The Flat is back
Tomorrow marks the traditional return of the flat turf season at Doncaster.
The end of the footy season is nearing, the Grand National is right upon us and the first Golf Major of the year is almost here. It’s a period of transition.
Transition
At this time of year, we move from the National Hunt season to the Flat season proper. This marks the return of flat racing over the green stuff and that may bring out new horses or improvers from last year. I keep an eye out for maidens at this time of the year as races were there are horses that have never seen a course before can be quite interesting markets to trade. The Lincoln has been going since 1859 and this complex handicap is a traditional launcher for flat turf racing season. There have been some two-year-olds out already, so the flat season has started, but this is the real launch pad.
The Grand National is the big swansong for National Hunt season and that is winding down now, so the quality horses will be put out to pasture and the rest will be scattered around the markets. Form lines are strong, so it’s unlikely you will see that much new reflected in the market. With a lack of incentive to build to a big meeting, the jumps racing loses a bit of steam.
Mixed up
You tend to find the mix of horses out for the tail end of the jumps season and it changes a fair bit as it winds down, so that makes the markets feel very different. The untested two years olds out on the turf will also mix things up. How do you rate a horse that’s never run before? So the theme at this time of year is for a different feel to the markets. The week before Cheltenham feels very different to Cheltenham itself and the week after, even more so.
I did a video a few of years ago about its impact which is worth a look, as it discusses the impact on the markets. The quality of videos has improved since then, but the message is more or less the same.
Category: Horse Racing
