Even if you couldn’t give two hoofs about horse racing and horse racing betting, there is something particularly English and summery about it all—horse racing is ingrained into British culture and horse racing events form a huge part of the UK’s calendar.
With so many different horse racing events going on all over the UK, though, finding the best one to place bets on can be difficult. Whilst it would be ideal if you could place bets on them all, this simply isn’t possible—there is far too much going on for you to focus on every event.
That is why we have compiled this small list of the UK’s best horse racing events for sports betting (in our opinion, of course!)
The 4 Best Horse Racing Events for Sports Betting
These are the four best horse racing events for sports betting in the UK; they are the major events in the UK’s racing calendar.
The Grand National
The Grand National is, without doubt, the racing event. It is the one everybody knows about and gets involved in, even those who know nothing about horse racing and have no interest in it. When it’s Grand National time, everyone’s placing bets, whip-rounds are taking place throughout offices up and down the country, and everyone is getting excited.
First held in 1839, the annual horse racing event gets the whole nation excited, filling up pubs nationwide with people from all walks of life. Tens of thousands of people attend the event at Aintree each year. So many people take part, in fact, that if you were to place all the betting slips from the Grand National end-to-end each year, it would span the distance from Liverpool to Las Vegas.
The Royal Ascot
At the Royal Ascot, an event that started back in 1839, jockeys compete for millions of pounds in prize money. It is Britain’s most valuable horse racing event and attracts glitz and glam from all over the country. In fact, the Royal Ascot is just as known for its high stakes and its high fashion as it is the race itself, with fashion becoming a huge part of the day itself.
The Royal Procession signifies the start of the event each year and over 10 different high-end restaurants are spread across three different enclosures. It’s certainly not one to miss out on.
Cheltenham Races
Another event that most Brits have heard about is Cheltenham Races. Cheltenham is the first event in the racing calendar and is a four-day event hosted at Prestbury Park in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The event typically coincides with St Patrick’s Day and attracts a huge number of Irish spectators and punters. The notorious ‘Cheltenham Roar’ signifies the beginning of the festivities, a huge amount of noise made by spectators at the start of the first race.
Just like the Royal Ascot and the Grand National, millions are at stake for the jockeys who take part. Unlike other events, however, Cheltenham primarily attracts English and Irish runners.
Epsom Derby
The Epsom Derby is one of the oldest events in the English racing calendar, stretching back all the way to 1780. When it began, it only had nine runners that ran a distance of one mile. Today, the run is a mile and a half and a lot more runners participate.
Unlike other racing events, it is not just the winner that can cash in–£5,000 is up for grabs for the best-dressed female. The two-day Epsom Derby is divided into Ladies’ Day and Derby Day, both featuring high-stakes races, parties on the Hyperion Lawn, and picnics on the hillside.
Horse Racing Events for Sports Betting
In the UK, there is no shortage of horse racing events for sports betting. The English racing calendar is packed full almost year-round with events big and small, known and obscure, meaning that there is plenty of opportunity for serious punters to get involved, place valuable bets, and win decent amounts of money back.
At the races, it is not just the jockeys who are in the running for a cash prize—you are, too.