Category: Races

Also known as The Oaks Stakes, or Investec Oaks, the Epsom Oaks is a group one flat race that is held in very high regard in the racing world. The race is for three year old fillies and takes place at Epsom Downs racecourse in early June of each year over the distance of 1m 4 furlongs 6 yards.

It’s inaugural run was held way back in 1779 which makes it one of the oldest horse races in the World. For perspective the Grand National was first held in 1839. The Oaks is one of the five British Classics (1,000 Guineas, 2,000 Guineas, The Oaks, The Derby and the St. Leger), all events founded around the same period of time and that came to represent the best of flat racing. The Oaks is the second oldest of the classics after the St Leger, which was founded the year previous.

The Oaks also forms part of the Fillies Triple Crown which consist of 1,000 Guineas Stakes, Epsom Oaks and St. Leger Stake . The last winner if the Triple Crown was Oh So Sharp in 1985, and prior to that Meld 30 years previous.

With such tradition embedded into the Epsom Oaks, it’s no wonder that there’s a healthy prize pot to accompany it. The purse for the race is £500,000, with over half of that going to the winner of the race. Such is the influence of the Oaks that there are regional variations all over Europe.

With such an illustrious history going back literally hundreds of years, it’s hard to highlight moments or achievements that stand out. An early high achiever in the race was jockey Frank Buckle, who won on Nike in 1797 and went on to win a further 8 times, makes him the leading jockey to this day.

For more recent records we look to owner Susan Magnier , who is joint leading owner (alongside the 4th Duke of Grafton!) with six wins including wins as recent as Minding in 2016 and in 2018 7-1 winner Forever Together – who beat 5/2 favourite Wild Illusion. Sandwiched between those races we see the fastest ever Oaks time of 2m 34. 13s by Enable ridden by none other than Frankie Dettori and trained by John Gosden.

Another race with royal flair, the Queen Mother Champion Chase is a 1 mile 7 furlong National Hunt Steeplechase race held at Cheltenham racecourse each year. The race takes place on the old course as part of the much anticipated Cheltenham Festival. It’s run on the second day of the festival. With twelve fences to clear and a competitive atmosphere to add into the mix, for many this is a real highlight of the four day event.

Inaugurated in 1959, the races name changed from the National Hunt Two-Mile Champion Chase to the Queen Mother Champion Chase due to the Queen Mother’s 80th birthday celebrations. I’m sure nobody begrudges this change as it always was a joy to see the Queen Mother’s love of both life and horse racing throughout her golden years. She was not only a keen racing fan, but also an owner, coming close to winning this very event with Game Spirit in 1976.

The most successful horse in the history of the Queen Mother Champion Chase is the beloved Badsworth Boy with three wins in a row in the 1980’s. Leading jockey honours are split between 60’s sensation Pat Taafe (winning with horses in 1960, 1961, 1964, 1966 and another for good measure in 1970!) and Barry Geraghty, who has shone brightly in more recent years.

A highlight in recent history has to be the back to back wins by Paul Nicholl’s trained Masterminded, who won the Queen Mother Champion Chase  in both 2008 and 2009. The 2018 winner was Nicky Henderson’s Altior. The Irish bred 8 year old and bookies favourite won by seven lengths and in impressive fashion.

As a race with royal connections the King George VI Chase certainly stands out as one to watch. Self explanatory in nature, the race was first run in 1937 to celebrate and honour the new monarch King George VI. Troubling times that they were the race was seldom run initially due to World War II which closed Kempton Park track, which is where the race was and still is held today.

The race is run over a distance of 3 miles and is for horses aged four years old or more. There are 18 fences to be navigated. The price purse is an impressive £225,000, with £128,138 going to the winner.

The King George VI takes place on December 26th each year as part of the 32red Winter Festival, and so many planning to attend there appreciate the Christmas feel to proceedings. The race is held in very high regard, with most not really placing it significantly below that of a Cheltenham Gold Cup win in terms of importance. In fact, on multiple occasions it has been bundled with both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Betfair Chase as a ‘triple’. Years back, a horse winning all three events would win a cool £1,000,000, and even now the ‘Kauto Star Trophy’ is awarded for horses achieving this feat.

Being that he had a trophy named after him, you’re right in deducing that Kauto Star is a former winner of the King George VI race, in fact that might be putting it lightly, since he won from 2006 to 2009 and again in 2011. In racing terms that’s the stuff that dreams are made of as I’m sure the jockey on each and every occasion Ruby Walsh, would attest to. Racing legend, Desert Orchid also impressed in the King George VII in his day, winning the race in 1988, 1989 and 1990.

Winner of the 2017 race was Nicky Henderson’s Might Bite. The 6/4 favourite battled to the end against 50-1 shot Double Shuffle to claim the win.

Out of all of the races run in a season, few have such a venerable reputation as the Champion Hurdle. The race, suited to four year old horses and above, is part of the prestigious Cheltenham Festival. At a distance of 2 miles 87 yards and run on the old course at Cheltenham racecourse, the event takes place on the opening day of the Festival in March of each year.

The purse for the event is a very healthy £400,000, with £227,000 going to the winner. With that in mind, and the attention that the Cheltenham festival draws year on year, it’s no wonder that the cream of the crop show up to compete in this routinely thrilling race. It’s a long way from the very first Champion Hurdle in 1927 when the prize money of £365 was awarded to winner Blaris.

This Grade one National Hunt race has the best race horses of their day compete for the crown, resulting in many unmissable match-ups over the years since the race was first run in 1927. Famous names such as Istabraq, Persian War and Lanzarote have all won here.

It didn’t take long for the Champion Hurdle to ignite interest with the racing public, with 30,000 fans in attendance on course even in the 1950s. Notable moments over the years include mare Dawn Run winning the race in 1984 (and going on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup two years later) and the excitement of cheering on what would become one of the race’s three time winners such as Persian War, See You Then and most recently Istabraq who won in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Trainer Nicky Henderson often has a close eye on the Champion Hurdle and it’s paid off, since he’s leading trainer with 7 wins including Buveur D’Air in 2017 and 2018. Buveur D’Air was 4/6 favourites to repeat his 2017 success in 2018 and didn’t let down his supporters. Favourites often do well in the Champion Hurdle, and we have to go all the way back to Panjabi at 22-1 in 2009 to find an outsider taking his opponents to task.