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The Cheltenham Festival is one of British and Irish horse racing’s biggest events and its traditional running in mid-March means that it marks the beginning of the racing calendar each year.

It is one of the most attended and most prestigious horse race meetings of the year with more than a quarter of a million people attending each year. The highest attendance always occurs on Cheltenham Gold Cup Day, which saw 71,500 people pass through Cheltenham Racecourse’s gates in 2019.

The four-day Cheltenham Festival hosts 28 races, evenly spread across each day, with five feature races, the most prestigious being the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The others are the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Champion Hurdle, the Ryanair Chase, and the Stayers’ Hurdle.

With so many people attending and so many big races taking place, there are around 250 bookmakers at the racecourse each day to take the huge number of wagers placed. In more recent years, many bettors have also been placing bets through their smartphones through the growing number of online and mobile bookmakers. These brands offer an advantage over trackside bookies in that they’re able to provide horse racing tips and other insights to help people make more informed betting decisions.

So with this in mind, what can we expect from the Cheltenham Festival in 2021?

When is the Cheltenham Festival in 2021?

The Cheltenham Festival traditionally takes place over four days in the middle of March. In 2021, things will be no different with the meeting scheduled to begin on Tuesday 16th March 2021 and end on Friday 19th March 2021.

Day one will feature the Champion Hurdle race as well as six other hurdle and chase events. Day two will see another day of six races, beginning at 13:30 with The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Race, the feature race that day will be The Queen Mother Champion Steel Chase, a circa 2-mile chase for Grade 1 horses. Day two also coincides with St Patrick’s Day and will, as is always the case, be filled with people celebrating Ireland’s patron saint while they enjoy the races.

Day three sees two feature races: The Ryanair Steep Chase and The Stayers’ Hurdle, the latter being a circa 3-mile hurdle race. The final day rounds out the Cheltenham Festival with The Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase, a 3-mile 2.5-furlong chase that will see £625,000 awarded to the winning horse.

How to Watch the Cheltenham Festival in 2021?

As has been the case in previous years, you can follow all the action from the Cheltenham Festival from home if you’re not planning to attend in person. Free-to-air commercial broadcaster ITV will be showing all of the festival’s main races each day on its main channel ITV1. These three-and-a-half-hour live shows will include the feature race and several others, along with expert analysis, punditry and commentary.

If you want to catch all the action, then Racing TV will show every single race from each of the four days, so you won’t have to miss a thing.

 

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Who Will Win The Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase in 2021?

The entry list for the Cheltenham Festival has not yet been released and likely won’t be for a little while yet. However, most online betting sites and major news outlets will all be covering the event in detail, offering up-to-date odds, their picks, and predictions.

While most of the attention will be placed on The Cheltenham Gold Cup because it’s the most prominent race of the festival. However, there are plenty of other great betting opportunities among the other races taking place over the four days.

At this early stage, Al Boum is a clear front runner to win the Gold Cup after winning the race for the last two years. Many in the sport are asking whether he can make it three years in a row, joining Best Mate, Arkle, Cottage Rake, and Golden Miller.

The Melbourne Cup is one of the biggest races run in Australia every year. The two-mile classic race will take place at Flemington Racecourse on the first Tuesday of November 2020. Offering an incredible money prize of up to $8 million, the Melbourne Cup competition attracts genuine turf stars worldwide, including international raiders. Also, the $8 million cash prize makes the competition one of the richest races across the globe and second in prize after the $15 million race, The Everest that is usually held in October in Sydney.

Much like the Kentucky Derby in the United States and the Grand National in the United Kingdom, the Melbourne Cup is seen as the pinnacle of the racing season in Australia. The race usually dominates the sporting headlines for an extended period. Since 1861, the Flemington racecourse has been the host of this exciting event.

The 2020 event is closing in, and punters from Australia, the UK, the US, and other parts of the world are looking for some reliable tips for the race. Both Declare and Vow are one of the favourites to claim a victory after their famous win in 2019. But since 1976, Makybe Diva has retained the title. In the 1990s, he won three titles in a row. Also, Camelot from Russia is among the top contenders. This means that fans could well expect new names in the first position.

In any race or competition, it’s not always the favourites that win, and below are some outsiders that could be worth your bet. Go through the list and probably pick the one you feel can win the race.

Skyward

John Messara recently purchased Skyward with the aim of winning this competition. Currently, most predictions for the Melbourne Cup do not have Skyward among their favourites. And this does not mean that they cannot emerge the winner. Being the son of Camelot, the winner of the Epson Derby in 2012, Skyward can pull a surprise in the race.

Young Rascal

In the Epson Derby in 2018, Young Rascal was one of the favourites to win the race. According to most sources, Young Rascal could be ideal for the Caulfield Cup, a 2,400-metre race rather than the Melbourne Cup that is 3,200 metres. However, Alexander is sure of success at Farmington.

Master of Reality

Despite the controversy that cost the Master of Reality a top-three finish in 2019, when Dotarri was ruled to have blocked Paradiso, it is still one of the favourites. The decision was not friendly for Dotarri, but he believes that he can be the winner in the eagerly awaited Melbourne Cup competition.

 

 

Degraves

Since 2012, Lloyd Williams has won three titles in the Melbourne Cup. And with this in mind, there are hopes that Degraves could increase the number of titles under his name. Joseph O’Brien is the trainer, and both O’Brien and Williams brought success in 2017. This simply shows that Degraves is one of the favourites.

Summary

These are the main four outsiders to keep in mind if you are a punter. However, it is also worth keeping an eye on other contenders since surprises, and new winners are a common thing in the world of sports.

Like the main characters in the movie, horses are the leading superstars that make a horse racing tournament intense. They undergo a series of rigid training to become powerful, vigorous, and healthy. Aside from that, they should develop a speed variation to help them connect with their jockey to reach the finish line successfully.

While it’s true that horses need to display an optimum strength inside the race track, their skills won’t get developed without the trainers. They play the biggest role in handicapping horses. They attend many Maiden Special Weight and Allowance Claiming races that help them scout the best-thoroughbred colts.

One of the world’s most notable horse racing, the Kentucky Derby is about to kick off in less than a week. You’ll see another batch of mighty colts trained by the most skilled trainers in the horse racing department in this event. Before we head on to the formal Roses run, let’s first know the best Derby and Triple Crown winners of all time and your hopes to form the TVG Kentucky Derby betting guide.

Ben And Jimmy Jones

The father and son tandem had their best Triple Crown year in 1948. They are both Hall of Fame racehorse trainers who handicap many colts in the past. In 1944, Ben was close enough to win another Triple Crown but was upset during the Belmont Stakes losing with a half-length. But, their Kentucky Derby streak has reached six wins, which was already significant.

“Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons

The Hall of Fame plaque is a well-deserved award for “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons after sending two Triple Crown titleholders, including Omaha, in 1935 and Gallant Fox in 1930. Aside from that, he was also able to train six Belmont Stakes finishers and bred Horse of the Year in the Preakness and Kentucky Derby.

Bob Baffert

Recorded five Derby victories and seven Preakness trophies, Bob Baffert is probably one of the most awarded racehorse trainers in history. This Hall of Famer horse trainer has been active in handicapping the toughest colts today. In the upcoming Derby, he has two entries and hopes that both of them can place significantly.

Max Hirsch

Max Hirsch might be unfortunate enough not to produce a father and son Triple Crown heroes, but his achievements in the Triple Crown race is undisputed. Before suffering from an injury, Hirsch has produced double Preakness and Kentucky Derby winners in 1936. Not only that, but his biggest achievement was also sending Bold Venture in 1950 as a Belmont and Derby hero in the Triple Crown race.

Lucien Laurin

No horse has broken Secretariat’s record of being the fastest horse to finish the race until today. He won the Horse of the Year award in 1973, aside from the Triple Crown. Lucien Laurin was the man behind this horse’s success. Apart from Secretariat, he also trained Riva Ridge, who won the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Derby in 1972.

Laz Barrera

Laz Barrera was indeed a man with impressive horsemanship after training Affirmed, a 1978 Triple Crown superstar. Compared to other racehorse trainers, Laz Barrera can keep the horse stamina in an exalted level allowing them to emerge as winners upon stepping at the finish line. He started his Triple Crown quest in 1976 and won the Derby and Belmont eight away.

Billy Turner

After sending Seattle Slew in the Triple Crown race in 1977, Billy Turner was an instrumental trainer, where he won the title. This horse showed a blistering speed during the three jewels sweeping all the races. After that, Seattle Slew dazzled in the Grade 1 Swaps but failed to maintain his stamina, where he suffered a great loss.

H.G. Bedwell

H.G. Bedwell received his Hall of Fame award after accomplishing seven wins within six years. Apart from that, Sir Barton was his horse who won the Triple Crown in 1919, where he served as an inspiration to many horse racing enthusiasts today. Amidst of a foot injury that Sir Barton suffered, Bedwell managed to let him shine in all Triple Crown jewels.

George Conway

In 1937, War Admiral won the Horse of the Year and Triple Crown title. George Conway was responsible for making this horse as the 4th Triple Crown titleholder. On the other hand, he had his first accomplishment in 1926 after Crusader won the Belmont Stakes.

Don Cameron

Don Cameron had to overcome many challenges before sending a Triple Crown superstar in 1943, Count Fleet. He had to train him though this horse has displayed many problems, especially when it comes to speed control. Cameron didn’t disappoint sweeping the three jewels undoubtedly.

Takeaway

Racehorse trainers had important shoes to fill, making a horse successful in a horse racing tournament. They not only hone the horse’s speed, but they make sure that these colts are consistently winning, especially in the Triple Crown races. Hence, real superstars in horse racing are not only the colts and the fillies, but also the trainers.

‘The Jewel in the Crown of Racing’. I’m sure that’s a description that you’ll have heard used to describe The Grand National over the years, and for good reason. This feast of top draw racing enthrals the betting public each and every year, with epic rivalries occurring and records made to be broken. Each time the race is held the history books are just waiting for a new and exciting chapter to be written. Who can forget the epic wins of Red Rum in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and isn’t it fascinating how this very year may well bring the first ‘three in a row’ Grand National winner in the long history of the event, courtesy of the one and only Tiger Roll trying to add to his 2018 and 2019 wins. He clearly firmly has his eyes on the Grand National prize and so let’s hope he has the opportunity to do so.

Tiger Rolls is currently 8-1 with many bookmakers to win the Grand National. I wouldn’t call those betting odds generous as such but at the same time, it’s not unbelievably short. It’s bound to be a popular bet with punters as many would love nothing more than to see this fairytale record breaking effort take place as they watched live on TV (or on the Aintree course if they’re lucky!).So from the bookmakers perspective anything other than a Tiger Roll victory is likely good for profits, or ‘free money’ as people often like to call it. Other popular Grand National prospects at time of posting include second Favourite ‘Any Second Now’ at 10-1, Burrows Saint at 12-1 and Definitely Red at odds of 14-1.

They are a quite closely bunched lot really, but the Grand National of course can surprise. Bookmakers fall over themselves to offer free bets during the National too, because it’s such an attractive big money event. You can click here to find your recommended free bet if you are looking for some examples. A large field, brutal hurdles and horses being pushed all the way by their riders, ensure that you never quite know what’s coming. With that thought in mind opting to bet on a long shot isn’t always the worst idea either. 100-1 shots have won the National in the past and so this isn’t pie in the sky stuff. What better feeling than to be one of the few punters cheering on a 100-1 outsider as it crosses the line in first place?

For millions the race will be a welcome distraction from the bad news on our screens right now, and tuning into the Grand National on April 2^nd will be an exciting and familiar moment in time. It sounds like the event may be held behind closed doors due restrictions on large crowds, but to be honest whether there are on course cheers or not, the show must go on and the Grand National is likely to be as captivating as it ever had been. It’s ‘the’ race to win for any horse, jockey or trainer and the outcome is now and always far from a formality even if your selection does appear to tick all of the right boxes. Just ask trainers like Nicky Henderson, he’s won everything there is to win in racing, but still a Grand National win eludes him! It’s the one they all want to win!