Horse racing is ready for a restart in the United Kingdom and punters are rejoicing over the idea of top-class British events returning. One of the big events set to take place is the annual Royal Ascot festival which will bring back some normalcy to the horse racing calendar. Horse racing’s return brings with it some uncertainties and you will need to consider a few important aspects including the latest Royal Ascot odds when wagering on races for this year’s event. Horse racing has had over two months on the sidelines, so here are five things to consider before betting on horse racing once it returns to action.

Jockey fitness

Jockey fitness could play a major part in how a horse performs at Royal Ascot and the races before and after the festival. When the season was put on hold, jockeys were regularly riding and training to stay in shape. Over the two-month hiatus, however, jockeys haven’t had the ability to keep their weight down. Most top jockeys ride five to 10 races a day at racecourses around Ireland and Britain. The number of calories burned during races is significant. Some jockeys may have put on a few pounds during the break which means a horse’s performance could be slower than usual.

Horse preparation

A two-month layoff would lead you to presume some horses could be slow to start when Royal Ascot takes place in June. However, the precautions taken by trainers during the Covid-19 break have led some of them to make changes that worked out for the better. Trainer Charlie Fellowes stated social distance led him to give his horses more attention and provided some good results in training. The more attention paid to individual horses could lead to some great Royal Ascot outcomes for trainers.

The favourites may not be favourites

When the horse racing season was unfolding, we saw some of the top horses in British and Irish racing excel on the track. Al Boum Photo was one horse in great form when racing went on hiatus as he won the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The two-month break guarantees that anything can happen when racing returns. Will the in-form horses be at their best or will the racing field be levelled?

12 horses per race

All races will have a maximum of 12 runners per race. The limited number of competitors could lead to anything happening once the horses begin their gallops toward the finishline. Events for the immediate future will take place behind closed doors. Unlike other types of sports including football and rugby, playing without a crowd shouldn’t affect the outcome of the races. 

Injuries could be a factor

Although trainers have had their horses go through their paces in training, it doesn’t equal the rigours of real races. The racing layoff could lead some horses to injuries. We may not see the best from the horses in the first few races back as it may take some time to get them up to speed. The hiatus could lead punters to cash-in on some of the unfancied horses competing at Royal Ascot.