Cheltenham Festival - Spa Novices' Hurdle

Any race run on the final day of Cheltenham Festival is a big race and so is the Spa Novices’ Hurdle. This is a grade 1 National Hunt ranked race that admits four years and above aged horses. They compete over a three mile (4828 m) distance on the New Course.

A generous offering of £68,000 goes to the race winner while the rest share what remains of the £120,000 purse.

The Spa Novices at Cheltenham, oft referred to as the Albert Barlett Novices’ Hurdle, has been existence for 12 years before the 2018 edition. It Achieved Grade 1 status in 2008. Its popularity among viewers make it one of the races with a good actual viewing from the stands.

Tony Mc’ Coy is the race’s leading jockey with three wins while the two wins by Jonjo O’ Neill make him the leading trainer.

Horses that compete in the Spa Novices are often angling for elite jump races like the Gold Cup.

Grand National - Equality of Opportunity

 

Well hasn't it come around fast? In a little under a week's time the highlight of the national hunt calendar, namely the Grand National, is upon us. Last year due to Covid we had to make do with a pixelated affair, which while better than nothing, was no substitute for the blood, sweat and tears that goes into 'the real thing'. The 2021 Grand National brings together the best of the best at a time where we could do with something positive to focus on.

With no Tiger Roll this year, heavy favourite Cloth Cap is looking to show them how its done, with a convincing win, but is it really going to be that easy? Speaking of which, Katie Walsh recently spoke to Betway about another facet of racing that has been anything other than easy over the years; namely representation of female jockeys in the Grand National. Unbelievably it wasn't until the 1970s that a female jockey even took part. Watch the video to learn more about how our girls turned the lemons of discrimination in the sport, into the lemonade of success. Cheers!

Tune into the Grand National on April 10th

Chomping at the Bit for Cheltenham!

Here at FestivalFocus.co.uk it should be no surprise that we're chomping at the bit with excitement for this years Cheltenham Festival. For starters it's a relief that it's even going ahead (last years Grand National had no such luck and we were instead lumbered with a 'Virtual' version – a poor substitute). And secondly there are a number of races that we just can't wait to see. Can Honeysuckle (currently 9/4) make it an amazing 11 from 11 in the Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy? Can Altior (13/2) overcome Chacun Pour Soi(10/11) in the Champion Chase. We'll soon find out, so prior to that let's have a lighthearted Cheltenham Festival themed  quiz from Betway with some not necessarily 'in the know' Premier League footballers!

Cheltenham Festival - National Hunt Challenge Cup

This penultimate race of the opening day events at the annual festival is a grade two competition that brings together horses of age five years and more. These compete to complete a distance of four miles (6400 m) with the winner earning an estimated $59000 of a £100,000 purse.

The race enjoys the record of being the longest distance at the festival as well as ranking among the oldest events since it was first run in 1860. It has been especially consistence, recording the single largest number of repeat competitions.

The gruelling distance is not made any easier by the twenty four fences that competitors have to go over. It calls for outstanding stamina and endurance on the part of the horse and excellent handling by the rider.

The fact that no single horse has been able to win thrice in a race that is over a century and a half old is an indicator of its competitiveness. Jonjo O’ Neill is the leading trainer with six wins to his name.

Horse Racing and Betting: Much-loved Melbourne Cup Winner Subzero Dies of Heart Failure

Legendary racehorse Subzero and the winner of the Melbourne Cup in 1992, died of heart failure. The horse was trained by Lee Freedman and was four years when it won the Melbourne Cup competition in Flemington. Ridden by Greg Hall, the horse mastered the wet weather conditions to finish the race ahead of Castletown and Veandercross.

Also known as Subbie, he was one of the best-thoroughbred stayers in Australia during the 1990s. He was euthanized after developing heart complications. The death of Subzero was confirmed by Bruce Clark, one of the most prominent racing figures in the world.

Subzero died two months after his great long-term career mate Graham Salisbury passed on after a long battle with cancer in June. The two mates paraded horseracing to different generations with frequent visits to nursing homes and schools. Additionally, they were one of the horseracing great ambassadors in Australia.

If you love horseracing and gambling, then this must be sad news for you since you have lost one of the figures that you would place wagers on. However, there is no need to worry since Sportsbet still has many horseracing options for you to select from when it comes to betting.

How Legendary Race Horse Subzero Died

Subzero died at the age of 32 at the Bendigo Equine Hospital. He died after battling ill health for a few days. After his death, Giles Thompson, the RV chief executive, said that it was another sad day for all individuals within the Victorian horseracing industry as well as sports fans. Subzero’s contribution to the sport both on and off the racing track was incredible, and will forever be grateful to a horse that touched the hearts of everyday Australians and fans, he added.

Many young individuals have grownup having had the opportunity to meet and pat only one horse, which was Subzero. From the elderly to schoolchildren and Hollywood A-listers to those battling ill health, Graham and Subzero did plenty to provide them with joy while at the same time promoting the thoroughbred racing sport.

Race Horse Subzero Achievements before the Death

On the track, Subzero performed excellently. He won six races from a total of 48 starts. Aside from his Melbourne Cup victory in 1992, his other major wins included the Adelaide Cup in 1992 and South Australia Derby in the same year. Aside from the racing career, Subbie was also the Course horse clerk until 2008 when he retired from those duties.

Summary

Subzero’s name will always be remembered by many horseracing fans and Australians at large. Until now, there is no better example of love and friendship between a horse and man than Subzero and Graham Salisbury. 

The two together brought love and friendship to many individuals ranging from racing fans and sports bettors of all ages to the general public across the world. Sadly, the horseracing industry has lost one of the key figures a few months after another sad news of Graham.