The City A.M. Punter Podcast

After a large amount of rain, racing is in doubt in Ireland this weekend, with inspections planned at the Curragh, where both the Irish 1,000 & 2,000 Guineas are due to take place. Owner Nick Bradley is looking to send his exciting filly Fev Rover to Ireland to compete in the 1,000 Guineas on Sunday and he joins us to talk about her chances. City A.M. racing editor Bill Esdaile previews the best o...

It’s the Group One Lockinge Stakes over the straight mile course at Newbury on Saturday where Palace Pier will be sent off the short priced favourite. Newmarket trainer James Tate takes him on with Top Rank who will be looking to win a Group One race for the first time, and James joins us today to discuss his chances. City A.M. racing editor Bill Esdaile previews the best of the weekend action, an...

Lingfield hosts both the Derby and Oaks trials on Saturday where hopes of Epsom glory in early June will either continue or suddenly disappear. Trainer Chris Wall runs his exciting filly Double Or Bubble in the Group 3 Chartwell Fillies Stakes on the same card and he joins us as our guest today. City A.M. racing editor Bill Esdaile previews the best of the action, and Wally Pyrah looks at Saturday...

It’s the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday where the 3 year old colts will be trying to win their first classic of the season. A day later, the fillies run in the 1,000 Guineas and trainer Andrew Balding joins us to talk about his exciting filly Alcohol Free who runs over a mile for the first time. We also discuss the chances of his outsider Mystery Smiles in Saturday’s feature race. City A.M...

Saturday sees the final day of the jump season at Sandown and we chat to Glamorgan based trainer Christian Williams about his runners there On Sunday in Hong Kong it’s the annual Champions Day meeting and the four-time champion jockey Zac Purton joins us to tell us about his chances of riding a winner or two this weekend City A.M. racing editor Bill Esdaile previews the best of this weekend’s acti...

Sunday sees the annual Scottish Grand National held at Ayr racecourse and trainer Harriet Graham runs her always dependable Aye Right in this year’s race. Neil Mulholland sends his hurdler Milkwood up to Ayr for the Scottish Champion Hurdle and both trainers join us today. Newbury also moved their Saturday card to Sunday where they run a trio of exciting Group 3 flat races. City A.M. racing editor...

The Grand National, run over four and a quarter miles always provides tremendous excitement and poignant stories. Once again 40 horses line-up for this year’s renewal. Trainers Tom Lacey and Nick Alexander join us to look ahead to the feature race of the weekend and Oliver Sherwood tells us just what it feels like to train the winner of this great race, having saddled Many Clouds to victory in 201...

The world’s most favourite race takes place at Aintree this Saturday when 40 horses line up for this year’s Grand National, run over four and a quarter miles. Trainers Tom Lacey and Nick Alexander join us to look ahead to the feature race of the weekend. City A.M. racing editor Bill Esdaile previews the best of this weekend’s action at Aintree, plus we hear from Wally Pyrah who looks at Sunday’s H...

It’s a typically busy Easter weekend for racing with a mixture of flat and jump meetings spread across the UK and today trainer Warren Greatrex joins us as our special guest. City A.M. racing editor Bill Esdaile previews the best of this weekend’s action in the UK and Ireland, plus we hear from Wally Pyrah who looks at Easter Monday’s Hong Kong race card at Sha Tin. Hosted by Chris Barnett

Trainer Richard Hughes joins us as our guest today as we look forward to the start of the new flat racing season at Doncaster where the Lincoln Handicap, run over the straight mile, is the feature race City A.M. racing editor Bill Esdaile previews this weekend’s global action in the UK and the Dubai World Cup, plus we hear from Wally Pyrah who looks at Sunday’s Hong Kong race meeting. Hosted by Ch...

The long-awaited Hong Kong Derby takes place at Sha Tin racecourse on Sunday and our expert Wally Pyrah joins us to discuss the chances of some of the big names taking part. Wally also previews two further races on the card where trainer John Size runs a couple of exciting future prospects. Hosted by Chris Barnett.

The final day of the Festival is many people’s highlight of the week with the youngsters kicking off the action in the Triumph Hurdle and the prestigious Gold Cup, run over three and a quarter miles the feature race of the day. We are joined today by jockey Richard Johnson who rides Native River in the Gold Cup plus trainers David Pipe, Fergal O’Brien and Gary Moore. City AM racing editor Bill Esd...

Day 3 of the Festival sees the stayers in action with Paisley Park looking to regain his crown from 2019 for trainer Emma Lavelle. There is also the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase and a couple of very tasty handicaps to look forward to. Our guests today include top trainers Fergal O’Brien, Harry Whittington and David Pipe. City AM racing editor Bill Esdaile and Ed Guiver from Fitzdares bookmakers preview a...

The second day of the Cheltenham Festival sees the Grade 1 Queen Mother Champion Chase, run over 2 miles as the feature, one of four grade 1 races on the card. We also see the return of former Cross Country champion Tiger Roll who takes on last year’s winner Easysland once again. Today our special guests are trainers Harry Whittington and jockey Chester Williams. City AM racing editor Bill Esdaile...

Tuesday is Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival and the feature race is the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle, where the mare Epatante will try to hold on to her title after winning the race last year. City AM racing editor Bill Esdaile is joined by Fitzdares ambassador Cornelius Lysaght to set the scene for this year’s Festival & preview the action. Gary Moore talks about his horses on day 1, including Champio...

Only a few more days before the start of this year’s Cheltenham Festival. A new episode of The Punter Podcast will be available EVERY day of the Festival, starting on Monday, so please make sure you join us for four days of top class racing. Today, City A.M. racing editor Bill Esdaile previews Saturday’s card at Sandown and we hear from trainer Lucy Wadham who discusses 3 of her runners at the Sur...

It has been a very difficult week for racing with the emergence of horrendous footage of a trainer and jockey in Ireland showing an enormous lack of respect for horses in their care City AM racing editor Bill Esdaile discusses the implications of these images as well as the public’s response as racing looks to recover and move forward. We also look at some of the big races this weekend in the UK....

We look forward to another great weekend of racing where Kempton stage no less than three Grade 2 races on Saturday. It’s the annual marathon Eider Chase at Newcastle with the usual strong field of contenders Trainer Caroline Bailey travels up from her Northamptonshire base to the north-east with her 11 year old Crosspark, who will be looking to repeat his victory in the race two years ago City AM...

No worries about the weather this weekend for racing fans with action due to take place at Ascot, Haydock and Wincanton on Saturday, plus Newbury hold their rearranged fixture on Sunday. Trainer David Pipe has a good selection of horses running this weekend and we talk to him about their chances. City AM racing editor Bill Esdaile previews all the top races this weekend, whilst Wally Pyrah takes a...

Unfortunately, the weather is the winner this weekend, with both Newbury & Warwick calling off their meetings. Warwick will now race on Monday with Newbury being transferred to next Sunday. Trainer Harry Fry still intends to run a couple of his horses in the re-arranged fixtures and we talk to him today. We also discuss the chances of Metier running in the Supreme at next month’s Cheltenham Festiv...

More inspections are due to take place around the country ahead of this weekend’s racing at Sandown and Wetherby. Trainer Gary Moore has a couple of runners at Sandown on Saturday and he joins us as our special guest today. City AM racing editor Bill Esdaile previews the best of the jumps action at Sandown, Wetherby and the prestigious Dublin Racing festival in Leopardstown with Wally Pyrah lookin...

The rain continues to fall and Cheltenham’s Trials Day is not certain to go ahead on Saturday, but Doncaster are confident that they will be able to race on the same day. Jockey and assistant trainer Chester Williams joins us to talk about his intended weekend runners City AM racing editor Bill Esdaile previews the best of the jumps action at Doncaster and Cheltenham, with Wally Pyrah looking at t...

The rain has been relentless over the past few days in the UK, but Ascot seem confident that their meeting will go ahead on Saturday and Haydock Park passed an early inspection on Thursday, so fingers crossed for both meetings this weekend Trainer Ruth Jefferson has supplemented Waiting Patiently for the Grade 1 Clarence House Stakes at Ascot on Saturday and she joins us as our special guest City...

The cold weather has been dominating racing again during the week, but both Warwick and Market Rasen are fairly confident of staging meetings this weekend Trainer Tom Lacey joins to chat about Adrimel who has won his last two races and goes for a hat-trick of wins at Warwick on Saturday. City AM racing editor Bill Esdaile previews the best of the jumps action at Warwick and Market Rasen, with Wall...

The cold weather has been dominating racing this month and there’s no guarantee that Chepstow will pass an inspection for Saturday’s meeting, although they are a lot more hopeful at Kempton, who also race on the same day. Trainer Evan Williams looks to have two good chances to win the Welsh Grand National, held at Chepstow on Saturday and he joins us on today’s podcast City AM racing editor Bill E...