The All-Weather Championships is a relatively new event, having only been launched in 2013. In many ways, the fixture is still attempting to establish itself and is considered something of a novelty by many in racing. All-weather racing is becoming more and more popular though. Here is a brief guide, for those of you who are unfamiliar with it.
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When the weather is bad, racing may have to be abandoned on the turf. Fortunately, there are a number of all-weather horse racing tracks in Great Britain and Ireland.
The all-weather horse racing tracks are not made of traditional turf. This has been replaced by a synthetic surface, which we call a polytrack. On the turf, conditions can turn very boggy in the winter months. Or, if there has been a sharp drop in temperature, the ground may be frozen and too dangerous to race on.
Of course, when the elements really take a sharp turn for the worse, even the all-weather surfaces may not even hold up. In general, however, the polytrack is far less likely to fall victim to the elements
Let There Be Light!
Another feature of these all-weather courses is floodlighting. A lot of the meetings take place in the evenings. While crowds tend to be fairly thin, unless there is a big race that is due to take place, there will be an enormous amount of betting going on. This is because the evening races take place when most people have finished work.
So, what are the fundamental differences between all-weather racing and turf racing? First of all, while all-weather courses are used throughout the year, no jumps racing takes place. Even during the Winter, when the National Hunt season is well underway, only flat racing will be taking place on the all-weather tracks.
Break For The Bend!
Races are short and stalls are always used. A quick break is usually vital, if a horse is going to win. Track position is very important. If a horse is forced to run wide, then it is going to be travelling significantly further than those on the rail. Unlike on the turf, the jockeys will not be searching for the best ground. The surface will be the same all over the track, as it is synthetic.
Most of the races will be run at a decent pace. However, there are occasions when the lead is not being strongly contested. This leads to a slower race and the horses that are able to accelerate best off the final turn are most likely to win.
All-Weather Venues
There are a number of venues where all-weather racing has become well established. Dundalk, in the Republic of Ireland, has regular all-weather meetings. In the UK, there is regular all-weather action taking place at Lingfield, Southwell, Kempton and Wolverhampton.
The purses offered, for most all-weather races, tend to be fairly modest. The more glamorous flat races will always be found on the turf, at venues like Ascot, Goodwood, Epsom, Newmarket and Ayr.
RaceBets offers betting on every all-weather race that takes place in Great Britain and Ireland, so sign-up for an account with us today!
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