set to be an exciting affair. Civil Notion, a horse from New York, has been placing well recently, with top-five finishes in four of its last five races. With its experience around this track at Parx Racing, could there be a win in the offing?

3:05 pm – Leicester, England

The William Hill Epic Value Handicap Steeple Chase is a Class 3 race and is an interesting horse race for the inclusion of three highly rated horses. Christopher Wood (not to be confused with the Kiwi footballer for Nottingham Forest) is an Irish horse who has raced at much higher levels before having competed in Class 1 events last year on the biggest tracks like Aintree and Cheltenham. Could it use its top pedigree to win?

The Edgar Wallace however has won at this level very recently having triumphed in Wetherby last month. Honneur d’Ajonc is a French horse set to take part but is a bit of an unknown, having not finished its last three races in the UK. It did, however, win back in Newbury at the very start of the year after a very successful 2022. Could it revive its fortune

8:25 pm at Turfway Park – Kentucky, US

The sixth race of the day here in Florence, Kentucky, at Turfway Park is offering a massive purse, with US$78,000 , that’s a massive AU$118,800, (the largest of the day) being shared among the participants in this race. While a lot of the entries are horses from Kentucky, we are most excited about Ekati Flatter, a horse from Indianapolis, just across the state border. This horse has already won four races this year and will want to end the year with another. The only caveat is that this horse has never raced outside its home state before; having only performed at the Horseshoe Indianapolis, this race at Turfway Park will be its first away from home soil. Can it succeed over the border?

Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini – Buenos Aires, Argentina

The most prestigious horse race in Argentina is the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini. This iconic event dates back to 1887 and awards a lucrative cash prize to the winning horse. The first-placed finisher is set to take home 40,000,000 Argentine pesos. In our money, that’s over $165,500! Martin Valle, a jockey from Argentina, has won the last two races in both 2021 and 2022. Could he make it a three-peat and win the 2023 edition?

Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes – Hyogo, Japan

We’re back in Japan for the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, the classic year-end championship race for Japanese thoroughbreds in the two-year-old division. Taking place at Hanshin Racecourse, a staggering 70 million yen is up for grabs for the winning horse; that’s over $735,000 in our Australian money! Legendary Japanese jockey, Yuga Kawada, has won the race twice in 2017 and 2020. Whatever horse he’s on, it’s always worth considering a punt on him.