Features

Stan James UK Guineas Festival 2008

The Stan James UK Guineas Festival 2008 will be hosted by Newmarket Racecourse on the 3rd and 4th of May 2008. Spectators come from far and wide to be witness to the running of two very popular races at the Stan James UK Guineas Festival, namely the 2000 Guineas and the 1000 Guineas. This year, the 2000 Guineas is even more special than ever as it will be the 200th running of this race, and racing enthusiasts will spill out in their thousands to support this horse racing spectacular.

Beef or Salmon Leaves Behind a Legacy

Many tears flowed from the eyes of loyal fans on Wednesday, 23 April 2008. Emotions were running extremely high as Beef or Salmon walked into the starting gates for the very last time at Punchtown. After his appearance in last month’s Irish National, it was decided that the time had come to let Beef or Salmon retire from racing and enjoy the rest of his life in the love and care of his owner’s grandson. All that trainer Michael Hourigan was hoping for on Wednesday was the safe return of one of his most prized horses.

Hot Danish Beats the Odds

The Doncaster Handicap is taking place this weekend and is hosted at the Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. The 1600 meter horse racing event was first run in 1866, and the Group One race for thoroughbreds now has a purse of $2 500 000. There are many deserving horses that have been entered into the line-up, but one of the favorites is Hot Danish. She is a horse that has beaten hardship and illness to continue her racing career which has been nothing short of spectacular.

Kentucky Derby 2008 Contenders

The horse racing fraternity presently has their eyes on one big event – the Kentucky Derby. As contenders take part in racing events leading up to this spectacular affair, punters watch their performances closely to make an informed prediction when the time comes to place their bets for one of the most anticipated racing extravaganzas of the year. And as speculation rages over the contenders, one thing is for certain, the field is filled with worthy horses and the competition is going to be tough.

Somebeachsomewhere is a Pacing Champion

On 25 May 2005, a racing legend in the making was born. Somebeachsomewhere is a standardbred horse that was sired by Mach Three and is out of dam Wheres The Beach, a Beach Towl mare. Brent MacGrath bought the colt for $40 000 as a yearling for the Schooner Stables group. Since his debut as a two year old, Somebeachsomewhere has grown to be a horse racing icon in the trotting circles. As fans and punters await his three year old season, starting at the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series Elimination which will be held at the Mohawk Racetrack on 17 May 2008, they hope that he will perform as well as he did last year.

Will Got Country Grip Set a Record?

Jimmy Maddox had traded $4000 and two good fillies for Got Country Grip. Maddox had never seen the Paint horse before, and as his newly acquired horse stepped out of the trailor, his stomach started turning and regret slowly started to creep into his thoughts. There, in front of him, stood a sickly and snotty nosed horse that had just been weaned. Little did Maddox know that what really stood before him was to become one of the greatest racehorses that the horse racing industry had ever seen.

“The First Saturday in May”

Even seasoned punters are sometimes unaware of what happens behind the scenes of horse racing. They merely look at the names on the racing card, follow their favorite horse’s performance from race to race and hope that their predictions will deliver a winner. And one of the most popular and legendary races is the Kentucky Derby. But there is a lot of care, training, celebration and disappointment that spectators don’t know about. They have little understanding of the chances taken or the people who have taken risks, as well as the long, sometimes frustrating road, to make it to the top.

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