Key Points
- Today’s horse racing betting tip remains on his last winning mark
- This horse was running a huge race last time out when he fell at the last
- He must prove he can stay this trip and this track is the ideal place
After kicking off the week with an educational guide yesterday, I’m sure you are ready for some
free horse racing tips. Today we head to Catterick for a Micky Hammond runner who really should be favourite in my eyes. He was unlucky last time out, where he bumped into a rapid improver, then fell at the last. With a rub of the green this time around, he should win.
If you’re just discovering my content, I’m RacingGav and I’m the resident horse racing expert here at Betting.co.uk. I publish several articles every week which include a mix of betting tips (daily and antepost), big race trends, and educational guides, so there is something here for everyone. Plus, if you are into antepost betting then it’s worth checking out my early selection for the
Pertemps Network Handicap
and my
antepost double for the Cheltenham Festival
too.
Betting advice
- 12:47 Catterick -
Carrigeen Castle
@ 4/1 -
0.75pt Win
Back Carrigeen Castle with Betway
At the time of writing Betway has the
best horse racing odds
for Carrigeen Castle at 4/1. If you don’t already have an account there, you can take advantage of a generous sign up offer too. If youbet £10, you’ll get £30 in free bets. Well worth opening an account for!
Carrigeen Castle can make amends for Wetherby!
While it’s debatable whether he would have won last time out, it was cruel for Carrigeen Castle to come down at the last when he was running an almighty race. He is due some luck this time, and off an unaltered mark of 109 and switched to Veterans company, I think he is capable of winning this. In this article, I’ll explain why I think that’s the case, so make sure you keep reading.
Carrigeen Castle remains on his last winning mark
Whilst it was back in March 2024, Carrigeen Castle’s latest win came off a handicap mark of 109. He absolutely demolished a small field that day by 11 lengths, producing a very strong RPR of 118. He has also finished second off this mark, at this track but over the shorter 2m 3f trip.
Last time out he returned to this mark and was in the process of running a big race when he fell at the last. The handicapped has kindly left his mark alone on 109 and I feel that he can capitalise on that good fortune, as he is certainly capable of winning off this mark.
Carrigeen Castle was running a huge race last time when he fell at the last
As touched upon, Carrigeen Castle made smooth headway into second as they neared the business end of the race last time out at Wetherby. He all bar one of his rivals in great style and had Heeztheboy in his sights. We’ll never know if he would have passed the eventual winner but he was certainly in the process of running a huge race.
That form looks all the more impressive now after seeing what Heeztheboy has done since for the Gary Hamner yard. That day Carrigeen Castle was rated 109 and Heeztheboy was rated just 92, which meant that Carrigeen Castle had to shoulder 11st 13lb and he had to give away 19lb to Heeztheboy who carried just 10st 10lb. Heeztheboy’s form figures since that win are 113 and he is now rated 22lb higher than when facing Carrigeen Castle, giving the form a very strong look.
It is also worth noting that he drops into Veterans’ company here, which should make life easier for him too. At least in this company you know that you are not going to bump into a very rapidly progressing younger horse as all of these horses are at least 10 and they are subsequently much more exposed.
Carrigeen Castle must prove he can stay this trip and this track is the ideal place
Today’s 3m 1f trip will be unchartered territory for Carrigeen Castle under Rules, so he must prove he has the stamina to get home. That said, he previously won a Point-to-Point over 3m, and his dam was also a 3m Point-to-Point and Chase winner. In addition, his dam is a full sister to 3m 1f winner, Caudceus. Even his grand dam, Carrigeen Kerria, won over 3m and 3m 1f, furthering the hope for this staying trip.
The track is also worth noting as the track can significantly alter the amount of stamina required to stay a certain trip. Catterick is a left handed track that is very sharp and subsequently it is much less of a test stamina wise than it would be at other tracks. The key to Catterick is being a strong traveller throughout the race and this should be no problem for Carrigeen Castle given he has form over shorter and with how well he travelled into the race last time at Wetherby.
I believe that to be at his best, Carrigeen Castle wants soft ground and that is backed up by the statistics as all three of his wins have come on soft ground. At the time of typing, the official going at Catterick is Good to Soft, Soft in places but with further rain forecast between now and the race, I’m hopeful it will be soft all over by the off.
Can Carrigeen Castle return to winning ways?
In terms of the positives, he is handicapped to win first and foremost. He is then coming into the race off an almighty performance albeit one that saw him eventually fall. Alice Stevens takes the ride and has one win and one second aboard this horse from just three rides. He is a strong travelling type which should suit Catterick and his pedigree also suggests he will have the stamina to handle the trip too.
In terms of negatives, he does have to prove his stamina. He also has to prove his wellbeing after taking a tumble last time out, both physically and mentally. It is also a slight question mark that Brian Hughes (who rode last time and that has won on him twice) is at Catterick but Alice Stevens takes the ride instead, with no ride in the race for Brian. However, as he is there, it suggests it is a decision by the connections rather than a forced one, like if he was riding another horse or elsewhere.
All elements considered, I’d actually have Carrigeen Castle as the favourite here, even factoring in the fall last time. I don’t think he would look out of place at the top of the market around a price of 2/1-5/2. As a result, I feel there is plenty of value in the 4/1 currently available. Given the value in the price, he has to be a bet but given the fall last time out and the fact the stamina has to be proved here, I have trimmed the stake down to 0.75pt Win.
Fancy some free bets? We have you covered!
Below you will find five of our recommended bookmakers and their fantastic
free bet offers for horse racing. There is plenty of value to be had from these deals, so make sure you take a look!
[top6-bonus]
Want more RacingGav content? Join my Discord!
While I produce several articles per week for Betting.co.uk, the vast majority of my content is exclusive to members of my Discord server. It’s the only place where you can access all of my betting tips and much more!
The Discord launched back in January 2024 and it’s still going now, so I must be doing something right!
2026 is off to a strong start, with nine winners on the board for January so far at 7/1, 17/2, 6/1, 10/1, 2/1, 9/1, 2/1, 9/2 and 10/3!
I’m sure you are wondering how much all of this will cost you? Well, it’s just £14.99 per month - less than 50p per day!
Alternatively, you may prefer a longer-term commitment for savings:
- Quarterly: £34.99 (saves £9.98)
- Bi-Annually: £74.99 (saves £14.95)
- Annually: £149.99 (saves £29.89)
I’m so confident that you’ll enjoy the Discord that I offer
a 7-day free trial. And I’m also confident that my tips will make a profit, so if you join and don’t make a profit across your first 30 days, I’ll refund your subscription fee!
If you want to know more, my DMs are always open on X – @RacingGav
The latest sports news with betting.co.uk
by Racing Gav
14 hours ago
The latest sports news with betting.co.uk
The latest sports news with betting.co.uk
The latest sports news with betting.co.uk
