January 2012
2 posts
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Irish Grand National - Fairyhouse
The Irish Grand National horse race is a National Hunt steeplechase held at the Fairyhouse Racecourse in Ratoath, County Meath, in the Republic of Ireland. This annual race is held every Easter Monday during the Fairyhouse Easter Festival. As the biggest steeplechase and one of the most prestigious races in Europe, the Irish Grand National attracts some of the best quality racehorses in the...
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Betting Ante-Post
Having been a trainer and driver of racehorses; having witnessed 1000’s of races over the course of the past 30 years, anything can occur before the race starts. With this knowledge, here are some tips that may assist you in making a good bet, while using your brains instead of your gut reaction. Although ante-post racing has been a huge market with betters or punters, you should be very careful...
December 2011
4 posts
1 tag
Junior Attracting Grand National Market Support
David Pipe has made no secret of the fact that he is preparing the talented dual purpose performer Junior for a crack at the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree in April having missed the cut last term, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed that there has been support for the eight-year-old across the board with most firms having laid their 25/1 and some now offering just 16/1 about Junior winning this...
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2012 Aintree Festival
For some people April may seem months away but for others it is just right around the corner. That is right. It is time to get ready for the Grand National Championship. This horse race is a most exciting time for horse lovers and race fans both. There are three days of fun and exciting things to do. From women and children to the racers themselves there is something for everyone. It holds appeal...
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Career Of AP McCoy
Jockey A.P. (Tony) McCoy is undoubtedly the most successful and greatest jump-jockey in the history hunt racing. A.P. McCoy has snatched a record of 16 successive jump jockey titles. He has ridden more than 3,000 winners since 1992 and well on his way to breaching the 4,000 mark. It was in 2002 when he finally broke the record for most number of winners in a single season of 269 held by Sir...
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Christmas At Kemption Park
The two day William Hill Winter Festival is scheduled to take place At Kempton Park Racecourse on Boxing Day 26th December and Tuesday 27th December 2011 . The racecourse, which is situated on the outskirts of London, will host the festive two day sporting extravaganza featuring some top class Jump racing. After the excesses of the Christmas celebrations it’s a perfect way for family and...
November 2011
3 posts
What Does Each Way Betting Mean? | Grand National →
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Cork Racecourse To Help Autism Suffers
Cork Racecourse Mallow, has recently announced it’s affiliation to national charity, Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland [AADI]. The charity was founded in 2010 and has since placed three trained assistance dogs and six companion dogs with families who have children living with autism. Achieving independence and safety for children suffering from the condition is a priority and the dogs can...
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What To Look For In The Parade Ring
You’ll often find the professional punters at the Parade Ring just before the race. But what are these guys looking for? Well, simply they are looking for clues to how a horse will perform in the race.
You don’t need to be a horse whisperer to tell when a horse is in good condition. Just look for tell tale signs that can save you wasting money on ‘no hopers’.
So what are...
September 2011
2 posts
8 tags
Bob Champion Trust
Unbelievably it is now thirty years since Bob Champion won the Grand National on Aldaniti. In 1979 Bob was riding high in his career as a jockey, when he was given the news that he had cancer in two parts of his body and possibly only a few months to live.
The dream that he might one day win the Grand National on Aldaniti, who had suffered serious leg inuries and had almost been put down at one...
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Sun Leads Tribute To Ginger
The Sun newspaper leads it’s sporting content with a touching tribute to legendary Grand National trainer Ginger McCain.
GINGER McCAIN died yesterday … and with him went a part of the Grand National. For as Mick Fitzgerald, who won Aintree’s great race on Rough Quest in 1996, said: “He was the National.” Liverpool’s loveable former taxi driver won the...
May 2011
1 post
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Horse Racing Odds
With the Grand National well and truly over for another year, thoughts turn to the other big races in the UK. Summer in England normally means flat racing, whilst I’m not the biggest fan for the flat scene it still holds my interest until the National Hunt jump season restarts in full.
The next major flat race is the Derby from Epsom, this year all eye’s are on the Queens runner...
April 2011
2 posts
6 tags
Big Tote Win
A £2 Tote Jackpot bet by novice Steve Whitely scooped a fantastic rollover jackpot of £1.4m at Exeter on Tuesday. Mr Whitely had taken advantage of a free promotional entry ticket and arrived at the course by public transport. Intending to have a some small bets and a few drinks with some friends, die hard gamblers would have been dismayed at his ‘method’ of random selection.
Despite...
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Picking A Grand National Winner
How To Pick a Grand National Winne
When Mon Mome romped home in the 2009 Grand National as a rank 100/1 outsider pundits everywhere were stunned. It just proves that picking a National winner is very difficult but the good news is that it’s not impossible. We can show you a couple of things to look out for when selecting your horses.
1. Weight is critical to Grand National Success
...
March 2011
3 posts
3 tags
Scots Looking To Land National For The Irish
Leading Irish jumps trainer Willie Mullins has a particularly strong hand ahead of this year’s John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on April, his The Midnight Club heading the horse racing betting at a best price 10/1 at present. Scotsirish is another Mullins horse with good prospects at Aintree, even though a couple of firms go as big as 100/1 about his chance of winning the...
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Calgary Ticks Most Of The Right National Boxes
Henrietta Knight looks far more the headmistress of a private school for ‘young ladies’ than the archetypal thoroughbred racehorse trainer, but the cloche hat and pearls shouldn’t trick anyway into believing she isn’t one of the most astute exponents of her craft, writes Elliot Slater. The lady who famously can’t bear to look when her horses race and is usually...
Comply Remains on Course for Aintree
The sight of 2008 Aintree Grand National hero Comply or Die grinding to a halt in the Newcastle mud at the weekend must have been tough to take for those who have been hoping the popular 12-year-old can come back and win the great race for a second time, writes Elliot Slater. Also a brave runner-up to Mon Mome in the 2009 renewal of the John Smith’s Grand National , David Pipe’s grand campaigner...
February 2011
6 posts
1 tag
Latest Grand National News
With the John Smith’s Grand National is little over a month away there are a large number of stories flowing in racing circles that will be of interest to punters with the latest related to joint top weight, Neptune Collonges.
The ten-year-old Paul Nicholls trained grey was one of the fancied horses for the annual steeplechase at Aintree but has now been withdrawn from the race.
Instead the...
O'Neill Has Very Strong National Hand
Jonjo O’Neill was the Grand National winning trainer in 2010 when his Don’t Push It landed the Aintree marathon under champion jockey AP McCoy, and he holds very strong claims to land the race for a second consecutive year in the 2011 event. Obviously Don’t Push It will be back to defend his crown, a rock solid effort over hurdles recently at Newbury showed he was approaching...
Peddlers Cross and Bincoular set to Clash
Punters favourite, Peddlers Cross, will be entered into either the Tote Contenders Hurdle at Sandown or the William Hill Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las, both held on Saturday 5 February, en-route to a serious challenge for top honours at the Cheltenham Festival. The original intention had been to race the unbeaten Donald McCain-trained stable star at Haydock last Saturday in the Champion...
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Haydock the place to be for National clues
With the 2011 Grand National weights having been announced the trials for the race will take even greater prominence, as everyone will be trying to spot the best-handicapped horses.
So far this season, a number of the main contenders have been plying their trade over hurdles, as trainers have attempted to protect the handicap marks of the National runners. Now that the weights have been...
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Push It signals National intent with eye-catching...
The 2010 John Smith’s Grand National winner Don’t Push It caught the eye in the opening race on Newbury’s rescheduled Totesport Trophy card on Friday, staying-on well from off the pace to finish on the heels of the leaders in a competitive three-mile handicap hurdle, writes Elliot Slater.
In the week when the official weights were published for the Aintree marathon and last...
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Couldntsee Grand National Hopes In The Balance
Noel Glynn’s John Smith’s Grand National candidate Becauseicouldntsee faces a desperate race against time to be fit and well in time to take his chance in the Aintree marathon after undergoing surgery on a hind leg that was damaged after his most recent outing when finishing second at Leopardstown, writes Elliot Slater.
The eight-year-old Beneficial gelding (generally on offer at 25/1...
January 2011
13 posts
Modern Era of the Cheltenham Festival
After the second world war it took a while for racing at Cheltenham to bounce back to prominence, it was during this time that the Irish invasion really started – they had their first Cheltenham Gold Cup winner in the shape of Cottage Rake and the emergence of Vincent O’Brien through the training ranks really acted as a further catalyst. O’Brien’s influence became greater and...
Scottish Grand National History
We mainly concentrate on the English Grand National here on Tumblr, but the Scottish Grand National is also a major sporting event.
I have just found a great blog post on the history of the race over at grandnational.posterous.com it’s well worth a read if you’re interested in Grand Nationals and steeplechasing in general.
The Scottish race has three less fences than the English...
Peddlers Cross And Bincoular Set To Clash
Punters favourite, Peddlers Cross, will be entered into either the Tote Contenders Hurdle at Sandown or the William Hill Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las, both held on Saturday 5 February, en-route to a serious challenge for top honours at the Cheltenham Festival. The original intention had been to race the unbeaten Donald McCain-trained stable star at Haydock last Saturday in the Champion...
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Cheltenham – Fred Winter Juvenile Novices'...
This race is another recent addition to the Cheltenham Festival and made its debut in 2005. Many pundits and commentators were doubtful about the addition of a four year handicap hurdle at this meeting and some feel that it has taken something away from the main juvenile event – the Triumph Hurdle.
Putting that argument to one side for the moment it does or rather has given Cheltenham the chance...
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Fleming blames ground for Starluck flop
Trainer Alan Fleming is clearly a disappointed man after seeing his stable star Starluck finish a well beaten third behind reigning champion hurdler Binocular in the William Hill Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park, writes Elliot Slater.
Last season the grey ran an absolute blinder to make the high-class Go Native pull out all the stops (Binocular back in third) in the Christmas Hurdle, eventually...
Kauto Star Beaten in King George VI Chase
Kauto Star was denied the chance to win a record fifth King George VI chase at Kempton on Saturday. The iconic horse, ridden by AP McCoy for the first time in the absence of the injured Ruby Walsh, had to settle for third as the inspired Long Run created history. The winner’s stablemate Riverside Theatre came in second, 12 lengths behind Long Run. Cheltenham festival betting pundits note how...
The Package Appeals as Aintree Value
David Pipe’s The Package, a leading fancy for last year’s John Smith’s Grand National, looks set to be a key player in this year’s renewal having been specifically targeted at the Aintree marathon by his shrewd connections, writes Elliot Slater. Owner David-Johnson’s gelding was in the process of running a good race and had just started to improve his position from...
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Denman Begins Build Up To Cheltenham
The mighty Denman, a horse with a huge fan club who has endeared himself to the racing public for a number of seasons, is back in full training and beginning his build-up to what is likely to be his last attempt to win the Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup for a second time, writes Elliot Slater. The 11-year-old gelding, winner of the 2008 renewal when beating the awesome Kauto Star by seven lengths,...
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Ballabriggs Drops Clear National Hint
The Donald McCain-trained Ballabriggs made a particularly impressive winning reappearance over hurdles at Wincanton on Saturday and has now advanced to dispute favouritism with some firms in the ante-post market for the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree in April, writes Elliot Slater.
Not seen since winning the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival last March,...
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A truly wide open Champion Hurdle
This year’s Stan James Champion Hurdle, the feature on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival in mid-March, is shaping up to be one of the most wide open for years with a handful of worthy candidates all bidding to get their hooves on the trophy, writes Elliot Slater. Bookies and those regularly placing a cheltenham bet are finding it hard to separate the three market leaders; last year’s...
Could Kauto possibly regain the Gold Cup for a...
When Muhammad Ali regained the world heavyweight boxing title for a third time back in the mid-1970’s the enormity of that achievement rocked the sporting world and remains unsurpassed in that most combative of sports. If Kauto Star comes back and regains the Cheltenham Gold Cup crown for a third time next March, it will arguably be a comparable sporting achievement to that achieved by the...
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Jockeys merry-go-round ahead of Sunday’s ‘King...
Ahead of every big race there is always a flurry of activity surrounding jockey bookings and this Sunday’s feature Grade 1 William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton Park is proving no exception, writes Elliot Slater.
Noel Fehily, who was expected to ride hot favourite Kauto Star due to the continued absence of the 10-year-old’s regular pilot Ruby Walsh, (sidelined since early November with a...
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Fehily unfit ~ McCoy rides Kauto Star
In declaring himself unfit to ride the red-hot favourite Kauto Star in Sunday’s William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, Noel Fehily has lost the chance to ride the biggest winner of his career, but has definitely won the respect and admiration of the racing community, writes Elliot Slater.
Those looking at cheltenham 2011 tips know that it takes real guts and honesty to...
October 2010
1 post
Free Bets →
Get the latest free bets from the UK’s biggest bookmakers plus news and tips for all the big upcoming sporting events.
September 2010
5 posts
7 tags
Gong For National Jockey?
After his success in the 2010 Grand National, jockey A.P. McCoy is heavily tipped to win the The BBC Sports Personality of The Year award.
Horse racing, of course, still a minority sport in Britain, watched by a hardcore few. In the past amazing Jockey’s like Frankie Detorri have failed to claim the BBC title even when hugely popular with non racing fans like Frankie was.
However A.P. has...
Best Casino →
Best casino is a new visual web directory that highlights only the best online casinos, sports betting portals and bingo rooms. Site owners can submit their wares for review and inclusion.
Fruit Machines & Slots
With the 2011 Grand National not running until April!!!!, I’ve taken a look at some of the other gambling opportunities available online. Not everything is sports betting or horse racing.
First up is one of my favorite ways to spend a few hours online… Playing fruit machines and pub slots. Yes I know they are a mugs game, but I still love playing them. Mainly because I dream of...
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A.P. McCoy Finally Wins National
So for the late announcement! So finally A.P. McCoy ended his Aintree Hoodoo on DON’T PUSH IT. The relief was clear to see on A.P.’s face as he crossed the finishing post. I took the photo of jockey AP McCoy (above) at Bangor Races, on that day he had a bad fall, however his ride in the Grand National was perfection, well done Tony!
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Bet Calculator
Frustrated by trying to work out your bets? Singles, Each Way and Multiple bets can now be worked out online for free at www.bet-calculator.co.uk, the site is dead easy to use and the calculator is one of the easiest I’ve seen online. There is also more complicated Arbing Calculators for greening up on Betfair.
Guide To Godolphin Racing
You may have watched the horse racing on TV and heard the name ‘Godolphin’ mentioned a few times, so who is ’Godolphin’ racing and how come there so big in English racing? A nice little guide from the Grand National site www.grand-national.me.uk explains all about Godolphin.
August 2009
2 posts
5 tags
Bob Champion To Ride At Aintree Again!
Grand National winning jockey Bob Champion (aged 61) is going to ride at Aintree again, this time his ride will not be over the fences but as part of a charity event to raise money for cancer patients and the Injured Jockeys Fund.
Bob who beat cancer shortly before riding to victory on Aldaniti in the 1981 National is attempting to ride at all 60 of the UK’s race courses including two that...
July 2009
4 posts
Past Grand National Winners
Website www.grand-national.me.uk has an excellent history of all the Grand National winners in the modern era, along with a detailed account on how each horse and jockey performed in the big race. Click Here to read them.
