The 2019 summer racing season is over, and, next on the racing fans’ calendar are the meets of 2020. Here are five which you just can’t miss out on next year.
Cheltenham Festival
One of the first in the racing calendar, the Cheltenham Festival takes place between March 10th and March 13th. Britain’s most popular jump meets and one of the best attended, Cheltenham is an iconic festival with the famous “Cheltenham roar” greeting riders as they set off.
Its popularity not only transcends Britain, but also in Europe as it usually coincides with St Patrick’s Day – though this holiday will be 17 March in 2020.
The first fence run on the final day sees the well-known Gold Cup Steeple Chase take place with an impressive £625,000 prize fund as crowds flock to Gloucestershire in their droves and punters place huge bets.
Randox Health Grand National
One of the most anticipated meets of the racing calendar, the Randox Health Grand National is dubbed “the ultimate test of horse and rider” for its large fences and its four-mile plus distance. Hosted at Aintree on Saturday 4 April, the race is worth the most – an eye-watering £1 million prize.
First run in 1839, the Grand National is a highlight for almost everyone in Britain and Ireland, regardless of betting experience. Unsurprisingly, therefore, it would be advisory for rookies to get clued up before the race, searching questions such as what does sp mean in betting or who offers the best odds.
Royal Ascot
The name says it all; Royal Ascot is Britain’s most popular flat-turf racing event, primarily because of the attendance of the Queen and other Royals, including the Prince of Wales as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Berkshire hosts almost 300,000 people per year with the Prince of Wales’ Stakes the most lucrative race with the winner bagging three-quarters of a million pounds.
Goodwood Festival
The “fashion” race of the year, Goodwood Festival is one of the most attractive meets of the flat-racing season, hence its fond moniker “Glorious Goodwood”.
The Sussex backdrop is inviting – as is the £1 million prize for the Qatar Sussex Stakes for Group 1 races. So, look out for a spike in racing betting from July 28 to August 1.
Yorkshire Ebor Festival
Taking place August 19-22, the Yorkshire Ebor Festival is the last major flat-turf race for the summer season. No wonder then that York Racecourse saw its biggest crowd of any festival in 2019 because of Ebor. Plus, its £1 million prize money drew in the punters, confident of a big ahul. And it’s sure to do just that in 2020 once more.
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