In the UK, horse racing is rather more than simply a pastime: it is a custom that’s steeped in history, and one of the country’s most watched and extremely profitable sports. With 60 licensed race courses across Britain and two in Northern Ireland, horse racing trophies are much publicised occasions and the formal gown code anticipated of spectators at these occasions provides to the general ambiance of ceremony. For those who’re a complete newcomer to British horse racing cups, here is a fast guide to three you can not miss.

Perhaps probably the most well-known horse racing event in Britain is the Grand National, a three-day occasion held at Aintree Racecourse close to Liverpool each April. The first Grand Nationwide is generally believed to have taken place in 1836 (though there may be some debate about this) and right now it is one of the most lucrative Nationwide Hunt occasions in the nation, with a prize fund of £950,000 in 2011. Regardless of starting as an area event, the Grand Nationwide is now a televised global phenomenon, with an estimated 500 to 600 million viewers across the world.

Another well-known horse racing event is the four-day Cheltenham Gold Cup, which takes place at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire yearly in March. The course declares itself as “the house of Nationwide Hunt racing” and boasts a scenic location within the Cotswold Hills. Although the Grand Nationwide may have a extra illustrious international profile, the Gold Cup is definitely the older occasion, first happening in 1819 earlier than being inaugurated as a jumps race in 1924. The prize fund, however, is around half that of the Grand National.

Nevertheless, whereas the Grand Nationwide and the Cheltenham Gold Cup are major fixtures on the British horse racing calendar, the event that usually stirs up the most pleasure in the public and the media is Royal Ascot. Held on the Crown Estate-owned Ascot Racecourse close to Ascot in Berkshire, the event is strongly related to the Royal Household and was based by Queen Anne in 1711. Even at the moment, Queen Elizabeth II attends Royal Ascot in a horse-drawn carriage and a Royal procession happen at the beginning of every race day.

Royal Ascot takes place over five days in June (Tuesday to Saturday) and over £three million is obtainable in prize money. However, whereas the precise horse racing is a vital a part of the event, this is typically overshadowed in the information headlines by Women Day, slated for the Thursday of Royal Ascot week. Ladies Day is dominated by socialites in glamorous outfits and ostentatious hats – however some of them have been known to take it too far, to the point where it virtually seems like they’re in fancy dress. That being mentioned, in keeping with the centuries-outdated traditions of British horse-racing, there are strict guidelines governing girls clothes, such at the least length for clothes and no bare shoulders or midriffs.

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If you consider the sporting calendar, most folks and women|people today] forget that horse racing has its seasons in Great Britain.   Where the football begins in August, lawn tennis in June and the Olympiad each and every four years the horse betting devotee highlights their diary in March every single year with the start of the Cheltenham Festival.  Racing initially took place in the early Nineteenth Century at Cheltenham and in the early part of the year it hosts the primary serious horse racing season with four days of jump races culmating with the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Indisputabley the mainly stylish, monied and classy of the racing period is Royal Ascot hosted in June, where the week of flat racing is visited by over a two hundred thousand spectators alone.  The Ascot racetrack is located in Berkshire, only six miles from Windsor Castle, opened and visited daily by the Royal Household as the proprietors of the Ascot estate, it is THE place to be for the trendy gathering.  Ladies Day is the one to display your finest clothes, put on some gorgeous fascinator and following putting your gamble view your horse gallop towards the end line both at the bar or on the display in one of the enclosures or Grandstand while sipping on goblet of bubbly.

Don’t dismiss horse racing as a wealthy and hobby for the rarified few.  Throughout the UK are less fancy, family atmosphere courses that do not call for a fortune to observe some races, stick on a bet and have a good afternoon or night out.   Smaller courses Beverley throughout the country.   They will not have a similar range of bars, restaurants and on-course bookmakers as the larger programs have such as as Aintree and Newbury, but they just asfulfilling experiences for that.   Many all-weather courses exist in the U.K. which includesKempton so snow, frost and rainy conditions will not cease the horse racing.

Finally are the two races which prove the enduring reputation of horse racing in this country.  When individuals 1st put a bet on horses, the common activities are the Derby and the Grand National.   Held at Epsom Downs, Surrey each June, the Epsom Derby is Great Britain’s wealthiest throughbred horserace and is acknowledged as the Blue Riband of the period, one of the five Classics raced each and every year at various courses across Great Britain).   [Known as the common people’s race the Grand National israced at Aintree, Liverpool.  It is an arduous track of 30 jumps over a distance of more  four miles. This horserace checks the staying power of even the leanest horse and the deserving champ is feted all through the country and throughout the planet as the race is watched on tv by an estimated six hundred million viewers.

On-line bets can be placed at http://betting.racingpost.com, a subsidiary of The Racing Post. This is the main UK day-to-day horseracing, greyhound racing and sports activities betting newspaper, appearing in print and on the web.   It incorporates facts on kind of horses in meetings throughout the U.K., the going of the courses, age of mounts, handicap ratings and other details related to the race and tips are additionally included.

Aidan O’Brien is looking forward to seeing Rip Van Winkle in action in Juddmonte International Stakes at York.

Last year’s Sussex Stakes winner just failed in his bid to land back-to-back renewals of the one-mile feature at Glorious Goodwood when Canford Cliffs pounced late last month.

That was only his second start of the campaign after making his reappearance at Royal Ascot, also over a mile in the Queen Anne. He now steps back up to 10 furlongs, a distance he arguably put up a career-best effort over when second to Sea The Stars in the Eclipse last season.

“We were delighted with him in the Sussex. Obviously he started off at Ascot where he just got tired in the last half a furlong,” said O’Brien.

“We were happy with that and we’re looking forward to him having a second run. We thought he’d progress after his first run and we expect him to progress again.

“Everything has been good with him this year. We started him later this year but he went very well over the winter and so far everything has been good.

“The horse has always shown loads of speed, as he did again at Goodwood, but we felt as the year went on he would progress. He won’t mind dropping back to a mile if he ever needs to, but he’s a big cruiser and quickens very well.

“The only time he ran over a mile and a quarter last year was in the Eclipse where he ran very well. He’s very versatile. We thought he’d progressed after Ascot and we think he’s progressed since Goodwood, we are looking forward to seeing him run.”

Michael Bell’s star filly Sariska remains firmly on course to take her chance in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks on August 19.

Last year’s dual Oaks winner had Midday behind when making a winning reappearance on the Knavesmire in May and was far from disgraced when chasing home Fame And Glory in Epsom’s Coronation Cup.

Bell said: “Sariska is in very good form and we are priming her for the Yorkshire Oaks. She seems in great health and if she remains that way, and the ground is suitable, then she will run.”

He added: “I feel that she is a fresher filly going into the race than she was last year as she has had a light campaign because her main targets after York are the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Breeders’ Cup.”

On the same afternoon, Bell is hoping to saddle talented two-year-old Margot Did in the Jaguar Cars Lowther Stakes.

After placed efforts in the Albany Stakes and Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot, her trainer hopes she can secure a first Pattern-race success.

“She is a nice filly and has been very consistent. She really deserves to win one of these races,” Bell added.

“Last time at Ascot she possibly hit the front too soon and just got caught late on. I think that the sharper six furlongs at York should suit better and she should have a big chance.”

Derby hero Workforce will have to show connections he is back in peak condition before they allow him to return to the racecourse.

The King’s Best colt looked destined for greatness following his seven-length Epsom triumph but he was well beaten in fifth as stablemate Harbinger ran away with the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Nothing significant has come to light following that lifeless display and connections will give him all the time he needs to find his feet once again.

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Abdullah, told At The Races: “There is no question he was a very impressive winner of the Derby. He won by seven lengths and you can never take that away from him. It was an outstanding performance which ever way you look at it.

“We’re pretty sure he didn’t give his true running at Ascot. He has been checked out thoroughly with a fine tooth comb and nothing significant has been revealed, so we are just going to have to let him tell us when he’s ready to go back to the races.

“We’re not going to put a programme on him, and realistically the one remaining race for him in Europe is the Arc. But we want to know he is back on song and giving everyone the vibes we’re looking for.

“We want to be convinced he’s going to do himself justice. All the signs were that he would at Ascot, but he didn’t. Perhaps he just needed a bit more time and perhaps he had a much harder race at Epsom than we thought.

“People need to remember that Ascot was only his fourth race. He’s a big, scopey horse and he may just need a bit more time to strengthen up.”

Not many Derby winners stay in training beyond their Classic campaign, but Grimthorpe is not ruling out the possibility of Workforce running as four-year-old.

He went on: “If he improves as much as Harbinger did between three and four, then we’re going to have something quite special. It’s certainly a possibility that he could stay in training, but we haven’t really got there yet. That will be Prince Khalid’s decision.”

Harbinger put up a devastating performance to run right away with the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Olivier Peslier looked to be going best as he sat in fourth place as they turned into the straight in the Group One contest, and the response was electrifying when he asked for an effort.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt (4-1) brushed Derby winners Cape Blanco and Workforce aside as he powered an amazing 11 lengths clear, with Cape Blanco finishing second and Youmzain third.

Dar Re Mi has been ruled out of Saturday’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot after suffering a bruised foot.

John Gosden’s three-time Group One winner was due to tackle Derby hero Workforce as well as the talented Harbinger in the Betfair-sponsored contest but has been declared a non-runner.

Gosden’s racing secretary Peter Shoemark said: “She has bruised her foot and unfortunately that means she will be unable to run. It’s just unfortunate that it has come so close to the race but she will be absolutely fine. It’s not ideal but we’ll look forward now and the Yorkshire Oaks could be her next objective.”

Mawatheeq has been ruled out of the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday.

The five-year-old has endured an interrupted campaign having been forced to miss the Dubai World Cup through injury and he was well beaten on his sole appearance of 2010 in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He was withdrawn at the start of the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown after failing to enter the stalls and trainer Marcus Tregoning does not feel his charge is ready to compete in Ascot’s Betfair-sponsored summer showpiece.

“We were going to work him somewhere this weekend but we decided against it and that means he will miss the King George,” said Tregoning.

“We’ve just decided to give him a bit more time as we don’t feel he’s going to be ready for Ascot.

“We haven’t decided where we’re going with him yet but we just feel he wants a bit more time after the injury problem he had in the spring.”

Royal Ascot heroine Hibaayeb is reported to be in the form of her life as she bids to give the Godolphin team their first taste of success in the Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh on Sunday.

The daughter of Singspiel was an impressive winner of the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot and Saeed bin Suroor has been thrilled with her subsequent progress, though he does not want conditions at the Curragh to become too testing.

“She ran a huge race last time and came out of the race really well. Her condition is very good and she looks better than ever at the moment,” said bin Suroor.

“It’s a very tough race, but the filly is really happy and working very well. Good ground would be fine for her, so I hope it is not too soft.”

The Godolphin team are double-handed in the race, with the Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained Miss Jean Brodie taking a big jump in class following success in a Doncaster maiden.

Sir Michael Stoute’s Eldalil chased Hibaayeb home at Royal Ascot and Angus Gold, racing manager for owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, is hopeful of further improvement.

He said: “We hope she has improved since Ascot and she will need to as she is jumping up a grade. They say the ground is going to be good or possibly a little bit easier and I just hope it doesn’t go too soft.

“She’s taking on the top mile-and-a-half fillies around so I can’t say she’ll win it, but I thought if she’d broken better at Ascot, then she’d have finished an awful lot closer to the winner.

“She proved that day that she stayed the trip, so hopefully she’ll run a decent race on Sunday.”

An announcement on who rides Harbinger in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes could be made this week.

Speculation has been rife on who will team up with the in-form Sir Michael Stoute-trained four-year-old in the Betfair-sponsored showpiece at Ascot on July 24.

Frankie Dettori and Paul Hanagan are among the names being linked with Harbinger after his regular partner Ryan Moore decided to stick with stablemate Workforce following their triumph in the Investec Derby.

Harbinger is unbeaten in three starts this term, culminating in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“We’re still waiting to hear on jockey booking confirmations and all that,” said Harry Herbert, racing manager to owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing.

“It doesn’t look as though there will be too big a field in the race so it’s just a question of seeing who is doing what, and we are in Sir Michael’s hands on that one.

“He’s just waiting to hear. We have had conversations, but I can’t talk about that until we’ve had confirmation.

“I guess it wouldn’t take a genius to know what the short-list would be. It’s just waiting for the cards to fall and for trainers with other runners in the race knowing what they are going to do. Hopefully, something will be forthcoming this week.”

He went on: “He’s such a special horse, he’s such a beautiful-looking horse with a great temperament. We’ve seen this year he has a lovely cruising speed and then a tremendous turn of foot to quicken off that pace.

“This is what it’s all about from my side of things. It’s a big syndicate manager’s dream to have a horse like Harbinger, who will hopefully be lining up for Europe’s greatest midsummer spectacle.”