Taunton Tips

Before Great Leighs/Chelmsford (2008) and Ffos Las (2009), Taunton had the title of Britain’s youngest racecourse.

Racing had taken place in the general vicinity since the 18^th Century but the first official meeting at the current site in Orchard Portman didn’t take place until 1927. The title of ‘youngest National Hunt only’ racecourse remains.

Despite being nestled in the heart of the Somerset countryside, access from the M5 motorway is convenient.

The racecourse is a couple of miles south of the town centre on the B3170, towards Corfe and Honiton. Parking is in a field adjacent to the main entrance, behind the grandstand.

Fifteen or so meetings take place each year between November and the end of April and include a festive fixture between Christmas and New Year.

They are usually on weekdays, although weekend racing can be found on a couple of occasions in January and February.

The layout means viewing from the concourse area is excellent, whilst the parade ring and winners' enclosure are also in front of the grandstands.

There is a feeling of friendliness and intimacy, giving the racegoer a sense of being very close to the action without having to move very far.

The sharp nature of the course contributes to a higher-than-standard ratio of fallers, one of the highest. 

Type of Racing: National Hunt Only

Highlights: Mares Novice Hurdle (Listed Race) at the Christmas/New Year fixture.

TV Channel: Racing TV 

Bookmaker Streaming Services are Available from Bet 365, Betfair and William Hill. 

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

Taunton Outright Favourite Statistics

• Handicap Chases: 36-97 (37%) +14.60
• Handicap Hurdles: 54-151 (36%) +16.11
• Non-Handicap Chases: 7-12 (58%) +1.55
• Non-Handicap Hurdles: 64-109 (59%) +9.48

The track is a right handed oblong circuit, sharp and mainly flat in nature. 

Taunton Racecourse Address: Orchard Portman, Taunton, Somerset, TA3 7BL

Taunton Racecourse Telephone Number: 01823 337172

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

Along with Wincanton, Exeter and Newton Abbot, Taunton is part of a strong West Country jumps tradition, one that is as strong today as it’s always been. 

In Somerset alone, there are over 25 licensed trainers, including Paul Nicholls (Ditcheat), Philip Hobbs (Minehead), David Pipe (Wellington), Jeremy Scott (Brompton Regis) and Nigel Hawke (Bridgwater). Colin Tizzard is over the border in Dorset and is based just 30 miles away.

Being at the heart of a buoyant West Country racing scene any betting moves for horses trained locally should be noted, especially ‘early moves’ the night before, or early in the morning.

Of particular interest is where a betting move for a horse representing a smaller local yard is observed. Similarly, any local horses ‘on the drift’ should be noted and are best avoided.

Being both sharp and right-handed, Taunton is a fairly unique course. If a horse has no form going right-handed this shouldn’t necessarily put you off, but form from Ludlow, Exeter, Wincanton, Hereford or Towcester is an advantage. 

Course winners are always worthy of entering calculations. The fences are tricky and it’s a major risk backing a short-priced Novice, especially on chasing debut. Certainly, any horse with a suspect jumping record should be approached with caution.

Check the OLBG tips pages for members' comments on horses running at Taunton.

Going racing at Taunton today? Then why not download the OLBG app to keep up to date with all the latest Taunton tips at the course?

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

Whilst P F Nicholls is the most successful trainer at Taunton with a total of fifty-eight winners, if you backed all of their runners you would be showing a loss. N J Hawke is the most successful trainer at Taunton for those who show a profit if backing all their runners thanks to a total of fourteen winners and an LSP of +6.38. If you are more of an eachway player then you may want to know which trainer is best to follow at Taunton and that would be Miss Nicky Martin who shows the best eachway LSP which is +127.64 thanks to their ten placings (five winners). A total of one winner from one hundred six runners at Taunton has Mrs Alex Dunn at the wrong end of the trainers' list with their 1% strike rate and worst LSP of -91.00.

When looking at profitable jockeys only, then it is A Coleman who leads the way with a total of thirteen winners producing an LSP of +5.46 whilst Harry Cobden leads the overall list with forty-four winners but shows a loss overall. Sean P Bowen is the jockey to follow at Taunton if you are backing eachway as they show the best LSP of all the jockeys in the eachway markets, that is +94.29 which is courtesy of their seventeen placings (six winners). At the other end of the spectrum is Sean M Houlihan who has a terrible record at Taunton, of all the jockeys their LSP of -76.25 is the worse, they have a 4% strike rate with four winners from one hundred two rides.

Taunton Picks & Hints

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

• 5-10 (50%) +28.71 - Backing Mr D G Prichard rides when on horses aged 6yo
• 12-18 (67%) +18.35 - Backing Harry Cobden rides when in a Maiden Hurdle race
• 12-21 (57%) +14.22 - Backing P F Nicholls runners when in a Maiden Hurdle race
• 6-11 (55%) +12.69 - Backing P J Hobbs runners when over a trip of 2m3f
• 21-48 (44%) +12.75 - Backing Harry Cobden rides when over a trip of 2m1f

Taunton Top Jockey and Trainer Combinations

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

• 37 Wins: P F Nicholls & Harry Cobden
• 8 Wins: P J Hobbs & T J O'Brien
• 8 Wins: N J Hawke & Kieran Buckley
• 8 Wins: Olly Murphy & A Coleman
• 7 Wins: K C Bailey & David Bass

Taunton Top Trainers By Most Winners and a Level Stakes Profit

Taunton 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 Taunton 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.