Uttoxeter betting with William Hill
Uttoxeter is a National Hunt course in Staffordshire and home to the Midlands Grand National. There is always a busy Uttoxeter betting market on the marathon handicap chase which immediately follows the Cheltenham Festival.
Famous winners of the big race include Grand National winner Rag Trade and Cheltenham Gold Cup winners The Thinker and Synchronised. Check William Hill promotions for the latest special offers, price boosts and Uttoxeter odds.
Betting at Uttoxeter – the big meetings
Uttoxeter stages good quality National Hunt racing throughout the year. The Midlands Grand National is traditionally held on the Saturday immediately after the Cheltenham Festival meeting in March.
The big race reached its 50th anniversary in 2019, with victory going to Potters Corner. There are always plenty of Uttoxeter racing tips for this very popular fixture.
The Summer Cup takes place on a Sunday in late June/early July. Other well attended race days include Ladies Night in June and Family Fun Day towards the end of July.
Uttoxeter betting – the big races
By far the most significant race staged at Uttoxeter is the Midlands Grand National over almost four and a quarter miles. Ante-post Uttoxeter odds are available in the build-up to the race. It is open to five-year-olds and upwards and regularly features top staying chasers from Britain and Ireland.
The inaugural running of the Midlands National was won by the thirteen-year-old Happy Spring. His main claim to fame was being one of only six horses to beat the legendary Arkle.
He finished second to Mill House in the 1963 Hennessy Gold Cup with Arkle in third place after slipping at the 19th fence.
Uttoxeter also stages the Summer Cup Chase over three and a quarter miles. This was originally run as a four mile chase called The Summer National in 2000 before being rebranded in 2012.
The race was won by Virgilio carrying 11st 12lbs in 2018, matching the weight carrying record set by Take The Stand in 2004.
Famous Uttoxeter races and racehorses
Champion jockey Josh Gifford past the record for the highest number of winners in a single season in June 1967. He rode a double on Jolly Signal and Red Flush to move on to 122, overhauling the previous record set by Fred Winter.
Another jockey to reach a notable landmark at Uttoxeter was John Francome. He rode his 800th career winner on Buckmaster in 1982. It also brought him level with the injured Peter Scudamore on 120 winners in the race for the champion jockeys’ title.
In a rare act of sportsmanship, Francome immediately “retired” for the season so that he could share the title with Scudamore.
Tony McCoy became the winning-most jumps jockey in history when he rode his 1,700th winner on Mighty Montefalco in 2002. The odds-on favourite was a very popular Uttoxeter tip and McCoy was given a great reception by the enthusiastic crowd.
McCoy dominated the sport with 20 consecutive champion jockey titles and a final career tally of 4,358 winners when he retired in 2015.
The Midlands Grand National is a target for horses who contest races such as the Aintree Grand National, Welsh Grand National and the Scottish National.
Rag Trade won the Midlands Grand National in 1975 and the Aintree Grand National in 1976. The race was won by The Thinker in 1986 and Synchronised in 2010, both horses going on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Synchronised also won the Welsh Grand National and the Grade 1 Lexus Chase before winning at Cheltenham. There was plenty of debate surrounding his participation in the Grand National.
He initially survived a fall at Liverpool but tragically had to be put down after injuring himself in a freak accident on the track.
Bonanza Boy was a popular Midlands Grand National tip in 1991 when winning for trainer Martin Pipe. His son, David, won the race for four successive seasons between 2011 and 2014 with Minella Four Star, Master Overseer, Big Occasion and Goulanes.
Uttoxeter betting tips
Trainer Dan Skelton is the trainer to follow for your Uttoxeter tips. He has a fine record with his runners over fences and hurdles at this venue. Other trainers to note here include Charlie Longsdon, and Fergal O’Brien. Nicky Henderson has a very good strike rate with his hurdlers at Uttoxeter.
Grand National winning trainer Dr Richard Newland does particularly well with his hurdlers. It is also worth noting any runners from the Warren Greatrex stable in National Hunt flat races.
Harry Skelton and Aidan Coleman are the most successful jockeys here. Skelton has a phenomenal strike rate over hurdles and must be considered a top Uttoxeter tip.
Visit news.williamhill.com for all the horse racing news, big race previous and the latest Uttoxeter odds.
Uttoxeter betting - course characteristics
Uttoxeter is a sharp, left handed track of just over a mile and a quarter. There is slight incline on the far side of the track before running downhill into the four furlong home straight.
The course can favour front-runners on good or fast ground but is a gruelling test of stamina when the going rides soft or heavy. Uttoxeter betting tips for the Midlands Grand National should certainly be confined to horses with proven stamina.
There are very few races over such extreme distances and only dour stayers last home. Another Excuse won this race by a distance in 1996 and it is not unusual for only a handful of horses to finish the race.
GVA Ireland (2006) and Goulanes (2014) were rare winning favourites in a race where many Uttoxeter bets have been sunk in the rain softened ground.
Uttoxeter horse racing history
The racecourse opened in 1907 following the closure of nearby Keele Park Racecourse. There were only five days of racing in the opening season with two in the spring and three in winter.
Uttoxeter was threatened with closure after the Second World War when negotiations to lease the land broke down. Racing eventually resumed in April 1952 and the meeting attracted 12,000 racegoers. Uttoxeter Urban Council purchased the site to guarantee the future of the racecourse.
The racecourse was further boosted in 1966 by an investment of £167,000 from the Horserace Betting Levy Board to upgrade course facilities.
Mrs Olive Davis was the driving force behind the improvements, a local bookmaker who later became Chairman of Uttoxeter council. She helped to develop the course as a venue for events outside of horseracing.
In 1988, Uttoxeter was purchased by Sir Stan Clarke for Northern Racing. He invested in two new grandstands and an impressive new paddock development.
Sir Stan’s horse Lord Gyllene was runner-up in the 1997 Midlands National before winning the Aintree Grand National. The National had to be re-scheduled for Monday after a bomb scare forced an evacuation of the course on the Saturday.
Uttoxeter Racecourse - how to get there
Uttoxeter is around 16 miles from Stoke-on-Trent and Derby with direct bus services on race days. Road users should exit the M1 at junction 24a and follow signs for Uttoxeter on the A50. If travelling north, exit the M1 at junction 23a onto the A50.
Uttoxeter Railway Station is adjacent to the racecourse with a direct service from Crewe and connecting trains from Derby and Stoke-on-Trent.
