Key Characteristics
Leicester Racecourse hosts both Flat and National Hunt Racing. The course could be described as functional, although it is very easy to get to, they hold a large number of race meetings there every year.
The round course is a right-handed, oval track, about a mile and three quarters in extent, with a run-in of four and a half furlongs. The straight course, on which all races of up to seven furlongs are run, is mainly downhill to halfway, then rises markedly for over two furlongs, finishing on the level.
Generally, it’s a nice galloping track, but, when there’s been a lot of rain, it can get very sticky in the home straight. Whatever the conditions, though, you don’t want to be on keen horses at Leicester. They’ll hardly ever last home.
Draw Bias & Pace Analysis
Over 5 furlongs there doesn’t appear to be a bias although nearly a quarter of races are won by the highest drawn horse.
Over 6 furlongs it does appear to be drawn low (up the far rail) with 55% of winners coming from the lowest 4 stalls.
Over the straight 7 furlongs again there appears little bias apart from the fact that over a third of races are won by the highest and lowest drawn horses?!
The 8 furlong start is two furlongs up hill to the bend and it pays to be on the inside (lowest two drawn horses win 37% of all one mile races) as the course then free wheels downhill around two sharp bends and you can get pushed out wide or have your horse keen in behind the front runners. There is enough straight to get up and come over the top if good enough.
The straight course suites hold up horses, which is what you would expect on a long uphill finish, whereas the mile course favours front runners, as the mile is run round a bend (see above). In terms of the individual distances, shown below is how Leicester ranks:
5 Furlongs – 28th out of 31 courses
6 Furlongs – 26th out of 27 courses
7 Furlongs – 12th out of 22 courses
8 Furlongs – 5th out of 25 courses
Leicester had 9 In-Play losers at 1.01 from 660 cases (ranked 21st of 39 UK Flat): 53 In-Play losers at 1.10 or less from 718 cases (ranked 11th of 39 UK Flat)
Trainers & Jockeys
Trainers
| Mick Channon | 22.9 |
| Roger Varian | 20.0 |
| Mark Johnston | 19.5 |
| Ralf Beckett | 19.5 |
| Sir Michael Stoute | 19.1 |
| Richard Fahey | 18.7 |
| Charlie Hills | 17.4 |
| David O’Meara | 15.5 |
| Richard Hannon | 14.6 |
Jockeys
| Paul Hanagan | 25.0 |
| Silvestre De Sousa | 23.2 |
| Fran Berry | 20.7 |
| Andrea Atzeni | 19.2 |
| James Doyle | 18.6 |
| Jamie Spencer | 17.5 |
| Ryan Moore | 14.6 |
| Oisin Murphy | 12.1 |
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