Category: National Hunt Racing

Kim Bailey has revealed that the bet365 Gold Cup has been the plan for some time with El Presente, who is one of 20 entries for the Grade Three handicap chase on bet365 Jump Finale Day at Sandown Park on Saturday (April 24th). The eight year old was a particularly game winner of the Badger […]

History makers and record breakers on course for Punchestown Festival as Grade 1 entries revealed  Honeysuckle, Put The Kettle On, Minella Indo, Al Boum Photo, Epatante, Monkfish, Envoi Allen and Tiger Roll all among stellar entries 46 trainers with Grade 1 options at Punchestown  36 individual Grade 1 winners among the entries In a season […]

Leading bookmaker William Hill are the new title sponsor on the Punchestown Festival’s opening day as a major three-year deal is today announced. The famous €250,000 Grade 1 feature, now known as the William Hill Champion Chase, has hosted some of the most memorable battles staged at the home of Irish jump racing. Of all the Grade […]

RANDOX GRAND NATIONAL – Beaten trainers explain how they felt their horses ran either good or bad.    Saturday 10th April   Nicky Richards   Takingrisks, (PU 17TH) “He went a circuit then pulled up. It’s a difficult start and we wanted to get up in the first quarter of them but we were playing catch […]

Rachael Blackmore from Co. Tipperary made history on Saturday by becoming the first female jockey to win the Grand National with Minella Times. Indeed, it was a first win in the race for trainer Henry de Bromhead who not only won the race but finished second with Balko Des Flos for jockey Aidan Coleman. Blackmore […]

Paul Nicholls landed the Grade One Juvenile Hurdle on Thursday on the opening day of the Aintree Festival with the exciting Monmiral who remains unbeaten. This 4-year-old son of Saint Des Saints has been introduced to the 2022 Arkle at 14/1 at the Cheltenham Festival with BoyleSports. This young talent quickened up after the last […]

Dan Skelton admits “shock” at Sir Alex Ferguson Protektorat’s Novice Chase victory in the opening race of the Randox Grand National Festival. The trainer said he is now looking forward to “a big, big future” for the six year old, who has won three times and finished second twice in his five runs this season. […]

Jockey Conor O’Farrell believes Saturday’s Randox Grand National is the best chance the admirable veteran Vieux Lion Rouge will ever have in the race, as he bids to extend his fine record at Aintree. The 12 year old has the unique distinction of having completed Aintree’s Grand National course on nine occasions during his career […]

The roll-out of live weather data at major race meetings in Great Britain continues with WeatherTrax Live set to debut at Aintree’s three-day Randox Grand National Festival, which begins Thursday, 8th April. WeatherTrax is delivered by Cambridgeshire-based technology and ground management company, TurfTrax, and connects users directly to the on-site racecourse weather station providing 24/7 […]

As punters saddle up for the return of the Grand National on Saturday 10th April, historical research into previous winners finds that Class Conti has the best chance of riding away with this year’s prize.     The data from GrandNational.org.uk has analysed the winning horses since the Grand National started in 1839 and found that, statistically, the winner of the iconic race is a nine-year-old horse that has a handicap of 10st 7lbs.    From this year’s expected line-up, Class Conti matches closest to the best age (nine) and handicap (10st […]