Windsor betting with William Hill
Windsor is a Flat racing venue located on the banks of the River Thames. The picturesque course staged both Flat and National Hunt action until 1998 when switching the focus entirely to Flat racing.
Windsor is a unique figure of eight track, one of only two such circuits in the country - the other being Fontwell. Both courses are owned by Arena Leisure.
The track usually hosts between 25-30 race days each year, beginning in early April and running right through to October.
Windsor’s hugely popular Monday night meetings run from May through to August, with live music often keeping racegoers entertained once the action on the track has come to an end.
You can make the most of your Windsor betting by checking William Hill promotions for the latest Windsor odds, special offers and price boosts.
Windsor betting – the big meetings/races
The biggest race staged at Windsor all year is the Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes which is the star attraction on the August Bank Holiday weekend meeting. That particular card also hosts the Listed August Stakes.
The Winter Hill Stakes is a 1m2f contest for three-year-olds and up, and was elevated from Listed status in 1995. It remains the only Group-class race staged at the Berkshire venue all year and is worth around £60,000.
Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor has a tremendous record in the race and his runners deserve close attention in William Hill’s Windsor betting.
The best horse to land the Winter Hill Stakes in recent years is undoubtedly 2014 hero Al Kazeem, a multiple Group 1 scorer for trainer Roger Charlton who amassed over £1.5m in career prize money.
The August Stakes is a 1m3 1/2f Listed event for three-year-olds and up and is not open to horses who won a Group 1 or 2 contest the previous year.
The other three Listed races staged at Windsor are the Royal Windsor Stakes (May), Leisure Stakes (May) and the Midsummer Stakes in July.
Windsor odds – impact on ante-post betting for future races
Windsor’s big race of the year, the Winter Hill Stakes in August can often serve as a prep race for one of the big ten-furlong Group 1’s later in the season, like the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
Al Kazeem is one of the best horses to win the Winter Hill Stakes but he could only finish fifth in the Irish Champion Stakes the following month.
The Group 2 Prix Dollar at Longchamp in October was the next port of call for 2018 Winter Hill winner Fabricate, who was only beaten a length-and-a-quarter in France.
The Listed Royal Windsor Stakes is sometimes used as a stepping stone to bigger targets and the Investec Diomed Stakes at Epsom’s Derby meeting the following month is a logical next step for some.
Tullius, who won in 2012, picked up York’s Listed Ganton Stakes the following month before adding the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes to his CV in August.
The 6f Leisure Stakes is a Listed sprint has been won by some super sprinters and can often catapult horses to great careers in the sprint division.
Bated Breath scored in 2011, before jumping straight up to Group 1 company for the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and was only beaten half a length in the Darley July Cup next time.
The winner of the Midsummer Stakes in June could go on to run in a Group 3, 1m race like the Superior Mile Stakes at Haydock a couple of months later. Connections might decide that a drop back to 7f for the Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood is in order.
Windsor betting - course characteristics
Windsor is a figure of eight course that, for races run over 1m4f and further, requires horses to negotiate both left and right-handed turns. It’s a flat track but because its layout is quite sharp, the ability to handle bends is key.
In bigger field races over the longer trips, congestion can occur around the particularly tight bottom bend, especially if the front-runner slows things right down, causing a concertina effect.
Having said that, once into the long home straight (nearly five furlongs) strong gallopers have enough time to get rolling and see their race out strongly.
When the going becomes testing the fields tend to edge across to the far rail, something that has implications on the draw, especially in sprints. In those circumstances low draws are favoured, but otherwise high stalls positions tend to fare best.
Windsor betting tips
When ground conditions are good or faster, low to middle stalls have the edge over sprint trips at Windsor but that changes dramatically when the going turns soft.
High numbers have a major advantage when it becomes testing because the field always deviate to the far running rail irrespective of where the stalls are. Concentrate on high draws in sprints on soft ground when assessing William Hill’s Windsor betting.
Jockeys in the longer distance races adopt the same tactics in the longer field races too - once they hit the home straight, they tend to head across to the far side.
Because the home straight is almost five furlongs, Windsor allows long-striding gallopers to find their stride and show their best form.
Nippier types are likely to handle the bends better and will often look to poach an advantage around the turns and heading into the straight. From that point, they are vulnerable to the stronger gallopers who then begin to hit top stride.
Trouble in-running can be a factor in big-field sprints because the field tend to congregate up the stands’ rail and that can lead to some of the hold-up horses suffering a troubled passage, especially if they find themselves stuck on the rail with nowhere to go.
With that in mind, the picture can change dramatically in the final furlong as the gaps open up. Be wary of hold-up horses in big-field sprints over 5f and 6f when checking out Windsor betting.
Richard Hannon Snr used to regularly mop up Windsor maidens and novice events, often with potentially smart types that go on to race at Royal Ascot, and Richard Hannon Jnr has continued that trend since taking over from his father.
Hannon Jnr has a tremendous strike-rate at Windsor, especially so with two-year-olds, and he often teams up with top jockey Ryan Moore to great effect at the Berkshire venue.
Windsor racecourse – how to get there
Windsor Racecourse is located just one and a half miles outside Windsor town centre and is well signposted from Junction 6 on the M4 and Junction 3 on the M3.
The course is also famously accessible by boat. There is a direct river taxi service from Barry Avenue Promenade (Opposite Browns Restaurant) in Windsor to the Racecourse and takes only around ten minutes.
The nearest railway station is Windsor & Eton Central, which provides direct services to Slough and London Waterloo.
Boost your Windsor betting experience
For more Windsor betting news, visit news.williamhill.com and be sure to check out William Hill promotions where you can find the best Windsor odds throughout the year.
