Leicester Horse Racing Tips

Leicester Racecourse is a dual-purpose racing track located in Oadby, a tiny town southeast of Leicester City. Although the racetrack isn’t as popular as it was at the start of the 19th century, it attracts good numbers every year.

This is because it has 31 races annually, consisting of 11 National Hunt and 20 flat races.  With these numbers, Leicester is one of the courses that host the highest number of races.  The beauty of these races is that they are spread out throughout the year. 

Leicester Racing Tips

Find all today’s latest free horse racing tips, including Leicester from the most respected professional tipsters from the UK and Ireland.

Leicester Racecourse History

Originally, racing took place at Victoria Park. The earliest record of horse racing here is in 1773. However, the racing location was changed to Oadby in 1883. Soon after this change, racing took off in this region because Oadby hosted prestigious races, including The Portland stakes and The Prince of Wales Stakes. In 1889, these races carried home most of the prize money compared to the five Classic races. 

Unfortunately, Leicester couldn’t hold onto this for a long time. After a short time, the big monies they were raking in started to go to other courses. As a result, the 20th century was relatively a quiet age for the running track except for the Flockton Ringer case in 1982. This was the biggest betting scandal in the history of British Horse Racing. 

In 1997, a glass-fronted grandstand was completed. After its completion, the course enjoyed some revival, and more investment was made to modernize it and attract more traffic. The modernization project saw the construction of a Club room and the Nelson Restaurant, complete with panoramic views.

The Course

Leicester Flat Course

The racecourse is right-handed and has a long straight track ideal for hosting flat races between 7 and 5 furlongs. When the ground is soft, jockeys should watch out for horses on the far side as the ground might give them an advantage.

However, many of the races take place on the round course, which is 1 ¾ mile long. Overall, the track is galloping and requires some good stamina. 

Jumps Course

Just like the flat course, the jumping track is undulating with a steady rise towards the finish. The fences aren’t as challenging as they were initially, but they still are a good challenge, especially the open ditches. In total, the track has ten fences, so horses should be good at jumping. Falls on this track aren’t rare since the field is usually bunched during chase races. 

Leicester’s Main Racing Events

King Richard III Stakes

This is a listed flat horse race for horses above four years. It is run over 1,404 meters and is held in April.  In the late 1970s, the race was called Phillip Cornes Trophy Stakes. In 1983, it was renamed Leicestershire Stakes. 

Holsten Brewery started to sponsor the race the following year and suggested a name change to Holsten Plis Trophy. But four years later, the name was changed back to Leicestershire Stakes. It retained this name until 2013 when it was changed to its current name. The name change came after King Richard III’s skeleton was found earlier in the year.

Silver Fox Handicap Chase

The race happens annually in December and is open to horses four years and older. The winning horse takes £12,500. And because the ground is soft this time of year, the competing horses need to have lots of stamina. If a horse relies on speed alone, they can get bogged down and fall behind during the race.

Where to Bet on the Races

Online Betting Sites

Below are some of the benefits of using online betting sites

The Racecourse’s Convenience

The main reason punters are betting online is the convenience it gives them. For one, you get to save time betting online as you don’t have to travel. Provided you have an internet connection; you can place your bet from anywhere in the world. If you are a beginner, you can set up your account in a couple of minutes. And since there’s no travelling, you get to save a lot of money as well. 

Leicester’s Regular and generous bonuses and promotions

Another benefit you’ll enjoy is the ability to claim some bonuses and promotions. While your favourite traditional betting shop may give you several gambling specials, online betting sites offer even better deals.

As a beginner, you can receive thousands of pounds in cash just for signing up. While these bonuses and promotions are great, you should be wary of the fine print. Usually, you should meet the wagering requirements before you withdraw wins from the bonus and promotion money. If the requirements are too demanding or the deadline to fulfil them is too short, you should forfeit the bonuses.

Better odds

Online betting sites offer competitive odds. They can afford this because they have lower overheads. Needless to say, with better odds comes the potential to win more money.

Safe gambling environment

If you are worried about your safety when gambling online, you shouldn’t. Online betting sites include safety features to maintain anonymity and safeguard your financial details. This tells you that your money is safe, and you can use different payment options available.

To improve trustworthiness, betting sites use encryption technologies, including 256-bit or 128-bit. Most importantly, betting sites are regularly audited to ensure they are safe and fair. 

How to Get to the Leicester Racecourse

Car

You can access the course from the Midland Motorway network. It has easy-to-follow signs making it hard to get lost on the way. The parking on the running track is free every day. On your SAT, punch in Leicester LE2 4AL.

Train

The nearest train station is Leicester. It is only two miles from the Leicester racecourse, and you can even take a walk.

Bus

There are some buses that ferry people from Leicester to Oadby and stop right across the course’s entrance.

Our Final Thoughts on the Racecourse

Leicester is a buzzy and lively track. It’s busy with meetings all year round hosting high-quality National Hunt and Flat races. The track has a steep uphill finish stretch which can be a challenge for some horses. That said, it’s worth trying wagering on races taking place from the Leicester racetrack.