Category: Racecourses

No less than sixty racecourses are situated in the UK, which provides racing enthusiasts with numerous opportunities to attend some of the biggest and most prestigious flat and National Hunt races in the world.

 

We’ve picked out our top 10 courses throughout the UK and explain what makes them worthy of a place on the list.

Cheltenham Racecourse

 

Located in the Cotswolds over 350 acres, Cheltenham racecourse is home to some of the best National Hunt racing in the UK.

 

The racecourse is one of the largest in the UK and attracts crowds of almost 70,000 for major events including the prestigious Cheltenham Festival that takes place over four days in March of each year and features races such as the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Stayers’ Hurdle and of course, the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Aintree Racecourse

 

Next on the list is Aintree Racecourse which is situated in Liverpool and hosts the biggest race of the jumps season, the Grand National. Over 150,000 people attend the Grand National at Aintree over the festival’s three-day meeting which leads up to the main race on the final day which is wagered on by millions across the nation.

Ascot Racecourse

Ascot Racecourse is host to one of the most prestigious events on the horse racing calendar, Royal Ascot, which takes place annually in June and attracts an impressive 300,000 attendees over the five-day event, including several members of the Royal family.

 

The racecourse was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne and currently provides 26 days of racing throughout the year with tips for Ascot racing being available for the majority of races.

Newmarket Racecourse

Based in Suffolk, Newmarket Racecourse is known as the ‘Home of Racing’ and the birthplace and global centre of thoroughbred horse racing.

 

Flat races take place at Newmarket throughout the year from April to November with the most popular being the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas at The Guineas Festival.

York Racecourse

Many folks up North enjoy a day out at York races whether it be for the Juddmonte International meeting or the extremely popular Ebor Festival featuring one of Europe’s premier handicap races, the Ebor Handicap.

 

York has a long history with horse racing which dates back to Roman times and the racecourse, situated just outside the city centre, has won the ‘Best Racecourse in Britain’ award no less than four times.

Goodwood Racecourse

Home to 13 Group races as well as the Glorious Goodwood festival, Goodwood Racecourse is one of the most popular and picturesque courses set in the English countryside.

 

If visiting Goodwood is on your bucketlist, you only have a four-month window each year to tick it off. Racing starts in May with the Glorious Goodwood festival taking place in July/August followed by the Spring Meeting and lastly the August and Autumn Meeting in October.

Epsom Racecourse

 

Epsom Racecourse is able to host a staggering 130,000 people which includes those who choose to spectate via the Epsom Downs. The racecourse is best known for hosting The Derby and The Oaks with the Derby taking place annually on the first Saturday in June and The Oaks the day before.

 

The course itself is one of the more challenging in the UK for horses due to its sharp bends and gruelling climbs.

Haydock Racecourse

Haydock Racecourse hosts both flat and National Hunt races throughout the year and is one of two courses located in Merseyside with the other being Ascot.

 

Featured races at Haydock each year include the Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase, the Betfair Chase in November and the Group 1 flat race, the Sprint Cup in early September.

Doncaster Racecourse

 

Doncaster Racecourse begins and ends the racing flat season and hosts 36 meetings throughout each year. The track features both flat and National Hunt racing with the first being the Lincoln meeting in April all the way through to the St Leger meeting in September.

Chester Racecourse

Officially the oldest operational racecourse in the world having hosted its first race in 1539, Chester Racecourse is a popular destination for racing fanatics and families looking for a fun day out due to its location near several hotels, bars and restaurants.

The biggest event at Chester Racecourse is the three-day May meeting which features the Chester Vase, the Ormonde Stakes, the Cheshire Oaks, the Dee Stakes and the Chester Cup.

Race horses can be fun when done sensibly. They lead to sports’ well-being in that the money earned by tracks and online wagering platforms return to the game. Everything you need to bet more professionally on race horses online and stand a chance to win is available in this internet era. Here, we will look at the top online venues where you can bet race horses games.

Online Casinos

Online casinos offer a platform that lets gamblers bet on different games, including race horses. The platform provides a better betting experience owing to customer service directing players to make the right choices. What’s more, most online casinos offer free spins bonuses that give players free access to games that are otherwise usually pricey. This enables hunters to play perfectly, experimenting with different strategies since there’s no fear of losing money.

Horse Racing Betting apps

Horse racing betting apps are great for betting on the go on mobile phones, getting the latest news about your preferred runners and favorite racetracks, and watching live races. Most of them are easy to use and integrate live streaming within the apps. Before choosing an online horse race betting app, compare the best features, including sign-up promotions like free spins bonuses related to your favorite races. Examples of horse race betting apps include BetAmerica, Xpressbet, and TwinSpires, available for iOS and Android and TVG for iOS only.

Apart from online casinos and betting apps, several other websites offer online horse race betting services. Some of the top websites with such services are;

bet365

This site is said to offer the best sports odds compared to any other bookmaker. ITV Racing specials and flexible cash out make it stand out among other race horse sites. The availability of extra places in big races in bet365 makes it an excellent choice for fixed-odds horse race betting. Bet365 also has other amazing features like live chat and live streaming, mobile phone deposits and withdrawal, free spins bonuses, and a superb welcome bonus of up to £100 bet credits for new players.

BetVictor

BetVictor is considered among the best betting sites for horse races with a low deposit and a good welcome offer. The site’s odds are considered to be among the best for racing horses and football. BetFinder is a BetVictor function that serves as an excellent horse racing guide. The function offers informative horse racing tips, jokey stats, and helpful trainers, which enable players to pick winners. Betting and watching race horses on BetVictor is entertaining, with live streaming every day from 8 am to 10 pm.

betway

Another fantastic e-Sports betting site that is also great for race horse betting. The site has various live streaming games, including horse racing streaming. Other key features include deposit bonuses, promotions with free spins bonuses, various games, free jackpot predictor, several deposit/withdrawal options, free bet club, and up to £30 welcome offers for new accounts.

Betfair

Betfair is a one-stop site where account owners are permitted to use both exchange accounts and sportsbooks. With the Betfair exchange accounts, players can compete against each other, getting the most of the site’s generous prices that opposing customers offer. Players can take a generous horse racing overnight price with the sportsbook before other bookies’ prices increase. The exchange education consists of videos that offer helpful tips on race horses betting and winning.

Bottom Line

Betting on race horses online is top-rated and can be easy if you take your time to study the game beforehand. It’s more convenient since you don’t need to make any trips; just registering an account. Knowing where to bet on race horse is vital as that determines your betting experience and promotions, including free spins bonuses.

It’s a big week at Doncaster with the St Leger meeting starting on Wednesday September 8. The first day of the meeting sees the Group 3 Japan Racing Association Sceptre Fillies’ Stakes. This is a race for fillies and mares aged three years and over and run over a distance of seven furlongs and six yards. The forecast going is Good to Firm and the winner receives £45,368.

This race is named after the St Leger winner, Sceptre. Trainer Andrew Balding has trained the winner in two of the last three years. Roger Varian has also trained two winners of the Sceptre Stakes in 2016 and 2018.

In 2020, it was Foxtrot Lady, ridden by Frankie Dettori that won at the rather tasty price of 18/1, her first win since 2018. Foxtrot Lady was five-years-old when winning last year. That was the second time in three years that a five-year-old has won this race.

Who will be the winner in 2021?

Let’s take a look at the current odds and here is a Horse.bet analyst’s take on top contenders.

Joseph Patrick O’Brien runs Pretty Gorgeous in this race and has a good chance of success. Hopefully the filly will have better luck than in her last outing at Tipperary on August 26. Pretty Gorgeous finished eighth in the Group 3 race but was bumped at the start and hampered later on.

Earlier this year, this three-year-old was taking part in Group 1 races such as the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket and the Irish 1000 Guineas. Those races were over a mile and a couple on heavy ground. A drop in class, better ground and down to seven furlongs will be of great assistance. Pretty Gorgeous won a Group 2 race over this distance last year, so betting experts are confident of a good run in this race, reported Daily Mail.

Four-year-old With Thanks is trained by William Haggas and has already won a Group 3 race. That was last year at Naas over this distance, winning by five lengths on heavy ground. May of this year saw With Thanks finish seventh in the John Of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock when taking a keen hold.

The only other race in 2021 was on the all-weather at Chelmsford in July in a Listed race. Best to forget that though as only seventh place was achieved and With Thanks didn’t appreciate the surface. Back on turf, this runner can put in a better performance.

Highfield Prince is another runner with a good chance of winning the Sceptre Stakes. Trained by John Quinn, the four-year-old is bidding to win a fourth race of the year. Successes include the Class 2 Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June over seven furlongs. That was followed by a win in a Listed race on the all-weather at Chelmsford. horsesandcourses.net

No hat-trick though as Highfield Prince only finished third in a Group 3 race at Goodwood at the end of July. The last outing for this runner was a creditable second behind Space Blues at York on August 21 in a Group 2 race. Back down to Group 3, a good chance is held here for this Sceptre Stakes and Highfield Prince has won on this ground, so another plus.