English Grand National Fan Blog

The UK boasts a number of famous racecourses in fact the country can be said to lead the world when it comes to horse racing. So here is a review of some of the countries most famous courses:

Aintree
Aintree is probably one of the most famous racecourses in the UK in fact the Liverpool racecourse is the home to world famous National Hunt race the Grand National.

The course is known as one of the most difficult courses to complete. It consists of 16 steeplechase fences some of which are so famous for their difficulty that they strike fear into jockeys: The Chair, Canal turn and Becher’s Brook.

For the National the course is run twice with 14 of the 16 fences jumped twice.

Ascot
Ascot has become one of the most important racecourses in the UK. It is part of the Crown Estates in Berkshire after it was established by Queen Anne. While Aintree is famous for its steeple chase Ascot is known for its flat races.

One of the most famous UK flat races Royal Ascot is held here each year. This is a five day race meet and is the highlight in the racing calendar and is attended by the Royal family each year with a Royal procession taking place each day.

But it is not just Royal Ascot that is held at the course in fact nine out of the UK’s 32 Group One races are held here, which is the same number as Newmarket.

Newmarket
Newmarket can easily claim to be the home of UK horseracing. The course in Suffolk holds the headquarters of British horseracing alongside the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations.

Newmarket actually has two courses- the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. These are wide galloping tracks which are used only for flat racing and like Ascot they host nine out of 32 Group One races.

Goodwood
Like Newmarket and Ascot Goodwood is a flat racing course. The course which is five miles north of Chichester in West Sussex and is most famous for hosting the Glorious Goodwood festival which is a highlight in the racing calendar.

The course is also home to two of the UK’s Group One races; the Sussex Stakes and the Nassau Stakes.

Next time you frequent the races, why not make it slightly more interesting and look into placing a bet? If you are new to Horse Racing Betting you needn’t worry as you can find plenty of tools and resources online to help you.

It is the biggest event in the racing calendar and is hugely important for bookmakers. The Grand National is a world famous hunt race held at Aintree each year. Each April the course plays host to what is the most valuable hunt race in the UK and is the centrepiece of one of only four meetings held at Aintree each year.

It is the one race in the betting calendar that inspires not only racing fans but also people who don’t normally watch or bet on horse racing – in fact a number of people who wouldn’t normally bet on any other sporting event will take a flutter on the National. So just what is it about this race that makes it so special?

It has 30 fences and is run over 4 miles and 856 yards (7,242 m) and sees horses and jockeys run over two circuits of Aintree’s National Course, which is triangular in shape and has sixteen fences on it. Therefore, all except the Chair and Water jump are jumped twice in the race.

In fact some of the jumps have been known for their severity most notably Becher’s brook, which is arguably the most famous jump on the course, but in recent year’s the racecourse’s authorities have been working with animal welfare organisations to minimise the danger of the jumps, while still preserving them as formidable obstacles.

One thing that is certain is the fact that the nation loves the National. It inspires people who never bet to have a flutter, from work sweepstakes to putting a bet on at a bookies. There is always the favourites tips for the Grand National, but often the method for choosing which horse to lay a bet on is about as scientific as picking a favourite name, colour or simply sticking a pin in a bit of paper.

But according to experts it is possible to have a formula when picking a horse, with punters looking at trends and form in order to choose which horse they think will go the distance.

However, whoever wins the race it is still a perfect event to get involved in and hopefully pick a winner.

Over recent years it has been rare for jockeys to win more than one Grand National. Winning that race is considered to be one of the pinnacle achievements in national hunt racing, but it tends to be something that most jockeys achieve only once. One jockey who has gone against the trend is Ruby Walsh who won the race both in 2000 and in 2005.
In 2000 he rode Papillon, trained by Ted Walsh and owned by Mrs J. Maxwell Moran and in 2005 he rode Hedgehunter, trained by Willie Mullins and owned by Trevor Hemmings. They came in at 10/1 and 7/1 respectively and had both been favourites. That in itself is quite remarkable as favourites rarely win the Grand National. Apart from those wins, only seven favourites or joint favourites have won the race since 1960.

Ruby Walsh is an Irish jockey who comes from County Kildare. When he won his first Grand National he was only 20 years old. In the same year he won the Irish Grand National too. He followed up his Grand National win in 2005 by winning the Welsh, the Scottish and the Irish Grand Nationals. Walsh has ridden 1,400 winners and 25 of those have been at the Cheltenham Festival and hence has always been a Cheltenham betting favourite.
He regularly rides for two stables, one each side or the Irish Channel. The Irish stable is in Calverstown, County Kildare and belongs to Willie Mullins, and the English one is Paul Nichols’ in Somerset. For Nichols he has ridden both of the famous duo, Kuato Star and Denman, to several victories.

He has experienced more than his fair share of injuries during his career to date. These include in chronological order a broken leg, a second break of the same leg, a fractured wrist, another fractured wrist, a dislocated hip, a fracture of his other hip, a cracked his elbow, a dislocation of both shoulders, a cracked vertebra, an emergency removal of the spleen, a fractured left ankle, and a broken left arm, in fact it was broken in two places. Such are the dangers of being a jump jockey.

Ruby Walsh has over 500 winners to date and he is set to continue to only increase his status in the future. He is viewed very much as a hero of jump racing by all who are involved in the sport.

Anthony Peter McCoy, otherwise known as AP McCoy or sometimes Tony McCoy, MBE, OBE, BBC Sportsman of the Year and winner of the 2010 Grand National.Winning the Grand National had always been his dream – he had achieved most other things in horse racing. But the Grand National had always eluded him. Strong finishes, yes, but that actual win seemed as if it would never happen. That is not until 2010, when he rode Don’t Push It, a Jonjo O’Neil trained horse, to a glorious victory.

2010 was the fifteenth time he had ridden in the Grand National. It is estimated that he had raced over 30,000 miles before that one. That is a total of around 13,000 races in a sparkling career that notched up a first win in Ireland in March 1992 when he was only 17 years old.
He started racing in England in 1994. In his first season he won 74 races, and in his second he was awarded Champion Jockey. Since then he has broken just about every record going. He has won more races in a season than anyone else, won five times at the Cheltenham festival, and was the fastest jockey to claim 1,000 victories. He was also the first jump jockey to win 2,500 races.

He had won all the major national Hunt races including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and the King George VI Chase, but until 2010 his best Grand National result had been third. In fact he had finished third on three occasions, twice riding Blowing Wind and once on Clan Royal.

McCoy might be forgiven if all the success and all the plaudits had gone to his head, but there is no need for forgiveness. Despite his brilliant career he remains a very modest and mild mannered man and is more likely to attribute his personal success to others who have helped him on his way.
In today’s world of celebrity and egotism, it is rare to find an individual like Tony McCoy; a true champion.

The Grand National, held every year at Aintree racecourse in Merseyside, has to be one of the most exciting sporting events of all. Each year it attracts some 16 million viewers and remains the most popular sporting event on which stakes are placed.

Each year 40 horses present themselves to run the four and a half mile race consisting of 30 fences and a week prior all odds are made available. Even those who do not claim to be seasoned bettors will have a go at picking out a winner in the hope of backing the winning horse. Because the Grand National is such an open race the winning place is as good as anyone’s.

Although there are always favourites in the race there is always the hope that an outsider will claim the victory with outstanding long shot odds. 2009 saw this very hope become a reality as 100/1 horse Mon Mome came in to take the Grand National title. The most popular way of betting is to place a stake each-way on a horse which means that you can make a return for you money if your chosen horse comes in first, second, third of even fourth.

The Grand National 2010 will take place at Aintree on Saturday April 10^th and already looks set to be another exciting event. All eyes will be clearly on reigning champion Mon Mome and second place winner Comply or Die, who won the race in 2008. Despite much anticipation to discover which horses will be running, many racing fanatics are already making their assumptions. The runners List will be made available complete with odds on April 3^rd 2010.

The Grand National 2010 will take place on Saturday 10^th April where another 40 horses will line up to run England’s most prestigious race held at the Aintree course. Without doubt the Grand National is one of the world’s greatest if not most exciting events an arguably the toughest test of both horse and jockey there is.

Each year 40 horses set out to race the famous course of four and a half miles with 30 fence jumps and after successful completion the winner is revealed. The nature of the Grand National race is a difficult one and any horse is prone to fall at one of the fences. Backing a favourite does not guarantee a win but backing a long shot that comes in first has much greater dividends.

Last year 100/1 horse Mon Mome came in to take the winners title beating several favourites who managed to stay in the race for the duration of its course. Because there is no sure way to back a winner serious gamblers never place large stacks but the average better will participate in the minimum of a pound each way. Perhaps it is the name of the horse that appeals or the colours of the shirt worn by the jockey, either way the Grand National sparks off an enormous amount of fun.

2010 is expected to be yet another exciting race and several known favourites are sure to be running. Will 2010 see another long shot win the Grand National or will all eyes be focused on a clear favourite? Whatever the outcome you can be sure the Grand National will remain one of the most open races in the sport.

Red Rum will remain deep in the affection of the British Public when it comes to remembering Grand National winners. As the only ever three time Grand National winner red Rum will always be one of the most loved and best racehorses of all time.

Born in 1965 in Ireland Red Rum was purchased for Noel Le mar by legendary agent Donald Ginger McCain. Despite a debilitating bone disease in his foot many trainer would have disregarded such a horse but Ginger McCain saw this as a mere obstacle which needed to be overcome. Red Rum was consequently trained in the sand and shallow waters of Southport and was able to overcome his disability and become a world class racehorse.

Although Rummie had a flat racing pedigree his racing talent shone through particularly in steeplechases and in 1973 he took his first Grand National title. The following year he won the Grand National for a second time becoming a true champion who would touch the heart of millions of racing fans.

In both 1975 and 1976 Red Rum lost out to the winning title but came in a respectable second place in both Grand National races. But at 12 years old he won the Grand National for the third time in 1977 surprising fans around the world as he came in some 25 lengths ahead of the nearest horse. This great achievement is known as one of the greatest moment in horse racing history.

Red Rum retired from racing in 1978 after suffering a hairline fracture in a heel and sadly died October 18^th 1995. He was buried at the winning post at the Aintree Racecourse, home of the Grand National.

The winner of the 2009 Grand National was Mon Mome coming in with odds of 100-1 and becoming the first horse with such long shot odds to win since Foinavon’s lucky win in 1967. Mon mome, meaning Our Kid was jockeyed by Liam Treadwell who had no notable wins prior to this his first ever Grand National.

The victorious horse was trained by Venetia Williams who became the second female trainer to win a Grand National. Previous winning horses trained by Williams include winners of the 1998 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup and King George Chase, the 1999 Murphy’s Gold Cup and the Grand Annual Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Regarding the Grand National Venetia Williams trained 13 runners and her best finish as trainer prior to her 2009 win with Mon Mome was tenth place in 2008 with the very same horse.

The 2009 Grand National had an exciting finish as with just two fences left before the finish Mon Mome was battling it out with former Grand National winner Comply Or Die. Fortunately carrying a good six pounds less in weight Mon Mome was in good stead to take the lead to the finishing post. Should lady luck not have favoured long shot horse Mon Mome, then rival Comply or Die would have made his second win and become the first horse to do so in the Grand National since the famous three times champion Red Rum. Mon Mome was well positioned from the start and was the surprise winner of the 2009 Grand National by far.

No sooner had the 2009 Grand National winner been declared and punters were already on the lookout for predictions and tips for 2010. Although it will not be declared until January 2010 which horses will be considered for the Grand National, it will not be until April 3^rd 2010 when the final 40 of the 100 horses entered will be named.

However even now some horses are already being considered to run and amongst them or some well known faces such as last year’s winner Mon Mome, State of Play, Big Fella Thanks, Black Apalachi, Comply Or Die, My Will and Butlers Cabin.

All tips for the 2010 Grand National will be made available as soon as all the running horses are declared. Until then, despite some bookmakers already taking ante-post bets, it is highly recommended that punters hold off placing any kind of bets until it is certain their chosen horses are even racing. If it turns out the horse you staked your cash on does not run then you immediately lose it all.

The safest way is to wait nearer the time of the event, which is set for Saturday April 10^th. Once a list of the 40 running horse becomes available better odds will be put together. The best chance of getting back some kind of return for your Grand National flutters is to place your money ‘each-way’ on a horse. This means that you will be guaranteed a payout should you horse come in first, second third or even fourth.

Without a doubt the most famous Grand National winner is Red Rum who won this world famous race 3 times over. The first win was in 1973 with jockey Brain Fletcher in the saddle and history repeated itself the following year of 1974 again with Fletcher taking the reins. Red Rum became the winner for the third time in 1977, this time with jockey Tommy Stack, and become the first ever horse to cap 3 Grand National wins.

2005 winner Hedgehunter became the first horse in 17 years to carryover 11st to victory with jockey Ruby Walsh taking the seat. Despite almost making a debut win the previous year 2004, Hedgehunter fell at the final fence and Amberleigh House went on to win.

Comply or Die, won the Grand National in 2008 but finished runner up in 2009 to Mon Mome, a long shot with odds of 100/1. Mon Mome was steered to victory by jockey Liam Tread and was the first 100/1 shot to win the Grand National since Foinavon’s lucky win in 1967 at the world famous Aintree course. Foinavon had a truly lucky win indeed which came as a result of a loose horse causing a pile up at a fence, giving Foinavon a clear run to the finishing line.

Other Grand National winners include Silver Birch in 2007, Numbersixvalverde in 2006 with odds at 33/1, 2003 winner Monty’s Pass, Bindaree in 2002, Red Marauder in 2001 and millennium winner Papillon in 2000.