May 31 Horse Racing Friday Betting Tips & Predictions -


Betting Tips

May 31 Horse Racing Friday Betting Tips & Predictions

A fantastic weekend of high-quality horse racing awaits and Friday’s UK and Irish schedule is made up of meetings at Epsom, Carlisle, Wolves, Doncaster, Chelmsford, Down Royal and Tramore. There’s also the usual sprinkling of international racing from the likes of South Africa, America and Canada, meaning you’re never more than a click away form a winner. Here are our May 31 horse racing Friday betting tips.

We focus our attention on the Surrey track where a seven-race card gets started at 2.00pm with a conditions race and takes us through to the conclusion at 5.50pm when a competitive handicap closes the show. Included in that list is a couple of Group contests which will keep viewers gripped. There’s also betting on the action, with bookmakers offering a host of exciting markets.

Our Team Does the Hard Work

Bet on the winner of each race or throw a few of your fancies together to create a nice price multiple, such as a Lucky 15 or Yankee. Small stakes for big wins is the reward there. There’s also each-way, match betting, winning distance, without the favourite, Tote and plenty more besides. Plan your attack carefully and, as always, only gamble what you can afford to lose.

Our team of horse racing experts and sports betting enthusiasts come in to preview the day’s best races. They have done the homework so you don’t have to, running over all relevant form and figures before returning with their views on where you should place your stake money to stand the best chance of landing a return. We’ve also read through the odds comparison websites to ensure you’re aware of which bookmakers are offering best odds on the horses you want to back.

Coronation Cup – 3.10pm Epsom

The Investec Coronation Cup is the highlight on Friday’s schedule when a talented, well-matched field do battle over 1m 4f for the chance to land a whopping £240,000 cheque paid to the champion. That pot ensures we have some of the best in the business out to shine and you can follow the live coverage of this race on Racing TV or through one of the mobile betting apps offered by major bookmakers, including Bet365. If you have placed a bet on the outcome of this race, or indeed any UK or Irish leg, you can view the HD quality live stream on your desktop, mobile or tablet device.

This Group 1 race has a history that can be traced back to 1902 when it was unveiled to commemorate the coronation of British monarch King Edward VII. It’s open to horses aged three years old and above. The record books show the most successful horse ever to win this title was St Nicholas Abbey who claimed three times, scoring in 2011, 2012 and 2013. It’s widely thought that record will take all the beating. Lester Piggott is the top jockey, having ridden no less than nine champions. That run started with Zucchero in 1953 and was completed by Be My Native in 1983.

Aidan O’Brien has dominated past runnings of this race and takes his place at the top of the tree as the leading trainer. He scored his first champion in 2005 when helping Yeats to success and that was added to by Scorpion 2007, Soldier of Fortune 2008, Fame And Glory 2010, St Nicholas Abbey 2011, 2012, 2013 and Highland Reel in 2017. Sue Magnier owned those and the eight has her as the owner to catch at this level.

What the Stats Say

Going through the recent stats of this race and we see Cracksman wore the crown 12 months ago when winning for trainer John Gosden under the ride of Frankie Dettori. He was a four-year-old when winning but the trends support sticking with five-year-olds as three of the last five champions have carried that age. That’s also true of four of the last seven and that will catch the eye of those who like to play the numbers.

Horses trained by Aidan O’Brien are also worth keeping on the right side of as he has produced no less than five of the last nine and that’s a stat that shouldn’t be ignored. During the antepost betting, O’Brien had no less than five entries, that list made up of Cypress Creek, Flag Of Honour, Hunting Horn, Kew Gardens and Magical. It’s unlikely all five will make the final field and go on race day, but there’s no doubt O’Brien will hold a strong hand from those that do make the cut.

Bookmakers have had their say and we saw the antepost market dominated by Kew Gardens with the bulk of early cash coming for the four-year-old bay colt. Bet365 rank as the most generous firm at time of writing, offering 9/4 on a pick trading 2/1 with most other firms. That will leap off the page and grab the attention of value hunters who know backing enough 2/1 shots at 9/4 will make them a profit over the course of a season.

Confidence in the Camp

It’ll come as no surprise to see the money men through the weight of their support behind Kew Gardens as he arrives at track with a record reading four wins and five placed efforts from a dozen starts. He was last seen ending second behind Morando at Chester in the Ormonde Stakes over 1m 5f last month, despite going off as an odds-on favourite. That will put a few off backing him again, especially those who had their fingers burnt that day.

We’re happy to take on the favourite and will trust La Ti Dar who is available at 4/1 with most firms, including Ladbrokes. John Gosden’s four-year-old filly is third in the betting and arrives at track having won four of six previous starts, placing in the other two. She was last seen winning the Group 2 Middleton Fillies Stakes at York earlier this month when holding off the attentions of Rawdaa by a neck. She stands more chance than her price suggests.

Our Tip: Lah Ti Dar – 4/1 with Ladbrokes