Racecourse Guide

Leicester
National Hunt

Oadby, Leicestershire · a fair Midlands jumps track with a genuine surface quirk

⬤ National Hunt
Turf
Right-Handed
Downhill/Uphill

Shape

Right-Handed Oval shared w/ Flat

Track Type

Downhill/Uphill

Fences

10 per circuit

Hurdles

6–10 sources disputed

Home Straight

4 fences

Run-in

1f+ chase

Direction

Right-handed

Course Highlight

Charnwood Forest Mares’ Chase Listed

Also at Leicester

Leicester also stages Flat turf racing. Read the Flat racecourse guide →

Course Overview

What is Leicester like as a jumps track?

Leicester’s jumps course shares the same right-handed oval footprint as its Flat track: downhill to halfway, then a genuine uphill fight through the final three furlongs. Each circuit brings 10 fences — six in the back straight, including a water jump and an open ditch repositioned from the 4th-last to the 3rd-last before the 2009/10 season, and four more in the home straight. The chase run-in is just over a furlong.

Leicester’s most distinctive jumps quirk isn’t the fences — it’s the surface. The hurdles course is run directly on the Flat track, which is watered throughout the summer for the Flat season, while the separate chase course has never been irrigated in roughly 130 years of jumps racing. That gives Leicester a genuinely measurable code-vs-code difference: the hurdles surface plays slower and softer than the chase surface, a quirk not replicated at most other British jumps tracks. Sources disagree on the exact hurdles-per-circuit count — 6, 7, 8, and 10 all appear in different reports — so we treat that figure as a genuinely unresolved range rather than force false precision.

The Chase Course

Circuit Right-handed, sharing the Flat oval’s footprint
Fences 10 per circuit — 6 in the back straight (water jump + open ditch, repositioned to 3rd-last before 2009/10), 4 in the home straight
Run-in Just over a furlong, with a final uphill climb of around 3 furlongs overall
Character Rides quicker underfoot than the hurdles course — see the surface note below

A Genuine Surface Quirk

Hurdles location Run directly on the Flat course, not a separate hurdles circuit
Watering The Flat/hurdles surface is watered all summer; the chase course has never been irrigated in ~130 years of jumps racing
Effect The hurdles surface plays measurably slower and softer than the chase surface — a distinctive, quantifiable code-vs-code split
Hurdle count Disputed across sources (6, 7, 8, and 10 all appear) — treat as an unresolved range

Notable Races & History

When does Leicester race?

Listed · January

Charnwood Forest Mares’ Chase

About 2 miles. Leicester’s sole black-type National Hunt race.

Leicester’s most famous jumps moment predates its Listed race by decades: Golden Miller’s racecourse debut came here in the 1931 Gopsall Maiden Hurdle — his only Leicester appearance before going on to win five consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups (1932-36) and, in 1934, becoming the only horse to complete the Gold Cup and Grand National double in the same season. He won the National only that once, not repeatedly — a distinction worth keeping precise.

Pace Analysis

Do front-runners win at Leicester?

No sourced strike-rate or A/E figures for running-style bias were found for Leicester’s jumps course — a genuine data gap we flag rather than paper over. What does exist is consistent qualitative reputation: keen or hard-held horses “rarely last home” here, especially once the ground turns soft or heavy, and the wide, sweeping route on the hurdles track can carry a slight edge in testing conditions. Small fields are also characteristic of Leicester’s chase card.

Run Style Bias — Qualitative Only

▲ Held-up / Patient

Favoured (soft/heavy ground)

▼ Keen / Front-runners

Rarely last home (testing ground)

─ Wide-route hurdlers

Slight edge (testing ground)

Treat this bias-box as directional reputation, not statistical fact — no quantified dataset backs these bars the way it does elsewhere in this guide series. Approach any precise-sounding pace percentage claimed for this course with real skepticism.

Statistics · Since 2010

Which trainers and jockeys win most at Leicester?

Trainer	Runs	Wins	Win%	Places	Place%	A/E	P/L
1 Twiston-Davies, N A	197	37	18.78%	88	44.67%	0.95	+4.25
2 Williams, Miss Venetia	145	34	23.45%	63	43.45%	0.93	-35.65
3 Skelton, Daniel	110	33	30.00%	56	50.91%	1.15	+28.21
4 Murphy, Olly	113	31	27.43%	65	57.52%	1.09	+20.47
5 George, T R	107	28	26.17%	51	47.66%	1.29	+21.87
6 Pipe, D E	96	27	28.13%	37	38.54%	1.11	+14.10
7 O’Brien, Fergal	122	26	21.31%	52	42.62%	0.98	+31.24
8 Henderson, N J	64	21	32.81%	29	45.31%	1.07	+18.23
9 O’Neill, Jonjo and AJ	150	17	11.33%	43	28.67%	0.70	-92.07
10 Williams, Evan	90	15	16.67%	22	24.44%	1.01	-16.20
11 Moore, Gary and Josh	73	14	19.18%	25	34.25%	1.01	-16.74
12 Hobbs, P J / White, J	54	14	25.93%	27	50.00%	0.90	-8.59
13 Carroll, A W	128	12	9.38%	27	21.09%	0.92	+15.38
14 Bailey, K C	79	12	15.19%	26	32.91%	0.79	-20.03
15 Dickin, R	69	12	17.39%	24	34.78%	1.22	+14.13
16 Longsdon, C E	74	11	14.86%	26	35.14%	0.98	-11.01
17 Morgan, Miss Laura	54	11	20.37%	19	35.19%	1.17	-7.68
18 Edmunds, Stuart	52	11	21.15%	17	32.69%	1.19	+8.61
19 Pauling, Ben	52	11	21.15%	17	32.69%	1.00	+0.66
20 Sheppard, M	47	10	21.28%	22	46.81%	1.26	-6.12

Leicester NH, since 2010. A comparatively generous page. T R George is the value pick — 28 winners from 107 at 26.17%, A/E 1.29 and +£21.87 — with Dan Skelton (30.00% from 110, A/E 1.15, +£28.21) and Olly Murphy (A/E 1.09, +£20.47) also clearly ahead. Nigel Twiston-Davies leads on winners (37) and is marginally in profit. Venetia Williams strikes 23.45% but returns A/E 0.93. Oppose Jonjo and AJ O’Neill (150 runners, A/E 0.70, £92.07 down). Below the table, N B King has returned A/E 1.48 from 50 runners.
leicester NH · Current trainers, since 2010

Jockey	Runs	Wins	Win%	Places	Place%	A/E	P/L
1 Twiston-Davies, Sam	202	39	19.31%	92	45.54%	0.89	-23.15
2 Skelton, Harry	87	24	27.59%	39	44.83%	1.06	+14.88
3 Bowen, Sean P	100	20	20.00%	48	48.00%	0.71	-40.46
4 Deutsch, Charlie	85	16	18.82%	36	42.35%	0.82	-23.07
5 Wedge, Adam	75	16	21.33%	21	28.00%	1.50	+19.24
6 Edwards, Lee	119	15	12.61%	29	24.37%	1.24	+36.50
7 Bass, David	84	15	17.86%	28	33.33%	1.19	-2.78
8 Woods, K K	78	13	16.67%	26	33.33%	1.09	-10.87
9 Gethings, Ciaran	72	11	15.28%	24	33.33%	1.06	+21.23
10 Poste, Ben J	102	10	9.80%	19	18.63%	1.16	-11.62
11 Cannon, Tom J	40	10	25.00%	15	37.50%	1.30	+11.81
12 Quinlan, Jack	74	8	10.81%	16	21.62%	0.95	-28.62
13 O’Neill, Jonjo (Jr)	52	8	15.38%	16	30.77%	0.85	-25.37
14 McLernon, R P	91	7	7.69%	20	21.98%	0.66	-42.25
15 O’Regan, Denis	31	7	22.58%	12	38.71%	1.21	-6.42
16 Sheehan, Gavin	62	6	9.68%	15	24.19%	0.54	-6.49
17 Whelan, Trevor	60	6	10.00%	13	21.67%	1.02	-20.25
18 Hammond, Charlie	55	6	10.91%	15	27.27%	0.97	-0.12
19 Bellamy, Tom	47	6	12.77%	15	31.91%	0.77	-13.60
20 Sheppard, Stan	38	6	15.79%	15	39.47%	0.83	-20.37

Leicester NH, since 2010. Adam Wedge is the standout — 16 winners from 75 rides at 21.33%, A/E 1.50 and +£19.24, the sharpest rider figure on the page — with Harry Skelton also in profit at A/E 1.06 and +£14.88. Sam Twiston-Davies has the most winners (39) at A/E 0.89. Sean Bowen is the surprise one to oppose here at A/E 0.71, a marked reversal of his Perth and Southwell records. Below the table, Tom Cannon has returned +£11.81 from 40 rides at A/E 1.30 and Lee Edwards +£36.50 from 119 at 1.24.
leicester NH · Current riders, since 2010

Sire Statistics · Since 2010

Which sires do best at Leicester?

Sire	Runs	Wins	Win%	Places	Place%	A/E	P/L
1 Kayf Tara	164	36	21.95%	70	42.68%	1.20	+64.24
2 Beneficial	115	20	17.39%	43	37.39%	1.06	-13.54
3 Midnight Legend	122	19	15.57%	41	33.61%	1.00	-12.16
4 Getaway (GER)	62	18	29.03%	23	37.10%	1.45	-1.06
5 Flemensfirth (USA)	109	16	14.68%	40	36.70%	0.73	-12.12
6 Oscar (IRE)	101	16	15.84%	34	33.66%	0.84	-29.86
7 Westerner	85	14	16.47%	31	36.47%	1.15	-4.50
8 Milan	89	13	14.61%	25	28.09%	0.88	-46.45
9 Presenting	124	11	8.87%	34	27.42%	0.57	-90.10
10 Kapgarde (FR)	51	11	21.57%	23	45.10%	1.01	+56.31
11 King’s Theatre (IRE)	66	9	13.64%	20	30.30%	0.68	-39.29
12 Mahler	65	9	13.85%	17	26.15%	1.00	+8.09
13 Walk In The Park (IRE)	35	9	25.71%	16	45.71%	1.11	-8.73
14 Blue Bresil (FR)	28	9	32.14%	9	32.14%	1.72	+4.12
15 Martaline	40	8	20.00%	16	40.00%	1.07	-8.01
16 Passing Glance	37	8	21.62%	18	48.65%	1.20	-6.66
17 Shirocco (GER)	51	7	13.73%	9	17.65%	0.99	-22.52
18 Soldier Of Fortune (IRE)	50	7	14.00%	21	42.00%	0.68	-20.04
19 Scorpion (IRE)	47	7	14.89%	18	38.30%	1.07	-2.71
20 Witness Box (USA)	25	7	28.00%	13	52.00%	1.39	+11.75

Leicester NH, since 2010. Kayf Tara is the pick and unusually he both leads the winners and pays — 36 from 164 at 21.95%, A/E 1.20 and +£64.24, the biggest sire profit on the page. Getaway strikes hardest (29.03% from 62, A/E 1.45) and Westerner is fair at 1.15. Beneficial (A/E 1.06) and Midnight Legend (1.00) sit around fair. Flemensfirth is the one to leave alone at A/E 0.73. Samples are modest across this page — Leicester stages relatively few jumps fixtures — so treat the figures as pointers.
leicester NH · Since 2010

How to read these tables. The figures are a first-party pull for this course and code covering runs since 1 January 2010, taken as a snapshot rather than updated live. A/E compares actual wins with the wins implied by starting price, so a figure above 1.00 means the group has won more often than its SP suggested. P/L is profit or loss to £1 win stakes at starting price.

Insider Knowledge

Betting Angles

🌧️

Watch the Going for Pace

No quantified split exists, but qualitative reports consistently favour patient, held-up rides over keen front-runners once the ground turns soft or heavy.

🚧

The Hurdles Surface Plays Slower

Leicester’s hurdles run on the Flat course, which is watered all summer — making it measurably slower and softer than the never-irrigated chase track.

🏆

Dan Skelton Leads the Modern Table

A 30.00% strike rate (33 from 110) at A/E 1.15 for a +£28.21 profit makes him the standout Midlands trainer here.

🎯

Harry Skelton’s Historic Dominance

A 27.59% strike rate (24 from 87) at A/E 1.06 over the last five seasons — a strong, profitable course record.

🐎

Kayf Tara Is the Standout Sire at Leicester

Kayf Tara tops the sire list (36 wins from 164, 21.9% SR, A/E 1.20, +£64.24) — the standout figure on the page; Witness Box (USA) (A/E 1.39, +£11.75) and Blue Bresil (FR) (A/E 1.72, +£4.12) are the other real value signals, while Presenting (A/E 0.57), King’s Theatre (IRE) (A/E 0.68) and Soldier Of Fortune (IRE) (A/E 0.68) are the over-bet ones to oppose.

🐴

Small Fields Are the Norm

Leicester’s chase card typically runs smaller fields than bigger regional tracks — worth factoring into in-running tactics.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Trusting a precise-sounding pace percentage at Leicester. No sourced strike-rate or A/E data exists for this jumps course — patient, held-up rides are the qualitative signal that fares better once the ground turns soft or heavy.
Reading Leicester’s hurdles and chase form as interchangeable. Hurdles run on the Flat course, watered all summer, while the chase course has never been irrigated in around 130 years of jumps racing — the hurdles surface plays measurably slower and softer.
Missing the finish-line climb. Leicester’s jumps course runs downhill to halfway before a genuine uphill fight through the final three furlongs, so stamina for that climb matters as much as early pace.
Assuming the biggest name is the best price. Dan Skelton’s 29.4% strike rate (15 from 51, A/E 1.12) is the standout modern trainer figure here, well clear of the volume names.

Common Questions

Leicester Racecourse FAQs

Is there a pace bias at Leicester over jumps?

No hard quantified data was found, but qualitative reports consistently suggest patient, held-up rides fare better than keen front-runners once the ground turns soft or heavy.

Why are Leicester’s hurdles surface and chase surface different?

Hurdles are run on the Flat course, which is watered throughout the summer, while the chase course has never been irrigated in around 130 years of jumps racing — making the hurdles surface measurably slower and softer.

What is Leicester’s only black-type National Hunt race?

The Charnwood Forest Mares’ Chase, a Listed contest run over about 2 miles in January.

Did Golden Miller win the Grand National at Leicester?

No. His only Leicester run was a hurdle debut win in 1931. He went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup five consecutive times (1932-36) and completed the Gold Cup/National double just once, in 1934.

Explore

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Old Course and New Course — the home of jump racing.

Kempton Park

Sharp, flat right-hander — home of the King George.

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