Latest news with #GrandNationalTrial
BBC News
14-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Val Dancer aiming for Midlands Grand National win
After all the drama of a sold-out final day at Cheltenham, Uttoxeter takes centre stage on Saturday for the 52nd running of the Midlands Grand Midlands-trained horses are well fancied among the 17 favourite looks like being Knockanore, trained by Ryan Potter at Ross-on-Wye on the Herefordshire/Wales expected to run well along the 4m 2f course is another Herefordshire horse, Tanganyika, trained by Venetia former Grand National winning trainer Lucinda Russell sends Apple Away down from Val Dancer, trained by Mel Rowley at Morville, will be looking to add to his memorable Welsh Grand National success in the fog at Chepstow in late gelding also ran well in the Grand National Trial at Haydock Park in Midlands' top trainer Dan Skelton - still clear in this year's trainers championship - sends Galia Des Liteaux, ridden by younger brother Harry. The Midlands Grand National, first run in 1969, has its place in English horse racing history as the second-longest race in the British calendar, after the Grand National at has produced two former Cheltenham Gold Cup winners - The Thinker in 1986 and Synchronised in 2010 - and a former Grand National winner in Rag Trade, who triumphed 50 years attendance will not approach Cheltenham levels but an expected 10,000 crowd will create the usual electric atmosphere at the small Staffordshire track."We're looking at having around 10,000 here," executive director Brian Barrass told BBC Sport."That would be around 500 up on 2024 and 1,500 up on 2023."We're expecting the Grandstand and Premier area to sell out on the day. But we have capacity in the Centre Course."
The Independent
14-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Saturday's Racing Tips: Best Bets For Uttoxeter And Kempton
Saturday's racing tips Timetoshine (1.37 Kempton) – win @ 6/4 bet365 Jilajone (1.50 Uttoxeter) – each-way @ 10/1 bet365 (four places, 1/5 odds) Red Dirt Road (2.25 Uttoxeter) – each-way @ 6/1 William Hill (five places, 1/5 odds) Aston Martini (2.45 Kempton) – win @ 5/1 Unibet 3.00 Apple Away (3.00 Uttoxeter) – each-way @ 9/1 BetVictor (five places, 1/5 odds) 3.00 Galia Des Liteaux (3.00 Uttoxeter) – each-way @ 14/1 William Hill (five places, 1/5 odds) After four pulsating days at Cheltenham, there is barely time for racing fans to draw breath as the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter provides the latest big-field handicap for backers to solve. Lightly weighted contenders are often favoured on betting sites in this stamina-sapping event; however, the ground doesn't promise to be quite as deep as in previous years and that might help those at the head of the handicap. Saturday's Uttoxeter Tips Given she is a Grade 1 winner at Aintree over fences, Apple Away (3pm) could still be reasonably treated by the handicapper and the assessor rated her effort in the Grand National Trial at Haydock last time as her second career-best performance. She bumped into a resurgent Haydock specialist that day in Famous Bridge who was equipped with first-time cheekpieces, so lost little in defeat and her yard enjoyed another brilliant raid to the Festival this week with Myretown landing a major staying prize on Tuesday. Galia Des Liteaux has had a few more chances in some of the season's leading staying events than Apple Away and, although she has a few lengths to make up on our chief selection on horse racing betting sites, she may well finish a good deal closer. Firstly, she sports a tongue tie for the first time which may help, and we saw what a difference that made to Doddiethegreat in a warm Cheltenham handicap on Thursday. Secondly, she is reunited with Harry Skelton who traditionally gets a good tune from the mare who boasted the quality to finish a creditable eighth in last year's Grand National at Aintree. A mistake three from home stopped her in her tracks at Haydock but I'm hoping Skelton, on the mark with the classy The New Lion earlier in the week, can find an early rhythm at his fences and post a big performance. Earlier on the card, Jilajone (1.50pm) looks an attractive each-way wager on betting apps now he returns to the Staffordshire venue. The six-year-old did as well as he could to finish as close as he did at Ascot last time and he was a very impressive winner at this venue back in January. Red Dirt Road (2.25) is going to make a terrific staying chaser in time, but there are still nice prizes to pick up over hurdles and he should make a bold bid to follow up his recent Sandown win with success in the staying handicap hurdle. Saturday's Kempton Tips Elsewhere, Nicky Henderson experienced a mixed time at Cheltenham, but there were some positives and victories for Timetoshine (1.37pm) and Aston Martini (2.45pm) could end the week on a high for the master of Seven Barrows. The former recorded some terrific data despite a poor round of hurdling and, if she can remedy that sloppiness, could be a smart mare going forward. Aston Martini posted another solid effort behind an improving hurdler of Harry Fry's at Ascot and the cheekpieces may just enable her to find a little more improvement. Saturday's trip seems suitable, and, like a lot of her trainer's horses, she seems happier on some nice ground. When using gambling sites, be aware that sports betting can be addictive, so please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget. The same applies whether you're using slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium. Bettors should always follow responsible gambling practices. Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses. It's particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution. You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs. You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having: We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
BBC News
15-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Pic D'Orhy seals back-to-back wins in Ascot Chase
Pic D'Orhy won the Ascot Chase for the second successive year, outclassing Cheltenham Gold Cup contenders Corbetts Cross and L'Homme Presse in the process. L'Homme Presse was pulled up by jockey Charlie Deutsch midway through the race following a poor jumping display, while 7-4 favourite Corbetts Cross trailed home by 10 lengths in second place, just fending off Blue Lord in third. It was a first Grade One victory in 12 months for trainer Paul Nicholls and came a year after Pic D'Orhy's last victory in the race."I would say this was a career-best performance - he loves it here," said Nicholls, who reiterated his horse would not be competing at next month's Cheltenham Festival. Jockey Harry Cobden, who was equally pleased to return to the winners' circle on the 9-5 chance, said he always felt in control of the race after making the running from the opening fence."He's a great horse we've had so many good days. I really enjoyed that, this is massive," he told ITV Sport."I looked at the big screen halfway round and I knew all I had to do was stay in the saddle." Elsewhere, Famous Bridge produced an eye-catching display to win the Grand National Trial at Haydock, landing neck and neck at the last with 11-4 favourite Apple Away, before powering home to win by two National winner Val Dancer was leading, but fell away badly between the final two obstacles. At Wincanton, 6-5 favourite Golden Ace beat Burdett Road by three-quarters of a length to win the Kingwell Scott's seven-year-old beat Brighterdaysahead in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at last season's Cheltenham Festival but failed to reproduce that form in her first two outings this returned to winning ways on Saturday, though, after being dropped back down in distance to two miles for this Grade Two contest.
