Our Complete Guide To The UK's Top 20 Horse Racing Events

The United Kingdom hosts some of the best horseracing in the world and we have a calendar that is literally bulging with the best festivals and meetings going.

Let’s take a look at some of the events you can expect to see in a typical horse racing year on these shores:

 

Cheltenham Festival (March)

The home of The Gold Cup with four days of atmosphere, anticipation and action, all played out in the beautiful Prestbury Park amphitheatre.

Features each day include the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Stayers’ Hurdle, culminating on the Friday with the big one- The Gold Cup.

 

Grand National (April)

The greatest steeplechase in the world, attracting over nine million TV viewers and the one race a year many people may only ever have a bet on the horse racing betting.

Over 150,000 visitors descend on the course over the three-day fixture to see horses tackling the famous Grand National fences.

 

Scottish Grand National (April)

The two-day Scottish Grand National meeting is Scotland's richest jumps meeting, with the Saturday highlight being the Scottish National.

Ayr welcomes crowds of around 20,000 for some of the most hotly contested jumps action north of the border.

 

All Weather Championships (Good Friday)

900 Flat races, in six different categories, running from October to Good Friday take place at Kempton, Lingfield, Southwell and Wolverhampton racecourses and culminate in a £1million series finale at Kempton.

 

Sandown Jumps Finale (April)

The Gold Cup meeting over two days at Sandown Park brings the curtain down on the NH season with the last big race of it taking place on the Saturday. The leading NH jockey and trainer are crowned that day too.

 

Guineas Festival (May)

Both trainers and jockeys compete for the first two Classics of the British Flat racing season on this particular weekend at Newmarket.

The 2,000 Guineas takes place on Saturday, with the top colts doing battle on the Rowley Mile course.

Sunday is the turn of the fillies in the 1,000 Guineas, run over the same straight mile.

Chester May Festival (May)

This meeting stages some of the most important Classic trials – the Dee Stakes, the Chester Vase for colts and the Cheshire Oaks for fillies. Derby winners galore have come from this festival.

The famous staying handicap, the Chester Cup takes place over two and a quarter miles around the Roodee.

 

York Dante Meeting (May)

The main attraction of the three-day Knavesmire meeting is the Dante Stakes.

Winners of this and the Musidora Stakes tend to be among the favourites for their respective Classics.

 

Lockinge Stakes Day (May)

The main feature of Newbury's Flat season is the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes, run over 1 mile and forming part of the QIPCO British Champions Series.

The Lockinge is the first Group 1 contest of the season run over a mile for four -year -olds and older.

 

Temple Stakes Day (May)

Haydock’s Temple Stakes is the opening sprint event of the British Champions series and sees some of the fastest sprinters around arrive on Merseyside.

The podium finishers in this commonly go on to take part in the King’s Stand Stakes in June.

 

Investec Derby Festival (June)

The Derby at Epsom is one of racing’s greatest spectacles and probably the most coveted flat race in the world.

The occasion attracts a large crowd of more than 100,000 people with much revelry taking place including fairground attractions, live music and open-top bus parties.

Before the Derby there is the Oaks – the fillies’ equivalent on the Friday of the meeting.

 

Royal Ascot (June)

This fixture needs no introduction; it is the jewel in the crown of the English Flat summer season and another UK meeting that reaches a global audience.

15 Group races and around £3.5 million in prize-money make it the most unrivalled five-day horse racing meeting on the planet.

The meeting is attended daily by members of the British Royal family, a tradition stretching back to the early 1700’s.

 

Coral-Eclipse Day (July)

The 1m2f Eclipse is the first top-level contest over a middle distance for three-year-olds to take on their elders.

Specialist ten-furlong runners, one milers and confirmed stayers all take each other on in this contest.

 

King George Weekend (July)

The feature race of the weekend is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. It stands alongside the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as one of Europe’s all-aged middle-distance championship races.

The 1975 renewal was dubbed “The Race of The Century”.

Glorious Goodwood (July/August)

This is Goodwood’s showpiece five-day meeting and one of the highlights of the racing year.

The races are spread across the full range of distances and include two Group 1 races - the Sussex Stakes and Nassau Stakes.

 

York Ebor Festival (August)

York always attracts all the top horses for this packed three-day programme.

The feature races are the Juddmonte Stakes, the Nunthorpe Stakes and the Yorkshire Oaks.

 

St Leger Festival (September)

The Doncaster St Leger is the fifth and final British Classic of the year and it brings together the best of each sex.

Run over a distance of 1m 6f and 132 yards, it requires plenty of stamina and resolve to take first place.

 

British Champions Day (October)

Champions Day is the climax of the European Flat racing season and the British Champions Series.

Over £3m in prize money is spread across the end-of-season championship races for Ten-furlong horses: The Champion Stakes; Milers: The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes; Sprinters: six furlongs; Long-distance horses: two miles; and Fillies and mares: one mile and four furlongs.

 

King George Christmas Festival (December)

The King George VI Chase is one of the most iconic races in the Jumps calendar and Boxing Day actually feels like Christmas Day to most die-hard Jumps fans.

Run over a flat three miles at Kempton Park, the King George and has an illustrious roll of honour including the likes of Desert Orchid and Kauto Star.

 

Welsh Grand National (December)

Run over the Christmas holiday period, this 3m5f handicap chase is often one of the most exciting Jumps races of the season.

The Welsh National fixture is Chepstow’s most valuable race day and some of the most popular staying chasers in training return year after year.

The meeting has been known to inspire youngsters on how to become a professional jockey after James Bowen won the race aged just 16-years old aboard Raz De Maree in 2017.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Tom Hevezi / AP Photo*

October 14, 2019
Horse Racing

By Steve Mullington

Steve Mullington
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    Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

    He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.

    Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?

    He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations. 

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    Euro 2020 Qualifying: October 13th 2019 Betting Tips

    There are more Euro 2020 qualifiers coming up this week as we head into the second half of the international break.

    Without a packed weekend schedule, football betting is forced into unusual times when there’s minimal club football. Matches are spread across Sunday, Monday and Tuesday featuring some of Europe’s best sides and most recognisable players.

    Groups A, B, E and F feature in our fourfold. It’s not quite make or break time for these teams, but groups are very tight and a slip up here could leave them a mountain to climb in the remaining few qualifiers.

    Below are a few thoughts and tips from the four matches…

     

    Wales vs Croatia

    Group E is congested. After being held to a 1-1 draw by Slovakia on Thursday, Wales are in fourth place.

    Starter in one of the biggest Premier League wins, Ryan Giggs’ side have a game in hand on the three teams above them, however, and they could go second if they pull off an improbable victory over World Cup finalists Croatia on Sunday night.

    Croatia’s form has been patchy since the World Cup, with losses to Tunisia and Hungary and a shock draw with Azerbaijan last month. They have 12 points on the board but could yet miss out if they fail to win here.

    They host Slovakia in their final group match. Despite thrashing the Slovakians a few months ago, Luka Modric and co will be hoping to get their Euro 2020 place sewn up this weekend. The reverse fixture finished in a 2-1 win for Zlatko Dalic’s side.

    Wales will fancy their chances of getting a goal through Daniel James and Gareth Bale, but the gulf in class elsewhere on the pitch should prove too much. Joe Allen against Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Ivan Rakitic isn’t a good matchup.

    TIP: Croatia to win and both teams to score (21/5)

     

    Bulgaria vs England

    After a poor performance in Prague on Friday, England travel to Sofia to face a Bulgaria side that are bottom of Group A. Bulgaria are yet to win a match in qualification and were thrashed 4-0 by England earlier in the group.

    A 0-0 draw with Montenegro was frustrating for the Bulgarians – they had 16 shots but managed to get just one on target.

    England’s defeat to the Czech Republic was their worst performance and result of the Gareth Southgate era. Harry Kane was frank in his post-match interview – England will be keen to bounce back with an emphatic victory on Monday evening.

    Southgate could opt to tweak his side after subpar displays from Michael Keane and Declan Rice on Friday.

    England dominated the match at Wembley, with just shy of 70% possession and 17 shots. The front three of Kane, Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho should blow Bulgaria away, even if other areas of the team remain flawed.

    TIP: England to win by 2 or more goals (7/10)

     

    Ukraine vs Portugal

    These two played out a drab 0-0 in March of this year in Lisbon. They meet on Monday night off the back of comfortable victories on Friday – Portugal beat Luxembourg 3-0 while the Ukraine cruised to a 2-0 win over Lithuania.

    Ukraine have compiled 16 points thus far, putting them within touching distance of Euro 2020. Portugal are five points behind with a game in hand and are under pressure from Serbia.

    Ukraine have been on a great run since Andriy Shevchenko took over as manager, but this will be a tough task against a Portugal side desperate for victory.

    The reigning European champions have talent aplenty as Fernando Santos meshes veterans like Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe with the next generation, Ruben Neves, Joao Felix and Ruben Dias.

    Portugal have found some form since a slow start in the group. Ukraine’s defence has been rock solid throughout (only conceded one goal), but you’ve got to fancy Portugal to snatch a win here. Expect a low-scoring affair, with one Ronaldo goal likely the difference.

    TIP: Portugal to win (23/20)

     

    Sweden vs Spain

    Spain have an immaculate record in Group F so far. No team has been able to live with the Euro 2012 winners and they are set to cruise into Euro 2020.

    Robert Moreno is off to a flying start as manager of La Roja and has a deep squad at his disposal, including the fairytale return of Santi Cazorla.

    The post-Ibrahimovic world puts Sweden as a mid-tier European team. Their place in the competition proper is far from confirmed – they need a result here.

    Romania, who are only one point behind the Swedes, face Norway and the Faroe Islands in their next two matches. The two sides meet in Bucharest on 15th November, in what will likely be a showdown for the second qualifying berth.

    Spain are the team to back here, but 3/5 doesn’t represent great value. The visitors to score in both halves is the best available bet.

    TIP: Spain to score in both halves (8/5)

     

    *Credit for the main photo belongs to Petr David Josek / AP Photo*

    October 13, 2019
    Football
    Body

    Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

    He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

    Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

    Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

    Sam Cox
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    Tennis Betting: Five Things To Consider When Backing Rafael Nadal

    Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest tennis players ever. His career hasn’t all been plain sailing, but the Spaniard has fought through injuries and surgery to return to the pinnacle of men’s tennis.

    Nadal has secured his place in the top three all-time alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, which unsurprisingly, makes him a tennis betting favourite at almost every tournament he attends.

    Nadal, like mere mortals, isn’t always the same player, however. There are things to look out for that could change whether he’s the man to back, but for an athlete so far ahead of many of his peers, the signs can often be subtle.

    Finding value on a massively odds on favourite isn’t easy, though tennis betting offers can help out with that. Here are five things to consider when backing Nadal...

     

    Brave Returners

    Brave is the key word here. Nadal’s serve is far from faulty, nor is it enough to undermine his place among the all-time greats.

    It is attackable, though. Courageous players will see his serve as their best opportunity of success. Of course, it’s a risky strategy and can go down in flames, but it will be many players’ only chance.

    When Nadal’s serve isn’t at its best, these opponents can become a real threat. Be wary of dodgy serving when looking to back Nadal, as it could suggest that an upset is coming up.

    Fitness Concerns

    At 33 years old, fitness is always going to be a question mark. Nadal has battled back from a torrid period with injuries earlier in the decade, but that’s not all in the past.

    The Spaniard has pulled out of several tournaments this year through injury, and bettors should be wary of warning signs during a tournament that could suggest another withdrawal or poor performance is around the corner.

    While a fully fit Nadal is a long way ahead of the chasing pack, he’s much more beatable if he’s playing at 60 or 70%.

     

    Will He Be Forced To The Net?

    Just like Djokovic, Nadal isn’t the same player if he’s forced away from the baseline. Capable of improvising and producing improbable shots, Nadal is still going to put up a fight for every point, but there’s no question he’s less comfortable when he has to come to the net.

    Unfortunately for the rest of the tour, though, this is an area he’s improved throughout his career, which has seen him win some easier points, particularly on the grass.

    Drop shots to force Nadal up the court can be a red herring, but it’s well worth giving him a different look to break up his rhythm of those ferocious forehands. It’s a means of taking control of a rally, something every player must do to assert themselves on the match.

    Certain players will favour this tactic more than others. When Nadal’s in defensive mode, and settling for long baseline rallies, those players can cause him problems. Net play was a focus of our doubles betting tips – it’s something to ponder for Nadal, too.

    Opponent's Stamina

    Facing Nadal, unless you somehow manage to blow him away, will likely be a slugfest. Rallies will be long, regardless of the surface.

    Matching his fitness levels is crucial for any potential opponent. For instance, in a Grand Slam fortnight, if he’s facing someone who is coming off the back of a five-setter, it's going to hurt their chances.

    Well-rested opponents obviously have an advantage, particularly if Nadal is being forced to play matches close together. This is the case for anyone, but it is especially relevant for the Spaniard, who so often finds himself is long backcourt rallies. Fatigue will quickly tell.

    There can be value to be found depending on relative periods of rest. Nadal is ruthless, and the odds on a straight sets victory can become very appealing if he’s facing a tiring opponent. Once he’s ahead, it’s very hard to wrestle back into the match.

     

    King Of Clay

    Quite simply, if it’s on a clay court, all the other factors are lessened. Nadal on clay is the most dominant any tennis player has been on a surface. Roland Garros is a second home for the legendary Spaniard, and he boasts a whole catalogue of clay-court records.

    There are greater questions to be asked on hard or grass courts, but if it’s clay, there needs to be a pretty substantial reason not to back a Nadal win – usually a comfortable one, at that.

    Through his pre-injury career and what he’s achieved after, Nadal has dispatched clay court specialists and all-time greats on the clay. While it’s easier to question backing him elsewhere, the clay courts are Nadal’s.

    It shouldn’t make it a guarantee that Nadal is the player to back, but it’s about as close as it can get at the moment. Barring injury or some shockingly long odds for Djokovic in a clay-court clash, Nadal is the man to back.

     

    It's time for a grandslam on your tennis bets at www.888sport.com

     

    *Credit for the main photo belongs to Adam Hunger / AP Photo*

    October 12, 2019
    Tennis
    Body

    Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

    He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

    Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

    Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

    Sam Cox
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