Archive for the ‘Horse Racing’ Category

February 8th, 2013 Horse Racing Comments Off

Air of anticipation mounts as Cheltenham Festival edges ever closer

Air of anticipation mounts as Cheltenham Festival edges ever closer

Air of anticipation mounts as Cheltenham Festival edges ever closer

By Kieron Casey: The Cheltenham Festival takes place over four days and each day engages the crowds as much as the other. The event is now quickly approaching and racing fans are getting excited!

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The equivalent of the FA Cup in football, fans from all over the world will gather to witness the action up close and personal.

Every year the famous racecourse opens its gates to over 220,000 race fans not knowing who is going to shine in each race but well aware that the action they will see won’t disappoint.

The Festival, taking place between the 12th and 16th of March, is the highlight of the year for jump racing, with the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, and World Hurdle all taking place throughout the week.

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January 30th, 2013 Horse Racing Comments

Racing fans counting down days to vintage Cheltenham Festival

Racing fans counting down days to vintage Cheltenham Festival

Racing fans counting down days to vintage Cheltenham Festival

By Nick Wilby: The Cheltenham Festival lasts for four magical days and each installment of action plays its part in the most sensational meeting on the British racing calendar.

The extravaganza is the pinnacle of jump racing all over the world and with the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and World Hurdle all taking centre stage throughout the week, it is no surprise that racing fanatics flock to the Cotswolds to see the action live.

Each day revolves around a feature race and the action kicks off with the Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the week. The two-mile showpiece is as electric as the ‘Cheltenham roar’ which accompanies the first contest of the day and all being well Rock On Ruby will be returning to Cheltenham to defend his crown in the race. There will be a whole host of superstars lining up to tackle the superstar and the likes of Hurricane Fly, Darlan, Grandouet and Zarkandar will all be looking to lower the colours of Harry Fry’s reigning champion.

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January 25th, 2013 Horse Racing Comments

Anticipation Builds for Cheltenham’s World Hurdles

Anticipation Builds for Cheltenham’s World Hurdles

Anticipation Builds for Cheltenham’s World Hurdles

By Robert Evans: If you ask anyone about the Cheltenham Festival they would probably say that its most celebrated moment is the Cheltenham Roar. This takes place amid the extraordinary atmosphere of the first race – the moment at which the starter raises the tape for the first race and the horses are off. Yet perhaps that may change this year.

For those interested in World Hurdle betting 2013 it has to be said that the race this year is probably the most eagerly awaited in its history. It isn’t so much that the World Hurdle is an integral element of the meeting, which has prize money second only to the most famous race in the world, The Grand National. This year it’s all about a horse – the appropriately named Big Buck’s.

Big Buck’s (pictured above) is one amazing horse – and that is putting it lightly. Trained by Paul Nicholls and owned by Andy Stewart, this horse is an incredible record breaker. Big Buck’s has one specialty – and that is hurdle racing. As the name suggests, then, The World Hurdle means that Big Buck’s is on familiar and comfortable territory. Yet there are a lot of expectations balanced on this single horse – Big Buck’s has won the World Hurdles four consecutive times, last year being his last win.

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January 2nd, 2013 Horse Racing Comments

Get Me Out Of Here to grab World Hurdle 2013 glory

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By Nigel Ridgway:The news that Big Buck’s will miss this season due to injury has blown the betting for the World Hurdle wide open. It’s a race the Paul-Nicholls-trained hurdler has made his own, winning it for the last four years, and in that time any challengers have been brushed aside with contemptuous ease. Win number five seemed almost a foregone conclusion after his Hennessy weekend romp and bookmakers were offering no bigger than evens on such an eventuality, but sadly that’s not to be the case.

All that said, his enforced absence does leave the door open for a new staying star to emerge and I’m sure the race sponsors Ladbrokes are not too disheartened as the race is now wide open and looks sure to evolve into a frenzied betting heat – good for business then! The problem for punters, though, is working out which of the established stayers have got what it takes and whether any of the youngsters just starting out can muscle their way into the argument. Even bookmakers seem confused with the sponsors convinced that the Irish mare Quevega is now a worthy favourite at 3/1, whilst others are less committal and are betting 6/1 ‘the field’.