The Racing Horse offers our Taunton Racecourse Template for Thursday 27 November 2025. There is a 7-race card and the going is expected to be good.

TAUNTON WINNERS for 27 November 2025

Winning Favourites (5 Years)
Non-handicap                    Handicap
Hurdle	48-92	 52%   -5.53	50-139	 36%	+1.83
Chase	4-8	 50%   -0.39	40-90	 44%   +18.58
NHF	8-18	 44%   -2.10	0-0		
TOTAL	60-118	 51%   -8.02	90-229	 39%   +20.41
   
TOP 5 TRAINERS at TAUNTON past 5 seasons      +/-   E
Paul Nicholls (23%)   54-173   31%  -10.85    +8%   4
Hobbs & White (15%)   15-63    24%  -10.95    +8%   0
Joe Tizzard (15%)     14-93    15%  -25.97    +0%   3
Robert Walford (15%)  11-33    33%  +20.74   +18%   0
Jeremy Scott (13%)    10-79    13%  -28.16    +0%   0   

TOP 5 JOCKEYS at TAUNTON past 5 seasons       +/-   R
Harry Cobden (23%)    46-136   34%   +2.47   +11%   5
Harry Kimber (13%)    12-61    20%   +4.41    +7%   1
Micheal Nolan (11%)   12-74    16%  -34.11    +5%   0
Lorcan Williams (13%) 11-44    25%   +5.94   +12%   0  
Brendan Powell (12%)  10-104   10%  -61.84    -2%   5

TOP 5 OWNERS at TAUNTON past 5 seasons        +/-   E
Brocade Racing (22%)    9-25   36%   +11.57   14%   0
John P McManus (17%)    6-26   23%    +8.25   +6%   0
Bradley Partner (14%)   5-17   29%  +214.37  +15%   0
Gwent Holdings (16%)    3-5    60%    +2.16  +44%   0
Michael Geoghegan (25%) 3-7    43%    +0.70  +18%   0

Upcoming fixtures:
Thursday 11 December 2025 
Tuesday 30 December 2025 

Racecourse Templates Explained
Racecourse Case Study: Taunton (National Hunt)

CONFIGURATION: Right handed, sharp. Fences have been traditionally regarded as small and easy, yet the casualty rate on the chase course is high. The low quality of horses which contest the vast majority of races is undoubtedly a factor, whilst the sharp nature of the course is another, the third last is a particularly tricky obstacle.

MICK FITZGERALD SAYS: They’ve recently installed a reservoir at Taunton and you often get better winter ground there than in other parts of Britain. It’s a great course to ride and any number of good horses have made their debut there. Some of them won and plenty got beaten. It can be a trappy track for a jockey, as they tend to start racing from a long way out, and you run downhill to the third-last over fences and the second-last over hurdles. Novices can get caught out by those obstacles.

FAVOURITES: Taunton has established itself as a highly reliable racecourse for winning favourites. Over the past 5 seasons favourites score 156-347 for 44.96% and a level stake profit of +£12.39 to a £1 stake. The pertinence of these figures must be acknowledged in those thought betting processes!

Winning favourites in non-handicaps show a strike rate of 51% whilst handicap winning favourites strike at 39%. If the national average of winning favourites equates to around 33% then Taunton scores 12% above, a statistically significant margin. Given these historical figures, it is essential that our betting models and templates reflect the strength of favourites at Taunton, ensuring that this proven trend is properly acknowledged in strategic decision-making.

TRAINERS: Top trainer at the course by some distance is Paul Nicholls (23%) and scores +8% at the course. The last 14 days shows him just 2-26 for 8%. He has 4 runners including MISS ALTEA BLUE 12.35, WICKED THOUGHTS 1.40, SEEYOUINMYDREAMS & HIM MALAYA 2.15

JOE TIZZARD (15%) has 3 runners including BERTIE WOOSTER 1.40, ELLERTON 2.15 & LOUIS DES LANDES 3.52. The trainer is in fabulous form and the last 14 days show 11-29 for 38% which includes 5 successive winners at good/bigger prices. His runners must be processed.

Another in form trainer is Jamie Snowden (21%). The last month shows him 18-47 for a massive 38% so +17% above his national average. He runs MAXIMUM OFFERS 1.40 & CANTY'S COVE 3.52.

John Joseph Hanlon (4%) sends 6 to the course from County Carlow in Ireland, but his home national average and work ethic is not conducive to our style of betting. With his raiders to the UK, he does score at 11%. He has only ever sent one horse to Taunton previously and that one was unplaced, and he is currently 0-33 (41 days).

JOCKEYS: Harry Cobden (23%) scores 34% at this course so +11% above his national average. He has 5 rides, but just 2 for Nicholls, including MISS ALTEA BLUE 12.35, WICKED THOUGHTS 1.40, BASHFUL BOY 2.50, KING OF THE STORY 3.22 & ARMS PARK 3.52. Stop at a winner?

The in form Brendan Powell (12%) has 4 rides in AVADA KEDAVRA 1.05, BERTIE WOOSTER 1.40, ELLERTON 2.15 & SAWPIT SIENNA 2.50

OWNERS: None of the top owners have a runner tomorrow.

GREEN FLAG: The first and last race are non-handicaps and of particular interest given these two categories of winning favourites score 56-110 for 50.91% over the last 5 years. The advice is to secure perceived value but back the favourite. A quick first glance at the cards suggest MISS ALTEA BLUE 12.35 is of interest. The 4yo filly was beaten in a Class 3 by a 4/6 favourite stablemate and this was her first run after wind surgery. She will be straighter this time, now racing in this Class 4. Anything close to 5/6 or 10/11 looks north of perceived value.

NO RISK TODAY (F O'Brien) was sold for £100,000 after running out a decisive winner of her sole start in Irish points in February on good to yielding ground. She has since undergone a wind op (27 August) and now very much of interest on Rules debut for this respected yard. It is impossible to know what perceived value is about this mare, and especially given we do not know for sure what optimum ground is. The sire No Risk At All was a soft to heavy ground horse and the mare was also, but there is rain expected at the course before the last race and we doubt the conditions will be fast!

TRH is likely to back this mare with a stake saver on Arms Park. The booking of Harry Cobden looks a serious move, the combination shows 6-21 for 29% (+£4.38). Within those figures there are 4 second places, meaning the combination score 10-21 for 48% finishing in the first two places. We doubt the validity of the Plumpton form, but can expect the Williams trained Walk In The Park gelding to come on for the run, and should run a place at least.

The current favourite is the Jamie Snowden trained 4yo Crystal Ocean gelding CANTY'S GOVE. TRH believes we have a false favourite. The trainer does score 23% with this NHF runners, so a powerful figure, but has not raced a bumper horse at this course in the last 5 seasons. The current 6/4 looks far too short, and we are taking him on!