HORSE racing and betting in the UK and Ireland have a long and intertwined history, going all the way back to the late 17th century when aristocrats, bookies, and hangers-on gathered at places like Newmarket Heath to wager on horse racing contests.
Betting on horse racing has come a long way since then, of course.
Nowadays, top betting sites, the full list of which you can find, for instance, at Legalbet.UK, provide convenient betting opportunities on races from around the globe, all of which can be accessed from your home or through your mobile device.
With 2023 fast approaching, here are some of the main horse racing betting events to look forward to next year.
Cheltenham Festival
The focal point of the UK national hunt season, Cheltenham Festival is a four-day celebration of the very best of national hunt racing.
The meeting begins with the traditional curtain-raiser, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and each of the four days has two or three prestigious events for the very best horses around, along with ultra-competitive handicap events.
The biggest race of them all, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is staged on the Thursday of the meeting and is considered the ultimate prize in steeplechasing.
Grand National
The oldest and most prestigious handicap race in the world, the Grand National is staged on the final day of the spring Aintree Festival, in Liverpool. It is run over a marathon distance of four and a half miles and sees a huge field of 40 horses compete over the traditionally difficult Aintree National course, with its huge fences. The Grand National is a huge betting event, and the one race every year that catches the imagination of the UK public, as everyone tries to predict the winner.
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby, which is staged in Louisville, Kentucky in the US, is held at the start of May every year and is the first leg of the US Triple Crown: the ultimate test of three-year-old
thoroughbred class. Staged over a mile and a quarter on dirt, it is known as ‘The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sport’ and some of the winners of this race have gone on to become legends of global horse racing.
The Derby
First run in 1780, this historic race is held in early June every year at the quirky Epsom Downs racecourse in England.
Staged over a mile and a half and restricted to three-year-olds, the Derby represents a stiff test of speed, stamina and balance and attracts a global audience.
It is the most prestigious of the five Classic races staged every season and the second leg of the original Triple Crown.
Royal Ascot
Held at the end of June, at Ascot racecourse, which is renamed as Royal Ascot every year for this meeting, this festival of flat racing is held over five days and features some of the very best thoroughbreds from around the world.
It is a stunning celebration of equine athletes, that was previously attended every year by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
Europe’s big race day comes at the end of the flat racing season, in early October. Staged over a mile and a half, often in testing conditions, this is a race that is open to three-year-olds and older horses, of both sexes, making it one of the most fascinating clashes in the season, as established greats take on rising stars.
It is the centrepiece of a two day meeting at Longchamp in Paris that attracts global attention and for which sports betting sites do a lot of business.
Breeders’ Cup
The biggest meeting in US thoroughbred racing, the Breeders’ Cup, is staged at a different course each year and attracts some of the best horses from around the world. A two-day event, it
offers the highest quality races of every distance, age and sex category, including globally prestigious events such as the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
