Horse racing in 2018 – important dates for your diary
The jump season is well underway, and following last week’s winter warmer at Exeter racecourse, the countdown to spring has definitely started. 2018 promises to be a great year for racing fans. A number of the biggest National Hunt events will be offering prize purses that eclipse previous years, so there will be more at stake on every race than ever before.
Catch every important race
To make sure you don’t miss a thing, we have drawn up a list of the most important race meetings over the coming months. The experts at Racing Tips will be on hand all season to provide a daily guide to the best tips and bets, but we have drawn them out with some early suggestions on ones to watch in some of the biggest races.
February: Irish Gold Cup
Blink and you’ll miss it! The Dublin festival takes place over the first weekend of February at the historic Leapordstown course, and the showcase race will be the Irish Gold Cup on 04 February. The very best talent from the Emerald Isle will be on display, as well as a number of runners from farther afield. Last year the race was won by Sizing John, who famously went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup a month later. He will be back to defend his crown, but will face stiff competition from Our Duke and Road to Respect.
March: Cheltenham Festival
All eyes are already on Cheltenham for the four-day festival that starts on 13 March. There are 28 races to enjoy, but the biggest of them all will be the Gold Cup. Might Bite is strong favourite to win yet another trophy for the nation’s most successful trainer, Nicky Henderson, but the pundits are eyeing up Native River as a tempting each way shot.
April: The Grand National
The most famous race of them all takes place on 14 April, when 40 runners will face Aintree’s daunting four and a half miles and 30 fences. The runners are yet to be finalised, but bookmakers are already offering ante odds on some of the likely contenders, including Blaklion and Native River.
May: Guinness Festival
In May, racegoers will descend on Newmarket for the opening Classics of the flat racing season. Historically, this event has been the place to see the stars of the future – it is where legends including Brigadier Gerard, Nijinsky and Dancing Brave first made a name for themselves.
June: Royal Ascot
Hats at the ready! This five-day meeting combines the pomp and ceremony of tradition with some top class flat racing. The Queen has not missed a day in 60 years, despite having to hurry to the event last year immediately after the State Opening of Parliament.
July: Glorious Goodwood
A mixture of races set amid some of the most beautiful scenery in the English countryside means Goodwood is an event too good to miss. There are two Group 1 races, the Nassau Stakes and the Sussex Stakes, along with numerous support races in which the best juveniles will get a chance to prove themselves.
