Which UK Racecourses Have the Biggest Draw Bias?

In an ideal world, the best horse will win the race on any given day.

But racing rarely works that way, with so many variables determining the outcome. It could be the going, interference from another horse or simply a bad day at the office for the horse or jockey… snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Draw bias is another variable that can impact upon a horse race, with tangible advantages and drawbacks to a good or bad draw.

The Right Lines

In greyhound racing, the trap draw can have a significant bearing on the outcome of a race.

That’s why those who bet on greyounds – specifically races like the English Derby – often wait for the draw to be made. At Towcester, traps one and three have housed more winners than two, four, five or six. So, the success of 16/1 favourites like Links Maverick and King Memphis could well be determined by their draw.

There’s a similar phenomenon in Flat racing too, with some stalls enjoying a clear advantage – it may be that wider stalls get a closer run to the first bend or better ground to run on.

The unique camber of a track will decide if – or how much – of a draw bias is experienced. And some are renowned for having more of an advantage than others…

Ascot

A slow horse, or one lacking in stamina and power, will not win a race because of a favourable draw. Similarly, a quality operator is not reduced to no-hoper status due to a ‘bad’ draw.

But there is evidence to suggest that a good or draw can have a marginal impact upon the result of a race, with Ascot one such arbiter of a draw bias.

Those races which require the running of a full circuit of the track rather than a sprint which takes place on the straight commonly see a draw bias from the high stalls, who get to run on fresher ground on the rail-side.

For example, the Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot has witnessed eight of its last 12 winners starting out from a draw of ten or higher.

Chester

Due to its unique shape, Chester Racecourse has one of the most pronounced draw biases in racing.

It’s almost circular, meaning that the horses are running left-handed for most of their race – with fewer straight sections in which they can overtake.

Therefore a low draw, which places those runners closer to the rail, is probably a huge advantage – particularly if they are a strong, frontrunning type. The stats bear out the notion that low-drawn horses have a real boost at Chester.

Lingfield

The turf track at Lingfield has long held a draw bias in sprint races.

That’s because those drawn high on the rails will essentially run a shorter distance than those drawn low, who have to cut across the track to reach the first bend.

Beverley

Beverley is an incredibly tight right-handed track, with those drawn in the low numbers on the rail-side enjoying an advantage of running a shorter distance than those crossing the track from the high stalls.

As if that wasn’t enough, Beverley also has a pronounced uphill finish – resulting in more energy being sapped by those starting from out wide on the high side.

Is a draw a guarantor that a horse will or won’t win? Absolutely not. But it can be used as a predictive guide, that’s for sure.

Related horse racing questions:

  1. What is the Draw Bias in Horse Racing?
  2. How are racecourses graded?
  3. Wales is home to how many racecourses?
  4. What’s the best draw in the Lincoln Handicap?