Exeter Tips

Exeter is a re-branding of the old Devon & Exeter track that has been racing in differing forms for around 350 years. Perched atop Haldon Hill and overlooking (on clear days) the strange but magnificent scenery of Dartmoor, at 850 feet above sea level it is the highest course in Britain. Some locals still refer to it as Haldon Racecourse, it’s the original name.

2019 saw the 250^th anniversary of the first Jockey Club approved meeting held on the original Haldon Hill course. Situated just outside Exeter on the A38 Plymouth to Exeter road, its status has improved enormously over the past two decades and now has obvious claims to be the premier track in the southwest of England. It only holds meetings from October to May but racing can be of a very high standard for a course off the beaten track.

Highlights: The highlight is the Haldon Gold Cup, a class 2 chase over 2 ¼ miles run in early November. The race has not only been won by some famous horses like Best Mate, Viking Flagship and Azertyioup, but others such as Cue Card have also used this as an introduction to a new season.

Both Desert Orchid and Best Mate made their chasing debuts here and it is classed as one of the fairest courses in the country, particularly for novices. Unfortunately, Best Mate also died here after suffering a heart attack during the 2005 renewal of the race.

The course also hosts its own national which is run in February of each year, the Devon National has proved a popular prep race for the Midlands Grand National.

Type of Racing: National Hunt Only

TV Channel: Racing TV

Bookmaker Streaming Services Available from Betfair, Bet 365.

If you are off to the races at Exeter today then why not download the OLBG app to keep up to date with all the latest Exeter tips from OLBG tipsters?

* All statistics below are based on the previous five years at Exeter

Exeter Outright Favourite Statistics

• Handicap Chases: 34-124 (27%) -18.75
• Handicap Hurdles: 43-139 (31%) -10.79
• Non-Handicap Chases: 26-43 (60%) +6.53
• Non-Handicap Hurdles: 63-117 (54%) +5.94

Right handed course of about 2 miles with many undulations particularly down the back straight where there is a steep one-furlong descent followed by a compensating climb of a similar distance.

Racecourse Address: Kennford, Exeter, EX6 7XS

Racecourse Telephone Number: 01392 832599

To buy tickets for a race day at Exeter, head over to their official ticket booking webpage

It is the longest NH track in Britain and second-longest to Pontefract overall, the going used to vary from one extreme to the other as there was no artificial watering system but now limited watering can take place in very dry spells.

The fences are relatively easy but the uneven spacing creates a challenge. The bends tend to be sweeping, which despite the undulations makes it fair for most types of horses. 

However, stamina is required when the ground is very testing, and horses that can’t cope with very firm underfoot conditions may have a problem during dry spells.

West Country trainers Paul Nicholls, Philip Hobbs, and Colin Tizzard farm the bigger races at Exeter. Take notice when Evan Williams sends a horse from his Glamorgan stable.

Check above the brilliant OLBG members tips who have researched today's races at Exeter.

Who are the best national hunt jockeys and trainers to bet on at Exeter?

When looking at profitable trainers only, then it is A J Honeyball who leads the way with a total of seventeen winners producing an LSP of +1.03 whilst P F Nicholls leads the overall list with thirty-five winners but shows a loss overall. When looking at trainers and looking for some eachway value at Exeter then the trainer who shows the best eachway profit is Mrs H R J Nelmes, that LSP is +29.10 which has been accumulated by a total of five placings which includes one winner. The trainer with the worst record at Exeter based on LSP is C L Tizzard who has only a 13% strike rate with twenty-one winners from one hundred sixty-seven runners who have returned an LSP of -63.43.

Following Bryan Carver would have returned a profit here at Exeter with an LSP of +56.75 and their eighteen winners have them at the head of the profitable jockeys' list. Harry Cobden does lead the jockeys' list overall with twenty-nine winners but shows an overall loss. If you are looking for a jockey to follow in the eachway market then it is Bryan Carver who leads the way at Exeter, they have had a total of thirty-five placings which includes eighteen winners over the previous five for an eachway LSP of +34.97. With an LSP of -79.58 at Exeter, T J O'Brien heads the list for worst jockeys at this course, which is a result of eleven winners from one hundred twenty-two rides which is a strike rate of 9%.

Exeter Picks & Hints

Here are some factors at Exeter for certain trainers or jockeys which have been profitable:

• 5-10 (50%) +11.88 - Backing P F Nicholls runners when over a trip of 2m3f

Exeter Top Jockey and Trainer Combinations

Here are the best trainer and jockey combinations here at Exeter based on the number of winners:

• 22 Wins: P F Nicholls & Harry Cobden
• 15 Wins: D E Pipe & Tom Scudamore
• 12 Wins: N J Henderson & Nico Boinville
• 11 Wins: Daniel Skelton & Harry Skelton
• 11 Wins: Miss Venetia Williams & Charlie Deutsch

Exeter Top Trainers By Most Winners and a Level Stakes Profit

Exeter Top Jockeys By Most Winners and a Level Stakes Profit

With a huge combined experience of horse racing between them, this content has been created and is maintained by Darren Brett, James Banting and Andy Powell. All of the data for Exeter Racecourse which includes the favourite statistics and the trainer and jockey statistics have been created using results from HorseRaceBase.

Darren Brett

Tipster competition manager

Darren has worked in the horse racing industry for decades bringing to OLBG for the last 20 years a wealth of knowledge, creating much of our content on these sports. Darren also manages our Grand National Guide and is the go-to font of knowledge for the world's greatest steeplechase.

James Banting

Tipster competition assistant

James Banting, a passionate horse racing enthusiast and aficionado, brings a wealth of experience to OLBG, having attended numerous race meetings over the years. His background working with the Jockey Club provides him with a unique insider's perspective on the industry.

Andy Powell

Content editor

Andy is a seasoned professional with more than 15 years of experience in the field of horse racing. He has a thorough understanding of the sport, from analyzing complex statistical data to being part of a winning syndicate at the Cheltenham Festival. Andy is responsible for managing the horse racing trend blogs on OLBG.