You can’t truly call yourself a fan of racing unless you’re glued to your screen (or on-course) during the Aintree Grand National. This linchpin event of UK racing is steeped in history and has mass appeal both at home and beyond these shores –  a worldwide TV audience of 600 million tune in each year. In 2019 viewers got to see Tiger Roll achieve back to back National wins; history in the making and a feat not seen since the days of Red Rum. With beer money bets between friends and more substantial wagers with online and offline bookmakers, the Grand National is the one race nobody wants to miss.

But hold your horses (literally!).. are we perhaps getting too enamored with equine excellence? Has history and tradition clouded the view of our speciesist ways. Step forward Norfolk’s very own HAM NATIONAL. The race(s) form part of the Royal Norfolk Show – an activities week at Church Farm Rare Breeds Centre in Stow Bardolph, Norfolk. Other activities offered over the fun packed half term extravaganza include ‘meeting a guinea pig’ and ‘watching sheep being pampered’. It all sounds rather intriguing and borderline surreal.

The event actually includes a series of races on a 262ft course with three jumps. Numerous breeds can take part, even piglets, so nobody misses out! 80,000+ typically attend the two day agricultural show. As I understand it, the Ham National event has attracted such has oinking A-listers as Justin Bieboar, Brad Pig and Elvis Pigsley in recent years. Rather appropriately winner of the most races in 2017 was none other than Peppa Pig.

In 2019 Lewis “Streaky” Ham-ilton showed the other porky competitors how it’s done:

The Melbourne Cup is the one of the richest and most prestigious races in the world and it always delivers a thrilling spectacle. It is such a big deal in Victoria that a public holiday is declared each year to allow everyone to watch the action unfold. Its popularity has also spread across the globe and the race attracts more than 650 million viewers worldwide, while many leading trainers from far-flung destinations descend upon Flemington Racecourse to vie for glory. We have compiled everything you need to know about this magnificent sporting event.

The Race That Stops a Nation

Every year, on the first Tuesday in November, Australia comes to a virtual standstill to watch 24 of the world’s finest stayers slog it out for the Melbourne Cup. The famous race takes place over 3,200m at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne and it is the jewel in the crown of the Spring Racing Carnival. It is open to three-year-olds and up, but securing a place in the field is ferociously competitive. It is the richest 2-mile race in the world, with prize money of $8 million, and the prestige associated with victory is immense, so only the best of the best make the final cut.

Every year the race receives hundreds of nominations and they are then balloted based on a number of conditions. Prize money earned over the past two years, wins and placings in specific lead-up races and allocated handicap weight are crucial factors in determining who makes the final field. Yet there are also a number of ballot exemption races – the Andrew Ramsden Stakes, the Bart Cummings, Lexus Stakes, Caulfield Cup, the St. Leger in Ireland and the Tenno Sho in Japan – which offer the winner a route into the Melbourne Cup. By the time of the race, only superstars will be in contention and their owners will have had to fork out almost $50,000 for entry. Check out Punters horse racing betting to see the favourites for glory this year.

Melbourne Cup History

Seventeen stayers contested the first Melbourne Cup on November 7, 1861, in a bid to win 710 gold sovereigns and a hand-beaten gold watch. A crowd of 4,000 gathered to watch the race and John Cutts’ bay stallion Archer romped to victory in 3 minutes and 52 seconds, the slowest winning time in the race’s history. The following day he raced again and landed the 2-mile Melbourne Town Plate, and it fuelled an interstate rivalry as he came from Sydney. The following year saw Archer successfully defend his crown, but he was controversially scratched from the field on a technicality in 1863. Crowds started to push 10,000 by that point, and it now attracts north of 100,000 visitors annually, with the highest recorded attendance standing at 122,3765.

The race grew in popularity during the 19th century and it established itself as the most important race in Australia. The iconic Fashions of the Field was launched in 1965, adding to the grandeur of the event, although that year British model Jean Shrimpton caused a stir by wearing a miniskirt. In 1985 prize money rose to $1 million for the first time and it gained its first sponsor. In recent years, foreign raiders have begun to compete and last year Cross Counter became the first British horse to win the Melbourne Cup. It is also a huge event for New Zealand trainers, and Kiwi winners include Phar Lap and Ethereal. The illustrious roll call of Australian winners includes Makybe Diva, Think Big and Prince of Penzance, the $101 roughie that soared to victory in 2015. That race also saw Michelle Payne become the first ever female jockey to win the race that stops a nation.

Melbourne Cup Records

The fastest winning time was secured by Kingston Rule in 1990, when he crossed the line of just 3:16.3. Archer holds the record for the widest winning margin, as he finished eight lengths clear of Mormon in a field of 20 starters in 1862. Rain Lover equalled that record in 1968 when he also won by eight lengths. It also took a long time for anyone to equal Archer’s two Melbourne Cup victories, but Peter Pan finally pulled it off in 1932 and 1934. Rain Lover won a second Melbourne Cup in 1969 and then Think Big landed back-to-back triumphs in 1974 and 1975. Makybe Diva became the first horse to win three Melbourne Cups during an unprecedented period of dominance between 2003 and 2015.

The legendary Bart Cummings looms large over this race and he racked up a magnificent 12 victories during his career. His first came in 1965, when Light Fingers saluted, and Galilee and Red Handed then won it for him in 1966 and 1967 respectively. Think Big handed Cummings two more victories and his tally reached 12 when Viewed won the race in 2008. No other trainer has come close to matching that record. The most successful jockeys in Melbourne Cup history are Bobby Lewis and Harry White, with four wins apiece. The youngest jockey to win the race was Peter St. Albans, who was just 12 when he rode Briseis to victory in 1876.

Founded by Queen Anne over three centuries ago, Ascot Racecourse has enjoyed Royal patronage ever since and, nowadays, Royal Ascot is a highlight of the British social and sporting calendars. On each of the five days, at two o’clock sharp, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the rest of the Royal Procession drive up the Straight Mile in horse-drawn landeau carriages to spend the afternoon in the Royal Enclosure.

The horse racing action is some of the best to be seen anywhere in the world, with a total of eight Group One races on offer, with full supporting cards of lesser, but still highly significant, Pattern races, Listed races and ultra-competitive handicaps. Group One highlights of the week include the Queen Anne Stakes, King’s Stand Stakes and St. James’s Palace Stakes on Tuesday, the Prince of Wales’s Stakes on Wednesday, the Gold Cup – the traditional highlight of the whole week – on Thursday, the Commonwealth Cup and Coronation Stakes on Friday and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on Saturday.

Royal Ascot generates in excess of £150 million in betting turnover, but the two major betting heats of the week are two so-called ‘heritage’ handicaps, the Wokingham Stakes and the Royal Hunt Cup. The Wokingham Stakes, run over 6 furlongs on the fifth, and final, day of Royal Ascot – which replaced the traditional Heath meeting in 2002 – is invariably contested by a maximum field of thirty runners and has thrown up winners at 33/1 (twice) and 25/1 in the last ten renewals.

Earlier in the week, the Royal Hunt Cup is, like the Wokingham Stakes, open to three-year-olds and upwards and worth £175,000 in prize money, but is contested over the Straight Mile. Once again, a maximum, or near-maximum, field of thirty runners ensures that the stalls are spread right across the width of the course, making life difficult for punters. Indeed, the Royal Hunt Cup has thrown up its fair share of surprises in recent years, with winners at 33/1, 28/1, 25/1, 20/1 and 16/1 (twice) in the last ten renewals, with just one winning favourite in that period.

Royal Ascot, for most the highlight of the racing year. If going to the races wasn’t enough, at Royal Ascot you get to dawn the top hat and tails, and become part of what Royal Ascot is.

Away from the top hat and tails, is Royal Ascot the meeting point for all the top equine flat horses that the world has to offer, from Ireland to American and everything in between you is sure to find the best that horses that the world has to offer.

 

Royal Ascot Highlights

Queen Anne Stakes (1 mile) – Group 1

The Queen Anne Stakes is the first of eight Group One race of the week. Traditionally the Royal Ascot curtain raiser is one of the best races of the week with top class and well established 1 milers coming head to head at the grandest stage of them all.

The Gold Cup – (2 miles 4 furlongs) – Group 1

The Ascot Gold Cup is the ultimate test for any staying horse on the flat. You might have a top class horse over 1 mile 6 furlongs but can he handle the step up to 2 miles 4 furlongs. You need a horse with talent, class, staying power, but most import they need to have bottle and the will to win. Your horse wins the Gold Cup, you will forever be known as…The Gold Cup winner.

In 2018 we saw Stradivarius take this in his quest to become the first ever Triple Crown winner, which he duly went on to achieve.

The Prince Of Wales (1 mile) – Group 1

The Prince of Wales over 1 mile where you might find last season Derby winner take his chance along with placed horses in that race. They will have to be on top of their game to cope with some high class and experience rivals. Last year we saw Poets Word turn over in some people’s eyes the banker of the week in Cracksman.

Will we see another shock this year?

The King Stand (5 furlongs) – Group 1

The King Stand is our first chance to witness all the top sprinters in the world go flat out from the drop of the flag to the finishing line. The race is open to 3 years old and up. So, this is a chance for us to see if the good 2-year-old sprinters of last season have trained on and how they will fare against the big boys of sprinting.

The Diamond Jubilee (6 furlongs) – Group 1

Run over 6 furlongs, the Diamond Jubilee stakes bring some of the best established 6-furlong specialists from 3 years old and up. Each year you can expect to see some of you old favourites go head to head and some of the new kids on the block trying to make a name for themselves. Some of the winners are household names like Starsbangledbanner, The Tin Man, Australian wonder mare Black Caviar and old favourite Kingsgate Native.

Conclusion

Royal Ascot is everything you expect from a social; and betting side of things. At Betopin we have upped our game when it comes to horse racing betting when acquiring the expert services of YouTubes “The Finishing Line”. With both Betopin and The Finishing Line working close together you can be sure that every tip you read is of the highest standard.