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I’m new to horse racing,  learning as I go and enjoying the sport. I am going to Fontwell next Tuesday with a group of friends and for once would like to pick some winners! Any advice for successful betting on this course?
At the moment I dooubt if it will be on.<br>Gales and v heavy rain in Sussex and it was raining when I passed the course yesterday.
Fontwell – sharp, left-hand hurdles track and even sharper figure-of-eight chase track. Not really a place where you see too many coming from a mile off the pace, therefore, and an idiosyncratic enough track for course specialists to thrive – Walcot Lad being one particularly prolific performer there in recent years.
Although they’ve shed the extra fixtures that caused the ground to take a proper battering last season, when it gets soft it still gets really soft, and as Seagull has alluded to, abandonments cannot be ruled out (I’ve never yet managed to get to the course, both attempts in the last year having been thwarted by the weather).
Hope it goes ahead – and goes well – for you all the same, and welcome to the Forum and the sport as a whole!
Jeremy<br>(graysonscolumn)<br>
(Edited by graysonscolumn at 9:33 pm on Dec. 3, 2006)
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
If you do bet on-course look around for the best price, some of them will be offering really short prices to fix the off-course market.
Yep chase course winners are always worth noting at Fontwell. On Tuesday River Amora is entered in the 2.40; and Rosses Point, Bill Owen and Ebony Jack in the 3.10 though the latter is the least likely to turn up.
Enjoy and feel free to report back as it’s a track I’ve yet to visit and very much want to.
If you get a club badge then it’s fun to wander into the centre of a chase and then you can move between two fences in the middle as the beasts leap over them.
I like Fontwell, it’s a nice little course and has a nice genteel atmosphere. Have fun there.
<br>One of the few tracks left where the racegoer has free access to the centre of the course and can get really close to the action.
Make a point of going over to the far side of the infield and watching by the first fence going down the hill – just about the best close-up of steeplechasing on offer. You can cross the course from the Tatts enclosure before each race.
AP
It is dry at the moment but we had very heavy rain all day Sunday so if it goes ahead it will be a slog.<br>As others have pointed out you should watch at least one race from the infield as you can get right up to the action.<br>The car park can become a swamp so be careful where you park.<br>Food is ok on course no better than that but if you are driving from Chichester look for the sign on the left just before the track to Great Ballard school as there is a very good pub by the school entrance Donnington Arms that does good food. If you are coming from Arundel the White Rabbit near the wild fowl reserve does good food.<br>The Bridge hotel gets busy with the John Dunlop stable staff.<br>Its a good track for veiwing and in the past one could do well in seeing what Barry Deninis wanted to back or avoid with regard to Martin Pipe runners!
Many thanks to all that replied to my post. I will take your advice and suggestions and let you know how I get on. Thanks again.
Quote: from Drone on 10:05 pm on Dec. 3, 2006[br]On Tuesday River Amora is entered in the 2.40; and Rosses Point, Bill Owen and Ebony Jack in the 3.10 though the latter is the least likely to turn up.
Er…as it ‘appens Ebony Jack is the only one to be declared despite his slog in the mud at Plumpton the other day.
Infact his two previous wins have both come after a similarly short break.
I haven’t been to Fontwell for years but it always amused me as it was like a field with a group of odd buildings in one corner that looked like something left over from the 2nd world war.
For some unexplainable reason these building were erected on the only part of the course that was not flat so you walk up hill on the tearoom side go through a gap where the wind gets funnelled to gale force then downhill on the grand stand side, where all the bookies pitches are on an incline.
Maybe it’s had a facelift since I last visited.
Fontwell’s a cracking little course, with great viewing and atmosphere. You get really close up to the action, especially if you cross over to the infield to watch the chases.
Great little track with figure of eight chase track inside the hurdles track. As others have suggested watch at least one chase from inside and get close to the action.<br>Now owned by Northern Racing. Admission £18 Premier or £13 Grandstand and Paddock. Free parking available but gets boggy!Weather is wet, wild and windy here so keep an eye out for inspections although in last couple of years track has got a reputation for racing whatever the conditions and future effect on the turf. Respect anything trained by Gary Moore.Currently soft going with heavy in places.
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