Champion Hurdle

This is a Grade One hurdle race for four years and older horses. It is run over a distance of 2 miles and 110 yards on the Old Course and includes eight hurdles.

The race was first run in 1927 when prize money was somewhat less than it is nowadays. The first race was run by a horse called Blaris which won £365 for its owner.

Queen Mother Champion Chase

This is a Grade One chase over two miles and is also run on the Old Course. It is for five year olds and older and the race includes 12 fences. It was originally known as the National Hunt Two-Mile Champion Chase but was renamed in honour of the Queen Mother on her eightieth birthday in recognition of her contribution to jump racing.

For the last two years the race has been won by Master Minded, a Paul Nicholas trained horse ridden on both occasions by Ruby Walsh.

World Hurdle

This is a Grade One hurdle race for four year old and older horses. Run on the New Course, it is three miles long and the course includes twelve hurdles.

The race is a relatively recent introduction and was first run in 1972. Last year it was won by Big Buck’s, another Paul Nicholls trained horse which also was ridden by Ruby Walsh.

Cheltenham Gold Cup

This Grade One chase for five year old and older horses is also run on the New Course and extends over three miles two and a half furlongs. The course includes twenty two fences.

This is the most prestigious race of the National Hunt calendar and is the major highlight of the Festival. In its present form it dates back to 1924.

In 2007 the race was won by Kauto Star, a Paul Nicholas trained horse. The following year another Paul Nicholas trained horse, Denman, won the race. Then, for the first time in the race’s history, Kauto Star the deposed champion came back to win it again. This year both horses will again compete for this coveted cup. Will Kauto Star retain it or will Denman come back? The horse racing world waits with baited breath.

The other games went well and I came through to pay for the whole vacation with the few against the odds bets I made. I did not win it big like everyone hopes when they go to Vegas but the time I had was amazing. I wish that sports’ betting was legal in my state; it puts a certain twist on the games. I tend to not want to bet as much when I’m betting with friends because you don’t want to take your friends money, but taking a casinos money feels great.

In the UK betting on horse racing is very popular, in particular betting on the Grand National. This is a horse race which has much prestige and is also followed by millions of punters in England.

First of all, understand that you cannot bet on many sports without ending up losing money. Start with one or two sports that you follow regularly, and only bet on these. You will not have the necessary expertise to track more than two sports at a time, and make sure you know all the statistics needed to make educated bets.

Understand the rules of how sports betting works. You should know how a bookmaker operates, and how the betting system works. Without knowing this, you are setting yourself up for disaster.

You should know your own strongest and weakest points. Keep detailed records of how much you bet, lost, and won over time, so that you can look back to see patterns of areas where you can confidently bet in the future knowing that you have a solid history, and areas you should avoid. If you don’t know a sport well enough, be smart enough to admit it and walk away.

If you are just starting off, start off by “paper trading” which simply means that you go through the entire betting process without actually putting up real money. This will give you experience without racking up any financial losses, and once you are more confident you can start using real money. There is enough time to make or lose money at this after you have learnt the tricks of the trade.

Following the advice given above will hopefully get you off to a solid start, and whether sports betting remains a hobby or become a career, these tips will make sure you are on the right path.