Sports Then and Now

The 2024 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf is shaping to be one of the most anticipated races of the season, showcasing the finest female turf runners from around the world. Known for its thrilling competition and display of elite talent, this prestigious race highlights endurance, strategy, and heart.

With a prize purse of $2 million that attracts the best of the best, fans and bettors alike are eager to see which contenders will rise to the challenge. In this article, we’ll highlight the top five horses to watch in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Each of these contenders have the potential to leave a lasting mark on this year’s Breeders’ Cup.

Moira

Moira, the 2022 Canadian Horse of the Year, showcased her tenacity by defeating the 2023 Horse of the Year Fev Rover (IRE) in the Beverly D. Stakes (G2) at Colonial Down, earning a spot in the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

She acquired the spot through the “Win and You’re In” series. The 5-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper, who previously finished strongly in the 2022 and 2023 Filly & Mare Turf races, continues to excel. Despite being sold as a broodmare for $3 million, Moira remains under trainer Kevin Attard, reaffirming her talent with a runner-up finish in the Diana Stakes (G1).

Horse racing is loved by many, and not least by the Queen herself. As a life-long and avid fan of the sport, the Queen enjoys watching the big races and we’re pretty sure she’s enjoyed a bet or two in her time. As well as enjoying the racing action, she also has ownership of her own horses, and enjoys watching them race and win. She also rides herself, and perhaps one of the most iconic moments of her long reign came in 1982 when she rode with Ronald Reagan during his state visit to the UK. Here we take a look at royal horse racing, and invite you to meet the queen’s horses. It is well known that the Queen has a deep love for all of her horses and that she has been interested in riding horses ever since she was a young girl. Her father bred many of the horses that she came to know and love, and perhaps it is from him that her interest and love of horses comes. If you are someone that enjoys the betting element of horse racing, signing up to SkyBet would be a great first step purely due to all of the offers given.

It may also interest you to learn that the Queen names all of her horses herself and had in-depth knowledge about their parentage, health and ancestry.

Burmese

The horse that the Queen rode when Reagan came to visit was presented to her by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Mounties) in 1969. The Queen rode her in Trooping the Colour for eighteen years, and it is fair to say that she was one of the Queen’s favourite horses.

Sanction

Sanction holds a very special place in royal hearts as she was the last home-bred horse that the Queen rode before switching to ride native ponies. Sanction and Her Majesty the Queen had a special relationship, and the Queen often spoke fondly of the horse during interviews.

Want to mingle with the rich and famous or enjoy the thrills of placing a bet on your favorite horse? The races give you the perfect excuse to do just that. Admittedly, though, attending an event can be overwhelming if this is your first time. To help you out, we’ve put together this beginner’s horse racing guide: how to enjoy your time at the races.

1. Choose a racecourse to visit

Horse Racing is known for the iconic racecourses at Ascot and Aintree. However, there are countless other options all over the country. If you’ve never been to the races before, the simplest thing is to choose a racecourse close to your home. Luckily, you can use this useful tool to find the best horse racing course near you.

2. Learn what to expect

Attending the races involves much more than picking an event. The thing involves a full day of socialising and catching up with family or friends. There are a number of places to eat, from fine dining to street food vans, but you can also opt for a picnic. Attending the races also means that you can spend the entire time watching the horses or hop from bar to bar whilst only watching one race. Truly, the choice is yours.

The news must have come like a tonne of bricks for Champion Jockey Oisin Murphy. A three-month ban from racing, due to testing positive for cocaine, has thrown his 2020-21 season into jeopardy and sent shockwaves through the sport of horse racing.

An investigation into the positive test found that Murphy had not taken cocaine himself, but had had relations with a woman whom it was discovered was an occasional cocaine user. As a result, the ban was for three months, when previously riders have been given six-month suspensions for similar offences.

“I am pleased the commissioners accepted the evidence presented and am hugely relieved to have been cleared of taking cocaine,” Murphy said. “Despite my relief, I regretfully put myself in a situation whereby cocaine has been able to filter into my system through environmental contamination and must live with the consequences. As a professional sportsman I cannot put myself in a similar situation again.”

It’s a disappointing setback for the 25-year-old jockey, who has enjoyed a fine blossoming career in the sport over the last few years. Murphy’s 142 winners in 2020 was enough to claim Champion Jockey for a second year running, having also earned the accolade with 160 winners in 2019, and he is a frequent favourite on the betting exchange sites. For a rider of such immense quality, it’s a shame to see his young career stalling as a result of this kind of controversy.

It’s only a couple of weeks before the iconic Cheltenham Roar erupts across Prestbury Park as the famous four-day Cheltenham Festival gets underway. Racing fans up and down the country are already scrambling to find the latest odds on 2020 Cheltenham hopefuls, and anticipating the thrills that are sure to ensue. Ahead of this year’s Festival, let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable moments from last year.

Amazing Altior’s jumps record

The Nicky Henderson-trained horse was the favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase and not only did he win, but he hung on to his record for the most consecutive wins in jump racing – this triumph being the 18^th, equalling the record set by Big Buck’s.

Altior certainly didn’t make it easy, with a mistake at fence seven (the water jump), but jockey Nico de Boinville spurred him on to find that extra gear. Describing him as “an absolute warrior”, the final 100 yards was where the race was won, and Altior beat Politologue by one-and-three-quarter lengths.

Some commentators will tell you the Champion Hurdle isn’t what it once was. Sending racehorses over steeplechase fences has become infinitely more fashionable, so the result is a dearth of two-mile hurdlers and an open betting heat come the 2020 Cheltenham Festival.

Many of the finest equine athletes to ever race under National Hunt rules have tasted Champion Hurdle glory, but how do the current crop of hopefuls compare to the legends in whose hoofprints they hope to follow?

Five racehorses in the illustrious history of this Cheltenham Festival feature have been fortunate enough to win it three times. Each of the mighty Hatton’s Grace, Sir Ken, Persian War, See You Then and Istabraq completed their Champion Hurdle hat-tricks in consecutive years.There are two ways of looking at such feats. These Champion Hurdle legends dominated their respective eras – from the post-war Britain of Hatton’s Grace and Sir Ken through to the dawn of a new millennium with Istabraq.

Was the opposition they faced up to much? The betting is a good indicator of this with Sir Ken sent off favorite on all three occasions alongside Istabraq. Persian War and See You Then, meanwhile, were returned at the shortest starting price in two of their respective Champion Hurdle triumphs.