James Willoughby: 'What's The Point Of Betting?' | The Racing TV Podcast

Dan Barber and Martin Dixon look back at Irish Champions Festival before having a fascinating chat with James Willoughby. Martin makes the case for Sun Goddess as a 1000 Guineas favourite and explains why the number of two-year-old starts matters more than people think, with Darkness Falls and the National Stakes also covered. James then talks about his grandfather — a self-taught modeller of every sport who never went to school, and whose working-out he later found mirrored in statistical textbooks he'd cry over in Foyles.  He covers his years at Timeform and the Times, the influence of Mark Johnston, why he stepped away from broadcasting to focus on his son, and what he thinks betting is really for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Niall Hannity is joined by Martin Dixon and Jack Ready from the Tote to preview Irish Champions Festival, with World Pool operating across fifteen races. They go through Saturday at Leopardstown — the first running of the Golden Fleece Stakes, the Kilternan, a Matron Stakes with Blue Bolt taking on Precise and True Love, and an Irish Champion Stakes that brings Constitution River and Item back together after York.  Then over to Doncaster for the final Classic of the season, where Christmas Day and Enceladus head the St Leger market. Sunday at the Curragh brings the Moyglare, the Flying Five, the National Stakes and the Irish St Leger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Wire is back for a new season, as Andrew Blair White is joined by Donn McClean, Johnny Ward and the Irish Field's Mark Boylan to preview Irish Champions Festival 2026. The panel work through Saturday's card at Leopardstown with full declarations in hand — the Golden Fleece Stakes, the Kilternan, a Matron Stakes with two Ballydoyle fillies taking on Blue Bolt; and an Irish Champion Stakes that brings Item and Constitution River back together. Plus a look ahead to Sunday at the Curragh, and the panel share their best bets for the weekend. BOYLE Sports Irish Offer : €100 in Free Bets & Money Back as a Free Bet if 2nd to SP Favourite - Irish Champions Festival Claim here: https://ads.boylesports.com/redirect.aspx?pid=56116&bid=8544 BOYLE Sports UK Offer: £40 in Free Bets + Money Back as a Free Bet if 2nd to SP Fav – Irish Champions Festival Claim here: https://ads.boylesports.com/redirect.aspx?pid=53304&bid=8544 #IrishChampionsFestival #bettingtips #horseracing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Niall Hannity is joined by Martin Dixon and Jack Ready to preview Betfair Sprint Cup day at Haydock Park, with World Pool in operation on Merseyside for the first time. Last year's winner Big Mojo returns, bidding to become only the second dual winner of the race, with American Affair, Kind Of Blue, Almeric and Marvel Man all in the mix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dan Barber and Martin Dixon look back at York and through Saturday's cards at Sandown, Goodwood, Beverley and the Curragh. Roger Varian joins to talk about Rock Montreal ahead of the Solario, the progressive Barstow at Sandown, and a season with a strike rate he's delighted with. Eve Johnson Houghton explains the quick turnaround for Zavattari in the Celebration Mile, with the QE2 potentially next.  Andrew Cooper, clerk of the course at Sandown, on watering through a difficult summer, the badgers, and where the ground stands going into the weekend. Jane Mangan previews the Curragh, including an eighteen-runner Irish Cambridgeshire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you watched our preview of Days 1 & 2, hopefully you've got a little bit in the tank after our team put up some winners for the first couple of days of action - but we never rest on our laurels and Tom Stanley takes the chair to preview the third and fourth days of action of the 2026 Ebor Festival and try and find some value. Martin Dixon has some firm views on where he thinks the value may lie, while the Tote's Jack Ready is ready to play up his winnings on International hero Item. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dual champion jockey Paul Hanagan rode 95 winners at York. He walks the track with Dan Barber and Martin Dixon and explains exactly where the Ebor Festival is won and lost. We walk the Nunthorpe course start to finish — from the five-furlong stalls to the winning post — through the draw, the homework, and the moment a rider commits.  Along the way Paul revisits Vintage Premium in the John Smith's Cup, Wootton Bassett before the gates were fully open, Sands of Mali in the Gimcrack, and the two furlongs where Taghrooda didn't pick up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An early look at the week ahead as Ash Symonds goes through the big races at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival. Ombudsman heads the Juddmonte International, and Ash isn't looking far past him: "I think Ombudsman is going to be really, really tough to beat. He was so good in this race last year. I just think that he is the best horse in this race." Also under discussion: Christmas Day against Superior Choice in the Great Voltigeur, Kalpana in the Yorkshire Oaks after her King George win, the Nunthorpe and a final day taking in the City Of York Stakes and the Ebor Handicap itself. #horseracing #york #ebor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dan Barber is joined by Chris Dixon, in for Martin this week, to look back on the Qatar Goodwood Festival and Galway — and by Jim Crowley, days after he called time on his riding career. Crowley describes the moment he knew the injury had beaten him: "When I looked at my leg and it was facing the wrong way, I thought, well, I won't be riding Anmaat in the Champion Stakes on Sunday." He also explains why he thinks race riding comes down almost entirely to a jockey's confidence, how professionalism in the weighing room has changed across his career, and looks back on Royal Scotsman — the one that got away. On the festival itself, Chris makes the case that Qatar's sponsorship has transformed Goodwood, filling the fields at a time when small fields have blighted the flat. "The flat racing generally of late has been blighted by really small fields — Goodwood's such a tonic from that." Dan and Chris both share their top three moments of the week. And where does Bow Echo sit? The comparisons with Frankel and Kingman get an airing, with Dan reflecting that making up that ground on top-class horses was as good as anything he saw all week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ash Symonds runs through every key Group race at this year's Glorious Goodwood in the latest True To Form, with his standout runners and Best Bets for the festival. From the Goodwood Cup showdown between Scandinavia and Trawlerman to Bow Echo v Gstaad in the Sussex Stakes, Ash breaks down the form, the market moves and where the value lies across the week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices