RACING & WAGERING

Horse Racing

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Horse Racing - General Information

Equine Info Exchange — Courtesy of the EIE Editorial Team

If one is a horse racing fan, then it is very unlikely that they wouldn’t have heard about the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the American Triple Crown that is held at Churchill Downs, Louisville every year on the first Saturday in May. The racing event provides one of the greatest sporting spectacles in the United States.

Kentucky Derby is known as ‘the most exciting two minutes in sports’ as nowhere else do can one get such an amazing sporting experience. An enormous crowd gathers at Churchill Downs every year, making the atmosphere quite lively. That is the time when many start looking at the Twinspires Rhode Island review trying to decide which bet they should select.

The famous race can boast of a long and prosperous history. As a visitor, one can experience the amazing atmosphere, and get to see plenty of fascinating traditions.

1- Secretariat’s memorable victory

Secretariat is widely regarded as the greatest Triple Crown winner of all time. He was awarded Horse of the Year in 1972 when he was only two years old. Claiming such an honour at such a young age was absolutely phenomenal. However, many began to doubt his abilities when he finished third in the Wood Memorial, the last race he competed in before the 1973 Kentucky Derby.

Despite the poor performance, Secretariat still entered the race as a favourite. He pulled off a stunning performance at Churchill Downs and shocked all the spectators.

In the beginning, Secretariat was the last but his pace increased as the race deepened. He not only won the race by two and a half lengths but set a new record of 1:59:40 which stands to this day.

Secretariat went on to win the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes that season and thus became the 9th Triple Crown winner.

Enduring heartfelt disappointment at the cancellation of the 2020 edition of the Grand National, coronavirus put a stop to festivities, but the world-renowned races are back at Aintree to the delight of the entire industry. A virtual event was held instead, but that’s hardly the same, is it?

The cancellation robbed Tiger Roll of a three- year hat trick on the famous course, and sadly the Gigginstown owners have withdrawn the beloved horse from the races this year due to an ‘unfair weight burden’. However, there’s still a remarkable force of runners who are looking to make their name on 10 April.

Favourites to watch in 2021 Grand National

Bookies’ favourites can have the tendency to change throughout the run-up to the main event, however early indications taking in to account the departure of Tiger Roll say a current betting favourite is Cloth Cap.

Trained by Jonjo O’Neill and owned by Trevor Hemmings, Cloth Cap is a winner for the Ladbrokes Trophy, and has showcased an improved performance. Certainly, placing them a solid foothold to remain in the favourites at least.

Close behind Cloth Cap other runners to pay attention to for Aintree include Any Second Now and Burrows Saint.

As for history in the making, one participant to watch is Rachael Blackmore who will be riding Minella Times, Blackmore has continually been pushing to the limits in a bid to be the first ever female jockey to win the Grand National.

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Offering Odds on Sports Exchange Markets Online

Exchange markets are where you can become the bookie or poach out of the ordinary odds provided by individuals on the exchange. We are going to talk about becoming an online bookie. Some of the most well-known sports betting exchanges are BetFair and Bet365. Both of these websites give you the opportunity to open an account and offer other people odds on sports events.

If you understand horse racing or greyhound racing, then these are some of the most profitable markets to offer odds on. However, if you want to become a pro, you need to be careful how you use the sports betting exchanges. You could just as easily end up losing.

Jockey Tom Scudamore has said Cloth Cap is a worthy favorite of the Grand National at Aintree next month.

The extremely brilliant and impressive Newbury and Kelso victor, trained by Jonjo O'Neill in Gloucestershire, is as low as 4-1 for the 10 April big horse race.

Victory for Cloth Cap at the event next month would be a record fourth success in the competition for owner Trevor Hemmings.

According to 38-year-old Scudamore, it is a lovely privileged position to be on the favorite for the April Grand National at Aintree.

It is worthy of note that a total of 77 horses are left, after the most recent National entry stage, with the French duo of Easy land and Ajas the notable absentees. About 40 runners are expected to line up on the day, with the lowest-rated horses pruned out.

Cloth Cap was given 10st 5lb when the weights for the handicap were revealed in February, but the nine-year-old horse has since won a National Hunt Racecourse in Kelso, and his National rating is about 14lb lower than his present official mark.

Scudamore said, "He's been a tremendous ride who's going from strength to strength and is a worthy favorite”.

"It's up to the bookmakers to decide what is a fair price and what isn't but I'm hoping that come that Saturday evening, he'll be looking like he was a massive price."

It is worthy to note that Scudamore’s grandfather Michael landed the race back in the year 1959 on Oxo The owner of Preston North End FC, Hemmings, has in the past, won the National, riding with Hedgehunter in 2005, with Ballabriggsin 2011, and Many Clouds in 2015, with their NAP for today is proving to be tempting for the punters recently.

Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse, Tiger Roll, is the 4-1 favorite and was the shortest-priced victor for 100 years when claiming a second victory in the last running in 2019.

With the 2-time victor absent this year, Cloth Cap is the same odds for the contest next month, which was called off in 2020 and is set to take place in April this year without spectators because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

On the 16 March, a quiet Cheltenham Festival is on the cards, but just because the government is still hesitant to allow mass ticket sales despite the mass roll out of COVID-19 vaccines. That said, ITV and other channels following the action live will still use the world famous ‘cheers’ as a sound over when the first race begins.

That first race will be the Supreme Novices’ hurdle 2-mile race at 1.20pm on 16 March. Currently, there are 11 confirmed horses in the race with the bookies putting Irascible at 20-1 with some odds as high as 40-1 while the clear favourite is Appreciate It at 11-9, 5-5 and 6-4. Metier is also a good bet for this race at 5-1 and 9-2. The first race is always the toughest to predict!

Then those that are looking to get their money down on the 3-mile Chase’s, if you are an expert at spotting the long-distance racers and jockeys that is, below we look at the 3-mile 6 furlong races and how the favourites are fairing up with their current odds!

Longest Race of the First Day

The National Hunt Chase is the race of day 1 with 3 miles and 6 furlongs, which cuts pretty close to the Champion Hurdle earlier in the day with the same distance and a single furlong. Royale Pagaille is favourite to win the National Hunt Chase with 11-8, 6-4, and 5-4 the current odds touted.

For sports fans up and down the country, the month of March is saved for the Cheltenham Festival and although the Grand National might be the most famous horse race on the planet, the Festival at Cheltenham is often regarded as the World Cup of National Hunt racing.

Fans normally flock to the venue in their thousands, with a 70,000 capacity crowd regularly selling out Gold Cup day as spectators from across the UK and Ireland make the annual pilgrimage to Prestbury Park for four days of sporting drama.

However, if you’re the kind of person that thinks reins are something that come out the sky or that jockeys are somebody who spin discs in a nightclub, then we are here to help.

From talking you through what happens on each day of the meeting to where you can tune into the action from home, here is our guide to the Cheltenham Festival 2021, including some helping hints on how to have a flutter.

The Races

Although the schedule has been modified over the years, in recent times there have been four days of action at the Cheltenham Festival, with this year's renewal set to take place from Tuesday 16th March until Friday 19th March.

Across the four days, racing fans are treated to no less than 28 races, which create a seven race card each day. Each race is slightly different in quality, but just as much entertainment, with everything from Grade One affairs to the ultra-competitive handicaps all happening throughout the week.

By Carine06 from UK - Winners Enclosure, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Ryanair Chase is a race that has grown in prestige and stature since being added to the Cheltenham Festival schedule in 2005. At first, there was skepticism about this event.

Would running in the Festival Trophy, the name that the Ryanair Chase is registered under, ever be racehorse trainers and owners’ first-choice? There is greater history attached to the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup after all.

A middle-distance event between those has always made sense. After 15 years of the Ryanair Chase, we are now at the stage where it can hold its own compared to more storied Festival races.

That is certainly the impression you get based on early closing entries this year. There are a number of Cheltenham day 3 betting tips and predictions on offer for the Ryanair Chase, and that suggests we have a hugely competitive race to look forward to on Thursday, 18 March.

It has the makings of a show-stealer, the pot of the gold at the end of the rainbow on St Patrick’s Thursday. Speaking of the luck of the Irish, horses trained in the Emerald Isle have won four of the last five renewals of the Ryanair Chase.

"Cheltenham Gold Cup" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Carine06

As steeplechasers go, Al Boum Photo already has his place in history as a past multiple winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. One of the great things about jumps horse racing, however, is that new challengers emerge each and every season.

It's not a case of one campaign and done like with so many American Flat thoroughbreds who run on the dirt. Year after year, horses return to Cheltenham for the premier National Hunt Festival held over four days in March.

Al Boum Photo faces fresh faces in the blue riband event of the Festival, so it's well worth knowing who the 3.50 favorite has to worry about. These are some of the pretenders to his Cheltenham crown.

A Plus Tard

The main danger, according to the latest Gold Cup odds available with Irish bookmakers Paddy Power, is A Plus Tard at 7.00. Unexposed as a stayer, this horse owned by Cheveley Park Stud is a previous Festival winner two seasons ago when he routed the opposition in a Listed handicap.

What a race! A Plus Tard wins a thoroughly absorbing and dramatic Savills Chase #RTEracing pic.twitter.com/LYCmiKZUZv
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) December 28, 2020

A Plus Tard took his form to new heights when showing superb stamina to overhaul subsequent Irish Gold Cup hero Kemboy in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. He comes into Cheltenham fresh and could give trainer Henry De Bromhead his first-ever win in the Festival feature.

The year 2021 is full of exciting horse racing events, with the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Preakness Stakes all set to happen during this term. With 4njbets, punters are all ready to enjoy the betting opportunities that these amazing races give to everyone. For these racing enthusiasts, preparations start with searching for the best offers and promotions, while keeping an eye on the latest updates and betting tips are also very important for them.

1- Jenny Pitman: The Autobiography

Jenny Pitman is one of the biggest names in the horse racing world. As a racehorse trainer, she won the 1983 Grand National through Corbiere and thus became the first woman to pull off such a feat.

Cheltenham Racecourse — Image provided by https://www.horseracingphoto.co.uk and is licensed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

January and February are always exciting months for horse racing fans in the British Isles. The jumps racing fixtures come thick and fast (weather permitting, of course). But while there are some great events and top-class races, it’s all a warm-up act. There is one event on the minds of trainers, jockeys, fans and punters – The Cheltenham Festival.

That has remained the case in 2021, despite the restrictions on fan attendances at racecourses across the UK and Ireland. The show must go on, and there is a palpable sense of excitement over this year’s event. The four-day racing extravaganza will take place from 16th-19th March at the iconic Cheltenham Racecourse. But who are the horses making the headlines in the lead up to the festival, the so-called road to Cheltenham? Below we pick out five names who are likely to be on everyone’s lips before, during and after the 2021 Cheltenham Festival:

Al Boum Photo

History beckons for this nine-year-old trained by Willie Mullins. Al Boum Photo won the Gold Cup – the most prestigious of Cheltenham’s 28 races – in 2019 and 2020, and he is favourite to win a third in 2021. Such a feat will put him on a par with modern greats like Best Mate and past heroes like the legendary Arkle. It’s a tall order, of course, but Mullins is arguably the greatest jumps racing trainer of this century, and he has used Al Boum Photo both wisely and sparingly. Team Mullins is gunning for this historic hat-trick, and few will be surprised if they pull it off.