The Top 5 Most Popular Horse Racing Competitions

Across the United Kingdom and Ireland, the most popular sport to bet on by some considerable margin is Horse Racing, overshadowing the likes of Football, Rugby, Greyhound, Golf, Tennis and Cricket. Chances to win big present themselves in hundreds of races taking place across Britain and Ireland every day.

Turning a profit in the ‘sport of kings’ has as much to do with betting at high-quality Horse Racing betting sites as does selecting the correct horse and the races with the best odds. While backing a horse at shorter odds than you could have gotten elsewhere is the number one mistake, number two is not getting the best possible deal for your precious stake. Part of that process is finding the best races to place your wagers.

We analyse the top 5 horse racing competitions for British and Irish punters and what makes them such favourite races with the fans.

The Grand National

The Grand National is arguably the most popular horse race for British and Irish punters and is run at the Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool as the centre piece of The Aintree Festival, in the first week of April each year. Run over a marathon journey of 4 miles-and-2½-furlongs, The Grand National is contested by 40 horses with a total of 16 fences on the Aintree racecourse. Those fences play their part in triggering upset wins as favourites invariably fall whilst on course.

The Grand National has seen an untold number of upsets since its first running way back in 1839. Most recently in 2009, Mon Mome won at landmark odds of 100/1, and back in 1967, Foinavon won at the same great odds after the rest of the field fell. A wide-open race where upsets abound.

The Irish Derby

First run in 1866, the Irish Derby is the biggest-and-most-popular race in Ireland, run over a mile-and-a-half at the Curragh Racecourse. With the winner taking home a cool £1 million, it’s no wonder the race attracts the best horse and trainers in the land. Master trainer Aidan O’Brien has won the race an unthinkable 14 times, seven-in-a-row from 2006 onwards and the landed the first four in 2020. Online bettors have made millions punting on horses trained by the incredible O’Brien stable.

The Epsom Derby

Simply referred to as The Derby, it is Britain’s richest horse race (with a total purse of £1.325 million), raced by three-year-old colts and fillies over a distance of one mile, four furlongs and 10 yards. Punters took home plenty of cash at the last Derby, with underdog Adayar pocketing punters a cool 16/1

on their investment.

Tattersalls Gold Cup

Another great race with a history of upset winners is Ireland’s Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh course over the 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 110 yards distance each May. While not at extreme odds like winners in years-gone-by, 2021 Tattersalls Cup winner, Helvic Dream returned 8/1 to punters.

Cheltenham Gold Cup

Cheltenham’s Gold Cup has perhaps the biggest reputation of all of turning punters a profit. Consider the odds of these win

ners and you too will be looking to place a wager at Cheltenham in March 2022;