National Hunt Order Of Merit Betting 2009-2010
Talk about circles within circles. Were you aware that horse racing betting fans still stuck for something to spunk their National Hunt money on during the course of the season that's upon us can bet on the order of merit achieved by what's considered 70 of the top jump races here in the UK? Nope? Well now you do. From October through to April the following year (so for our records and your information, 2009-2010), horse racing fans can indulge their Horse Racing Betting passion still further by getting involved in National Hunt Order of Merit betting 2009-2010; and basically bet on just which horse they think will accumulate the biggest points haul come the end of this current season. Talk about horses for betting courses.
Latest Betting Odds On National Hunt Order Of Merit Betting 2009-2010
The online horse racing bookies fall over themselves to offer prices, odds and markets on this rapidly growing sector of the National Hunt betting scene, with both William Hill and Coral at the head of the National Hunt Order of Merit betting 2009-2010 field again this year. William Hill do their bit for the order of merit betting 2009-2010 lark by suggesting the following prices on who they see will run riot through the National Hunt season and be in the reckoning next spring. Master Minded (7/2), Big Buck's (4/1), Voy Por Ustedes (5/1), Binocular (11/1), Celestial Halo (12/1), Punjabi (12/1), Denman (16/1), Kauto Star (16/1), Imperial Commander (20/1), Madison Du Berlais (20/1), Zaynar (20/1), Nacarat (25/1), Tidal Bay (25/1), Well Chief (25/1), Kalahari King (33/1), Barbers Shop (40/1) and Cappa Bleu (50/1) are all tipped for relative degrees of accumulative success over the fences.
And as we said, Coral are in on the whole National Hunt Order of Merit betting 2009-2010 thing too, listing Kauto Star (6/5), Master Minded (7/4), the appropriately-named, Big Buck's (8/1), Denman (8/1), Celestial Halo (14/1), Tricky Trickster (20/1) and Big Fella Thanks (25/1) amongst its order of merit-leading picks whence everything's tallied up come April 2010. Last year's winner was Voy Por Ustedes, who collected 76 points over 5 races, including a brace of Grade One victories. And with £100,000 resting on the final National Hunt campaign outcome in the first quarter of 2010, then the race is literally and figuratively on to determine which of this campaign's favourites will come good in the long-term/long-run.
Organised and accountable for the administration of the National Hunt sub-plot, Racing Enterprises Limited are the independent company that's charged with running the rule over this season's 'Racing for Change' Order of Merit. Sandown Park racecourse provides the ultimate backdrop for the 2009-2010 National Hunt season on Saturday 24th April 2010, some six months and a grand total of 70 race meetings after the present jump season has been flagged by starters orders against the backdrop of this year's totetentofollow Old Roan Chase at Aintree on the 24th October 2009. The British Horseracing Authority are the brains behind (and buck-stoppingly responsible public face of) the 'Racing for Change' Order of Merit 2009-2010 dash for honours, as is the case every year since its inception.
Horse Racing Betting Fans Cash In On Order Of Merit Betting As Well As Winning Horses And Yards
To be duly crowned Order of Merit Champion at the end of the current National Hunt campaign - and therein for punters to see a decent return on their National Hunt Order of Merit betting 2009-2010 investment - the winning horse has to fulfil a point-amassing, race winning criteria, and obviously score more heavily than its competitors. In essence it's quite a simplistic system of points awarding that takes into account the fortunes of runners in a series of on-going Grade One, Two and Three-standard races. Races are won and lost as the horses go about their business of, well, optimistically-speaking, winning the races in which they've been entered. Dependant on the outcome of each individual race, the horse is awarded points for their troubles. Only the further you read the small print and you discover that it's not just the horse that gains the points plaudits over the course of the season, but the jockeys, trainer, stable staff and owner's respective progress in their specific field too. OK, the key components cant actually garner points for their contributions to the horses success, yet we all know that behind every winning horse is a crack team of individuals who comprise what it takes to achieve a winning National Hunt season for everyone connected with a specific horse and its yard.
As is the mantra for any sport, it's the taking part that counts. So on that score for horses get points for participation in the 70 races in the order of merit picture regardless. But of course if you're really wanting to make a decent stab at things then it's finishing in the top four that accomplishes the most in terms of points. And the more points, the more prizes. In a nutshell, for finishing first in a Grade One race the horse receives 20 points, whilst second place finishes secure 16 points, third get twelve and fourth grab 10 points. With Grade Two races the breakdown is as follows; finishing in first place affords the winning horse 15 points, second grabs 12, third gets 10 and fourth place bags the 8 points. While for winning a Grade Three race the victor is handed 10 points, 8 for being runner-up, 6 for winding up third and 5 points for ending in fourth spot.
Order Of Merit Betting Has Steadily Grown In Popularity Since 2004
The £100,000 prize fund is divided three-ways once the pot has been awarded, with the owner of the winning horse seeing £50,000 of it, whilst the yard will be handed £30,000 and the outstanding £20,000 being pocketed by the trainer. The purse itself is made up from Racing Enterprises Limited and the host racecourses that are in the Order of Merit loop so to speak throughout the year. Now entering its sixth successive season, the reasoning that helped usher in the advent of this National Hunt betting bedfellow was to increase the quota of runners in the higher quality races over a successive period of time. In the past five years, the substantial efforts and initial funding of the initiative have proved fruitful, with most of the Order of Merit races boasting 8 runners or more (increasing each-way betting options as a by-product), up from 7 runners prior to the 2004-2005 National Hunt season. An average 12 runners per race were recorded during the 2008-2009 jump season and a record number of runner (774) in total contested the 70 races in question.
The knock-on effect for bookmakers is significant, with Coral’s director of communications Simon Clare admitting; "The improvement in the number of runners has had a very beneficial impact on turnover, as with each additional runner the turnover on a race increases. As these races are usually the feature races on the afternoon, they attract the most bets and the most turnover, so any incremental improvement in betting volumes is of significant benefit to bookmakers and therefore to racing through the Levy."
King George VI, Grand National And Cheltenham Gold Cup Placings Afford Order Of Merit Points
Races that form the backbone of the Order of Merit include the following household name events; The Paddy Power Gold Cup (Cheltenham, November), The Hennessy Gold Cup (Newbury, November), The William Hill King George VI Steeple Chase (Kempton Park, December), The Coral Welsh National (Chepstow, December), The Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup (Cheltenham, March) and The John Smith's Grand National (Aintree, April).
Leading National Hunt Order Of Merit Betting 2009-2010 Contender Profiles
Kauto Star - Twice a winner of the Order of Merit, the Paul Nicholls-trained horse has easily won all in its path thus far, three King Georges, two Gold Cups, two Tingle Creek Chases and two Betfair Chases being the highlights of the Ruby Walsh-ridden horses' glittering National Hunt career to date. With Ruby Walsh his regular ride, anything is possible from this winning combination again this campaign, yet doubts linger over Kauto Star's number of projected appearances and more critically the effect this would have over him trumping the competition to the Order of Merit title.
Big Buck's - The sprightly six-year old won his first race of the season in 2009, pipping Don't Push It to the finishing post at Cheltenham. He followed this up with a four lengths victory over odds on favourite, Punchestowns to claim the Bryne Group Cleeve Hurdle, in preparation for the World Hurdle. It was there that Big Buck's outpaced favourites Kasbah Bliss and Punchestowns again, by a clear one and three-quarter lengths, before he made the trip to Aintree to win the Liverpool Hurdle, beating Mighty Man by over three lengths.
Binocular - The five-year old gelding ridden my A P McCoy is undoubtedly one to watch over the hurdles, and is certainly no slouch when hitting the ground running on the straight and narrow in between the jumps make no mistake. This horse is loaded with potential going into the new National Hunt season and is almost a given to bag a hatful of Order of Merit points along the way. The only question marks hang over just how appearances Binocular's owner, J P McManus will afford him between now and next April so as to give horse racing betting fans a sporting chance.
Madison Du Berlais - 2008 winner of the Hennessy Gold Cup, the David Pipe-trained horse is considered one of the prime movers and shakers this jump season, and with Tom Scudamore in the mount promises to forge ahead with the scintillating form that made him stand out from an already impressive chasing pack last time around. Madison Du Berlais is also a member of a very select group of jumpers to have beaten Denman over the fences, and has been observed as having a good turn of speed on the flatter tracks.
Voy Por Ustedes - Looking for back-to-back Order of Merit titles the Alan King-trained Voy Por Ustedes is renown for his versatility and adaption to individual racecourse requirements, whilst being regularly celebrated at the 2m to 3m distance. Since March 2004 he's never finished outside of the top two in races entered, save one third and one fourth place, so it's understandable that he's one of the bookies favourites to retain this sought after accolade.
The first showing in the 2009-2010 BHA Order of Merit stakes is the Old Roan Chase over the sticks at Liverpool's famous Aintree racecourse, which arguably ushers in the National Hunt season proper. As this is written, the 12-year old grey, Monets Garden leads the way on the current Order of Merit leader-board with 15 points, having won the Old Roan Chase at Aintree in the first event that harvests points this season. Tucked in behind are Tidal Bay (12 points), Knowhere (10) and Don't Push It (8 points). On the back of this result, Monets Garden has had its National Hunt Order of Merit betting 2009-2010 odds slashed to 33/1.