Preview
By Stephen Dwyer
This
is a great time of the year for reflection and anticipation. Looking back on
the many highlights of the 2013 horse racing year serves well to whet the appetite
for the forthcoming twelve months of flat and jump racing action.
And
speaking of highlights, there were some monumental ones. Bittersweet times
reigned during the flat season. On Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot, the sight of Her
Majesty the Queen enthusiastically cheering her horse Estimate in the Gold Cup
showed the millions watching how much the monarch loves the sport. This was a poignant
time too with the passing of legendary trainer Sir. Henry Cecil at the age of
70. The ten-time Champion trainer, so famous for training Frankel, one of the
all-time greats, will be sadly missed. Training however will continue at the
Cecil yard and Lady Cecil has declared her ambition is to “Win a Group One race next
year".
The
jumps season turned full circle with memorable Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals
and there is so much to look forward to in 2014. As we look at the racing
calendar, there are many questions to answer. The question on many people’s
lips is can the mighty Hurricane Fly become the first ten year old winner of
the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle since Sea Pigeon in 1980 ? Trainer Willie
Mullins certainly believes so and is on record as saying the horse is "stronger than ever" this season.
Hurricane Fly recently set a world record of seventeen Grade 1 races (beating
the previous record set by Kauto Star) but competition is stiff this term. Our
Conor, a runaway winner of last year’s biggest race for four year olds, is set
to clash with Hurricane Fly at Cheltenham. Originally acquired for the modest
sum of €4,500 at the Tattersalls Sales in 2010, Our Conor was sold for a sum in
the region of €1,000,000 last year to owner Barry Connell. He remains a horse
of almost unlimited potential and is one to follow for the season.
The
Blue Riband of jump racing, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is always a race to savour.
Gold Cup Day at Cheltenham sells out each year so the trend for many racing
fans in recent years is enjoy the carnival atmosphere at local pubs where the
racing is shown. The 2014 renewal of the Gold Cup is a very open affair. Current
favourite (and last year’s winner) Bobs Worth, is unbeaten in five races at
Cheltenham. He is still a progressive horse but another entry, Cue Card may
have even more potential. Cue Card is now 6/1 (from 20/1) for the Gold Cup and
has proven course form which is crucial. He won the Champion Bumper as a young
horse and also the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham which are both major races. He
will be an eight year old in March and with plenty of experience and class,
remains one to take very seriously indeed.
In
April, the Aintree Grand National is one of the great days. Breaking all
betting records last year with over £150 million wagered on the race, the Grand
National will be watched live by over 600 million television viewers in 140
countries worldwide. Forty runners will jump a total of thirty fences around
the marathon four and a half mile course and over 70,000 people attend the
races at Aintree that day. It is traditionally one of the most competitive and
unpredictable sporting events in the
world and has had some amazing results. No female jockey has won the Grand
National to date in 18 attempts but Katie Walsh finished third in 2012. Could
this be the year that history is made with a first female jockey to win the
race ? With the likes of Nina Carberry and Katie Walsh from Ireland and Lucy
Alexander and Samantha Drake in Britain, it could be a very interesting Grand
National for the ladies.
Not
many people might be aware that Horse Racing is the second biggest spectator
sport in the UK. Last year over six million people attended a race meeting and
in Ireland too, spectator numbers remain high. Attheraces (Sky Channel 415)
carry exclusive coverage of both flat and jumps racing from all 26 racecourses
in Ireland. Last season Willie Mullins totally dominated the Irish Jumps season
with almost €4 million in prize money, three times that of second-placed Gordon
Elliot. With a stable of over 300 horses, the Mullins yard is set to continue
it's fine form. On the flat in Ireland, Aidan O' Brien had almost 500 runners
and with a record 135 wins and was crowned champion trainer for the sixth year
in a row.
Aidan
O’Brien also trains the favourite for the Epsom Derby. Australia, an impeccably-bred
colt by Champion Sire Galileo. O’Brien is seeking a hat-trick of Epsom Derbys in
June and can be strongly fancied to do so. First run in 1780, the Derby
attracts the best three-year-olds in training.
The
flat season reaches a landmark day in October with Champions Day at Ascot. This
is the richest day in British racing. On offer is £3.5 million in prize money,
and five end-of-season championship races will decide the winners of the
respective Sprint, Mile, Middle Distance, Long Distance and Fillies & Mares
categories. Awards for the champion trainer and champion jockey are handed out
and it is a fitting conclusion to the season.
2014
also marks the ten year anniversary since the launch of RacingUK (Sky Channel
432). Broadcasting from 33 of the UK’s top racecourses, RacingUK pays 100% of
their profits directly back into the racing industry. Interestingly, the RacingUK
tracks were responsible for more than 60% of total prize-money contributions
made by racecourses in the UK.
Between
the jumps and flat racing, there is so much to look forward to. It is time to
enjoy and savour the action and best of all, to make new memories.
copyright - Preview Magazine (Sky Sports plc)
Major Horse Racing Fixtures 2014:
|
Date
|
Meeting
|
Event
|
|
Tuesday 11th March
|
Cheltenham
|
Cheltenham Festival
|
|
Wednesday 12th March
|
Cheltenham
|
Cheltenham Festival
|
|
Thursday 13th March
|
Cheltenham
|
Cheltenham Festival
|
|
Friday 14th March
|
Cheltenham
|
Cheltenham Festival
|
|
Thursday 3rd April
|
Aintree
|
Grand National Meeting
|
|
Friday 4th April
|
Aintree
|
Grand National Meeting
|
|
Saturday 5th April
|
Aintree
|
Grand National Meeting
|
|
Saturday 3rd May
|
Newmarket
|
2,000 Guineas
|
|
Sunday 4th May
|
Newmarket
|
1,000 Guineas
|
|
Saturday 8th June
|
Epsom
|
Derby Festival
|
|
Tuesday 17th June
|
Royal Ascot
|
Royal Ascot
|
|
Wednesday 18th June
|
Royal Ascot
|
Royal Ascot
|
|
Thursday 19th June
|
Royal Ascot
|
Royal Ascot
|
|
Friday 20th June
|
Royal Ascot
|
Royal Ascot
|
|
Saturday 21st June
|
Royal Ascot
|
Royal Ascot
|
|
Tuesday 29th July
|
Goodwood
|
Glorious Goodwood
|
|
Wednesday 30th July
|
Goodwood
|
Glorious Goodwood
|
|
Thursday 31st July
|
Goodwood
|
Glorious Goodwood
|
|
Friday 1st August
|
Goodwood
|
Glorious Goodwood
|
|
Saturday 2nd August
|
Goodwood
|
Glorious Goodwood
|
|
Wednesday 10th September
|
Doncaster
|
St Leger Meeting
|
|
Thursday 11th September
|
Doncaster
|
St Leger Meeting
|
|
Friday 12th September
|
Doncaster
|
St Leger Meeting
|
|
Saturday 13th September
|
Doncaster
|
St Leger Meeting
|
|
Saturday 18th October
|
Ascot
|
British Champions Day
|
|
Friday 14th November
|
Cheltenham
|
The Open
|
|
Saturday 15th November
|
Cheltenham
|
The Open
|
|
Sunday 16th November
|
Cheltenham
|
The Open
|
|
Saturday 29th November
|
Newbury
|
Hennessy Gold Cup
|
|
Friday 26th December
|
Kempton
|
King George VI Chase
|
