The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is the premier middle distance race across Europe each season and is run over 1m4f at Longchamp. With many of the runners typically already having Group One victories under their belts, it can be a puzzle picking the winner. Luckily there are some trends that have been relatively common among winners in the past decade and these can be used to help narrow down the selections in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe betting.

In terms of successful trainers, Andre Fabre rules the roost in the Arc, saddling a record seven winners since 1987. However, Fabre has not been responsible for a winner since Rail Link in 2006 and so he could be certainly due another winner this year. Fabre is usually good for at least one entrant each year and so it may pay to back them.

Punters prepared to miss out on any ante-post value in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe betting may profit from waiting for the draw from the final declarations. Being drawn in the low-number stalls has typically offered an advantage, with those in the higher stalls tending to struggle.

The Arc is also not a race for front runners, as they tend to get swallowed up in the latter stages. It is horses that settle in the middle of the field or even in the rear that tend to enjoy the best results, where they can come with a late surge down the outside. Furthermore, it is the three-year-old entrants that have had the upper hand in the Arc in the past decade. They get a weight for age allowance over the older runners and this reduced racing weight can work in their favour.

The Fugue has always looked as if a sterner stamina test would play into her hands and the remainder of the 2012 season could therefore bring out the best of her. The Fugue was a good winner of what looked a rather ordinary Newmarket maiden on debut, but has since made some solid strides in her three-year-old career.

After staying on past fading rivals to take fourth in the 1,000 Guineas after also being struck into by another runner, The Fugue was a dominant winner of the Musidora Stakes when stepping up from 1m to 1m2f. This victory resulted in a prominent position in the Epsom Oaks odds and she heads into the race with the best form on offer in the book.

The Ribblesdale Stakes at Ascot would seem to be the obvious plan over the same 1m4f trip of things go well at Epsom, while the Coronation Stakes back over 1m could be another future target if she fails to stay.

Bonfire always looked as if he would potentially be a smart three-year-old and some big-race entries only heighten his prospects. Only an injury prevented his sire Manduro going off as favourite for the 2007 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe so he is clearly from good stock and his form so far only further indicates this.

Bonfire did little wrong in his juvenile season, winning a maiden on his racecourse debut at Salisbury and then taking third in a Group One in France where only trouble in running arguably prevented him claiming victory.

Victory in the Dante Stakes resulted in Bonfire becoming even more prominent in the Epsom Derby betting and the fact that he also holds entries in the King Edward VII Stakes and Coral-Eclipse among other races only further heightens the regard in which he is held by connections.

Viewing live racing should never pose a problem for punters all over the UK with 60 racecourses positioned in various locations, offering a mix of either Flat or National Hunt racing or at some a mix of the two.

Punters in the north have a particularly big choice, with Doncaster and York hosting the biggest of the Flat action, while Aintree in the north west is synonymous for the Grand National.

Grand National betting is undoubtedly the sport’s most prestigious betting events of the year, with 40 horses lining up at Aintree in the hope of winning the famous steeplechase.

However, it is those in the south that arguably get to view the biggest meetings more easily, with Royal Ascot and the Cheltenham Festival among the highlights of the horse racing calendar.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle are two of the biggest races of the four-day Festival at Cheltenham, while there are seven Group One races included in the five days of Royal Ascot.

The 2,000 Guineas has been responsible for bringing to stardom some of the greatest Flat horses of recent times. Rock Of Gibraltar, George Washington, Sea The Stars and just last year Frankel have all triumphed over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket in the last decade. A number of horses will be bidding to start their own lucrative careers this year, with Camelot the potential star name taking part in the opening Classic of the season.

Camelot the clear leader in the 2,000 Guineas odds

Unbeaten in two starts, coming from the yard of Aidan O’Brien and already having a Group One success under his belt, it seems hard to fault what Camelot has achieved so far. However, winners of the Racing Post Trophy do not have the best track record when contesting the 2,000 Guineas, with some horses not progressing as expected from being a two-year-old into the three-year-old ranks. Meanwhile, favourites have only won the race twice in the past ten years.

Key trends to look for in 2,000 Guineas odds

There are some trends that have been largely consistent when analysing the 2,000 Guineas winners in the past decade. Nine of the ten winners had previously tasted success at Group level, while the same number had already won a race over a distance of 7f or further. Furthermore, nine out of the last ten victors had previously entered the winners’ enclosure on at least two occasions in their racing career.

French Fifteen could be Camelot’s rival in 2,000 Guineas odds

There are a few horses aside from Camelot who meet these trends, with the most interesting potentially being French Fifteen. French Fifteen is also a Group One winner, has won over 1m previously and is proven on the soft ground that is expected at Newmarket. One horse that does not meet these trends is Born To Sea, who is the half-brother to the former winner Sea The Stars.

Fillies get their chance in the Newmarket spotlight when heading out to tackle the Rowley Mile in the 1,000 Guineas. Punters looking for some clues in finding a winner should analyse the Neil Gwyn Stakes and Fred Darling Stakes as worthy trial races, although it is the Cheveley Park Stakes that has ranked as the most useful trial in recent years. Two of the seven horses to have won the Cheveley Park that had then contested the 1,000 Guineas landed the spoils again.

Poor Aidan O’Brien record a worry for favourite backers in 1,000 Guineas odds

Maybe is the heavy favourite for this year’s 1,000 Guineas, but the fact that trainer Aidan O’Brien has only won the race with just one of his last 18 entries is a slight worry. However, Maybe heads to Newmarket unbeaten in five starts .

Instead, it may be best to focus attentions on horses trained in France, who must be given solid each-way prospects. From only six starters in the past ten years, French-trained runners have collected two winners and a further two places. They are represented this year by Mashoora, who was an easing-down winner of a Group Three contest on her latest start.

Don’t rule out Discourse and Moonstone Magic in 1,000 Guineas odds

Elsewhere in the 1,000 Guineas odds, Discourse comes from the same connections as last year’s winner Blue Bunting and arrives unbeaten. However, she is unproven on anything heavier than good ground. Moonstone Magic is proven on a soft surface and may run into a place. La Collina has pushed Maybe once before and could rival again if overcoming a previous disappointing performance at the Curragh on her latest start.

Golden Miller remains the only horse in history to have completed the double of winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National in the same season back in 1934, but this does not completely write off the chances of Synchronised emulating this result.

Synchronised odds boosted by lenient Grand National weight

Because the Grand National weights were allocated before the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the handicapper could not be sure as to the true level of Synchronised’s form. His official rating was considered to be 161 and because of this he was handed the top weight of 11st10lb.

However, as a reaction to his Cheltenham victory, his rating has been upped to 167, meaning that he is effectively 6lb lower at Aintree than what he theoretically should be. Therefore, if he repeats the level of form that saw him win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, he must go close in the Grand National.

Meanwhile, although the Cheltenham Gold Cup is run over 1m less than the Grand National, there should be no doubts that he has the stamina to match his speed. Synchronised has not only triumphed in the Midlands National, but is a two-time winner of the Welsh National, which is run over 4m2f.

McCoy booking enhances Grand National chances of Synchronised

Tony McCoy partnered Synchronised to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and he would almost certainly ride again at Aintree. Synchronised is in good hands as the combination of trainer Jonjo O’Neill and jockey McCoy teamed up to win the Grand National as recently as 2010 with Don’t Push It, while the same horse took third last year.

Using trends can often be a productive way of reducing the number of likely winners from the final field of 40 runners and the statistics this year point to the chances of Chicago Grey being one horse to focus on.

The Grand National is the longest race in the horse racing calendar and so it is unlikely that any of the runners will have proven stamina unless they have run in the Aintree showpiece before. Although Chicago Grey has not, he did triumph at the Cheltenham Festival last year in the 4m National Hunt Chase.

Age and weight tends also favour Chicago Grey odds

Eight of the last ten winners of the Grand National have been between the ages of eight and ten and with Chicago Grey being a nine-year-old, he looks of optimum age to run well. Meanwhile, in the last four years, 14 of the 16 horses to have won or been placed in the Grand National have been allocated a weight of at least 10st11lb. Chicago Grey has been given 10st13lb and this looks a more than winnable mark.

Trainer Gordon Elliott also already knows what it takes to win a Grand National, having saddled Silver Birch to victory in 2007.

Racing style the big negative for Chicago Grey odds

Front runners are typically preferred in the Grand National as they tend to encounter fewer problems in running. With Chicago Grey preferring to settle at the rear of a field, there is not only the chance that he may fall too far behind, but a bigger risk that he will brought down or negatively impacted in other ways by horses in front of him. But the booking of Paul Carberry is noteworthy as he is proven at producing the goods on horses of this nature.

Chester Racecourse is thought to be the oldest still in use in Britain and despite lacking the calibre of races that take place at other locations, still has a handful of races that are considered important on the Flat racing calendar. Two big things to consider before getting involved in Chester races betting is siding with horses who are more at home on left-handed circuits and those which tend to race handily, given the short home straight at the course.

Chester Races betting may provide Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe insight

One of the biggest races of the annual horse racing calendar at Chester is the Ormonde Stakes and of late it has become a bit of a preparation contest for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe later in the year at Longchamp. Harbinger and St Nicholas Abbey are the last two winners of the Ormonde Stakes and both have then gone on to compete in both the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and then move on to Longchamp.

Meanwhile, the Chester Vase is another standout Chester contest and can count the mighty Shergar among its first winners. Aidan O’Brien has done well in the race of late with some of his smart 1m4f runners and could be worth siding with in the Chester races betting again in the future. Soldier Of Fortune and Treasure Beach are among his more recent victors.

However, all types of horses can challenge in the biggest races at Chester as the stayers are catered for in the Chester Cup and fillies get their time in the limelight in the Cheshire Oaks. Punters looking for some clues in the Chester races betting ahead of the Chester Cup would do best to look for runners aged between four and six, have previous winning form over 2m and are drawn in stall eight or lower.

Doing some research could prove pivotal for punters looking to take advantage of profitable Chester races odds. Horses that prefer racing on left-handed tracks could hold a significant advantage, alongside those who prefer to run close to the pace. This is because the track has a particularly short home straight, which does not allow a lot of time for the fast finishers to make their moves.

Although failing to have a Group One showpiece on its annual calendar, there are still some respected races on display at Chester. The two biggest in terms size are the Chester Vase and the Ormonde Stakes, which are both Group Three contests.

Back the favourites in the Ormonde Stakes and Chester Vase

Looking for horses weighted with 8st12lb would have been a good start for the Chester Vase in recent years as five of the last six winners and all of their last four have triumphed with this weight on their backs. Favourites have also been successful in three of the past nine years, while Aidan O’Brien is a trainer worth paying attention to as he has saddled Soldier Of Fortune, Golden Sword and Treasure Beach to recent victories.

When analysing the Chester races odds for the Ormonde Stakes, it is again perhaps best to side with those towards the head of the betting. In the past nine years, all of the winners have been in the top two in the odds. Age could additionally be critical because four and five-year-olds tend to fare best, although The Whistling Teal did upset this statistic when landing the honours aged ten in 2006.