UK Horse Racing Tips

With the Cheltenham Festival just around the corner (March 13^th to 16th), punters both professional and casual are getting geared up to enjoy several days of top class racing action, bringing together many of our best known horses, jockeys, and trainers in the process. Millions of people are set to enjoy the Festival both on TV here in the UK, around the world, and also at the course where the Cheltenham Roar will blare out at the start of the Festival’s first race, the Supreme Novice’s Hurdle.

What do you intend to do after Cheltenham though, to get your horse racing fix – aside from counting your winnings of course? Well the good news is that there’s no need to let the action grind to a standstill, because the jewel in the crown of UK national hunt racing is hot on its heels, the Grand National 2018! The Grand National is perhaps the one horse racing event that even people with zero general interest in racing get on board with. Across the country office sweepstakes will be taking place and those with a marginal interest in racing will be coming up with ever more novel ways to pick selection, in a Carry On Film ‘what does the budgie think will win?’ approach. Of course professional gamblers will also be circling, as everyone has a look in during the National, a race that’s had its fair share of unpredictable results over the years.

The Grand National has always held a special place in UK racing, and officially first took place all the way back in 1939, when 5/1 favourite Lottery won at 5-1. Funnily enough though, over the years a reliance on favourites romping home may not have been the best approach. Excluding joint favourites, the last favourite to win was Hedgehunter in 2005 at 7-1. On the flipside for those of a more daring disposition, there have been some nice big priced winners in recent years: The Sue Smith trained Auroras Encore in 2013 at 66-1 and Mon Mome ridden by Liam Treadmill in 2009 at 100-1 are real stand out wins.

Over the years there have been some magical moments in the Grand National. Who could forget West Tip who ran six consecutive Grand Nationals (winning one), or Red Rum winning the race a staggering three times (1973, 1974 and 1977). What will be the stand out moment in the 2018 National I wonder? It takes place on 14^th April at 5:15pm, so in a little over a month we’ll get to find out!

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