Race type - Jump
Taunton
Course details
Taunton had the distinction of being Britain's youngest racecourse until Ffos Las came along in 2008, with the first meeting taking place on the 21st September 1927 under the auspices of the Taunton Racecourse Company.
It is also well-patronised by the big West Country National Hunt stables, meaning racegoers can often spot a top class horse in action.
GUIDE - For Racecourse
Right-handed, oval circuit of 1m6f, uphill from back straight.
Taunton had the distinction of being Britain's youngest racecourse until Ffos Las came along in 2008, with the first meeting taking place on the 21st September 1927 under the auspices of the Taunton Racecourse Company. The land had been purchased off Viscount Portman, whose family had their ancestral home here, and the back straight runs over the site of the former house. Drainage was a real problem for many years due to the red clay subsoil with meetings either abandoned or run on very heavy ground, and this continued until the 1960s, when some bright spark had the idea to use soil displaced by the construction of the nearby M5 motorway as a way of improving matters. It worked (perhaps too well as the ground turned frequently 'hard') and the M5 still has a positive influence today serving as a major transportation route to the region and helping to swell the crowds. It is also well-patronised by the big West Country National Hunt stables, meaning racegoers can often spot a top class horse in action.
Principal Races
Prize money here is generally good with the novice hurdles nearly always carrying prize money above the minimum levels, but there are no Listed or Graded races to be seen. The most valuable contests are all handicaps sponsored either by local companies or bookmakers (they love handicaps!), and they've staged a £12k handicap hurdle at the late February meeting for the last two seasons.
Course Characteristics
In common with other flattened oval tracks, Taunton has sharp bends and the one on the turn out of the back straight is particularly severe, coming as it does quickly after the last hurdle down the back. The place to be here is in front as those chasing in behind tend to get in each other's way and lose valuable ground as a result, with the track generally favouring those horses that like to be prominent. It's more about speed here than stamina, although the latter does come more into play on testing ground, and horses can win from the front. It doesn't suite every horse and punters should be wary of taking a short price on runners having their first look at the track, with previous course winners always worth considering.
Top Trainers
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls wins the lion's share of races here with 34% of his runners in the past five seasons being led into the winner's enclosure. His current tally stands at 64 and it's a fair way back to Phillip Hobbs on 25 (17%), closely followed by Alan King and David Pipe, whose father Martin dominated racing here back in the 1980's and 1990s with doubles and trebles commonplace. In these more competitive times, his son struggles to match those levels and his strike rate of just 10% is indicative of the fact he runs plenty of no-hopers at the track, particularly in the novice hurdles.
Top Jockeys
The combination of Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh is a potent one and the Irish rider has been a real punter's pal with half of rides passing the post in front since 2007. Granted, many of these go off at short prices but you don't hear favourite backers complaining. Sam Thomas is another jockey who has proved profitable to follow with all his rides yielding a level stakes profit of nearly £40. Richard Johnson, Daryl Jacob (who picks up plenty of winning rides from Paul Nichols) and Wayne Hutchinson are three other jockeys who make the most of their opportunities here.