UK Horse Racing Tips

Arguably the most famous horse in Britain in recent years, Tiger Roll requires little introduction. On Saturday, April 6, 2019, he led home a notable 1-2-3-4 for Irish-trained horses in the Grand National and, in so doing, became the first horse since Red Rum, in 1974, to win the renowned steeplechase two years running. Indeed, despite being allotted joint top-weight, he was favourite to complete an unprecedented hat-trick in the 2020 renewal when the Grand National meeting was cancelled by the Jockey Club due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Of course, all is not lost for Tiger Roll but, now an 11-year-old, he ran a lifeless race when pulled up in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on his reappearance in November, 2020. He remains favourite for the 2021 Grand National but, having been installed at 10/1 when Elliott confirmed that he would be aimed at a third victory in March, 2020, at the time of writing he can be backed at 20/1 ante-post.

Bred for the Flat and once owned, by unraced, by Godolphin, Tiger Roll is diminutive in stature, at just 15.2 hands high, but blessed with powerful hind quarters. Owned, nowadays, by Gigginstown House Stud and trained by Gordon Elliott in Co. Meath, he was originally bought as a Cheltenham Festival prospect, but exceeded expectations by winning the Grade One Triumph Hurdle on just his third start over hurdles.

Fast forward seven years or so and Tiger Roll has won the National Hunt Challenge Cup, the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase twice – making a total of four Cheltenham Festival wins in all – and the Grand National twice. It would be fair to say that, regardless of whether or not he runs in another National, or any other race, Tiger Roll has earned his place in the history books.

Istabraq, who won the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 1998, 1999 and 2000, has the distinction of being the latest of just five horses – the others being Hatton’s Grace, Sir Ken, Persian War and See You Then – to win the two-mile hurdling championship three times. Indeed, his Timeform Annual Rating of 180 places him second on the all-time list of hurdlers, ahead of the aforementioned quartet, alongside Monksfield and behind only Night Nurse.

Bought by intended trainer John Durkan, on behalf of J.P. McManus, in 1995, Istabraq was transferred to Aidan O’Brien when Durkan was diagnosed with leukemia the following year. Istabraq made his hurdling debut at Punchestown in November, 1996, where he was narrowly beaten but, having been gelded, won his next three starts on the way to his first appearance at the Cheltenham Festival, in the Royal Sunallliance Novices’ Hurdle. Durkan had predicted that Istabraq would win the latter, which he did, albeit all out in the closing stages.

Istabraq returned to the Cheltenham Festival in 1998, justifying favouritism in the Champion Hurdle with an effortless 12-length victory, made tragically poignant by the death of Durkan, at the age of just 31, the previous January. The rest, as they say, is history. In a remarkable career, Istabraq was, according to Timeform, ‘a giant in an age of pygmies’; all told, he won 23 of his 29 starts, including 14 at the highest, Grade One level, and amassed a little over £1 million in prize money. Having won on four successive occasions at the Cheltenham Festival, Istabraq was denied the chance to make it five when the meeting was lost to a foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001; at the time the Festival was cancelled, Istabraq was odds-on, at 1/2, to win an unprecedented fourth Champion Hurdle.

Few racing events pique the interest of the general public like the Cheltenham Festival. It’s second only to the Grand National in terms of reputation and popularity and has prize money to match. With four days of non stop top drawer racing action it’s no wonder that this national hunt event is so highly anticipated. So what will the 2021 Festival bring I wonder? Can Honeysuckle add the cherry on the cake of an astounding 10 from 10 record by winning the Champion Hurdle? Can Al Boum Photo achieve its place in the record books alongside Arkle and Best Mate to become the third three time winner of the Gold Cup? We’re just days away from finding out, so lets get into the swing of things with a fun Betway Racing Cheltenham Festival quiz featuring a few familiar footballing faces.

Down the years, several men, including the inimitable Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain, trainer of Red Rum and Amberleigh House, and Trevor Hemmings, owner of Hedgehunter, Ballabriggs and Many Clouds, have been known as ‘Mr. Grand National’. However, the first man to lay claim to that title was Fred Rimell who, between 1956 and 1976, saddled four winners of the world famous steeplechase. In so doing, he set a record which, while equalled by McCain in 2004, has never been beaten.

As a trainer, Rimell had few peers, but few that argue that his first Grand National winner, ESB in 1956, was due more to luck than judgement. In a bizarre incident, Devon Loch, with the race at his mercy, inexplicably fly-jumped and slithered to the ground just yards from the winning post, leaving ESB to gallop by and win by 10 lengths. Winning jockey Dave Dick later admitted, ‘Devon Loch had me cold.’

Five years later, in 1961, Rimmel won his second Grand National as a trainer, in more conventional fashion, with Niklaus Silver, who remains one of just three grey horses to have won the Aintree marathon. Ridden by Bobby Beasley, the 10-year-old beat the previous year’s winner, and favourite, Merryman II by 7 lengths.

Win number three, which proved to be the easiest of all, came courtesy of Gay Trip, ridden by Pat Taaffe, in 1970. Having previously run in the King George VI Chase at Kempton and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the 8-year-old outclassed the opposition, winning by 20 lengths. Last, but by mo means least, came the Welsh National winner, Rag Trade who, in 1976, completed a notable double when denying dual winner Red Rum his third win the Grand National, for the second year running.