The racing season begins in earnest at the beginning of March, but just which meets should racing fans be getting excited about?

Cheltenham Festival 

One of the first meets in the racing calendar, the Cheltenham Festival takes place March 10th to March 13th so be sure to check the best horse racing bookmakers as we edge closer to the Festival. It is one of Britain’s most popular jump meets and also one that boasts the greatest attendance as spectators flock to Gloucestershire hoping for a winner or two, with the famous “Cheltenham roar” circulating round the paddock as riders grace the turf.

The Festival is not only a British tradition, but also a European one as the dates usually centre around St Patrick’s Day – though this holiday will be 17 March in 2020.

The Gold Cup Steeple Chase is the first fence run on the Festival’s last day with the prize money set at an inviting £625,000.

Randox Health Grand National

Hosted at Aintree on Saturday 4th April, the Randox Health Grand National is the meet that the entire nation gets most excited about; dubbed “the ultimate test of horse and rider” for its large fences and its four-mile plus distance, the Grand National is worth a life-changing £1 million prize fund.

Regardless of betting experience, the Grand National is a must-see for families up and down Britain and Ireland. And, with almost 200 years of history, the race never fails to disappoint.

Royal Ascot

The attendance of the Queen and other Royals makes this Ascot race a royal one. Britain’s most popular flat-turf racing event, Royal Ascot is a royalist’s dream – the Prince of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also show their faces.

Held over the 16th to the 20th of June, almost 300,000 spectators head to Berkshire to watch a four-day racing bonanza, with the Prince of Wales’ Stakes the meets most lucrative race, yielding a £750,000 prize fund for the winner.

Goodwood Festival

“Glorious Goodwood” is self-explanatory; the Festival is one of the most attractive meets of the flat-racing season with its date from July 28th to August 1st in prime summer season, hence its nickname and declaration as the “fashion” race of the year.

The £1 million prize given to the winner of the Group 1 Qatar Sussex Stakes is not to be sniffed at, and, the incredible Sussex scenery is as good a place as any to place a number of wild or calculated bets.

Yorkshire Ebor Festival

The last major flat-turf race of the summer period, the Yorkshire Ebor Festival is a superb way to bow out. Hosted at York Racecourse on August 19th to August 22nd, the Festival drew in a record crowd for the year in 2019. 

Undoubtedly, its £1 million prize money also brought in the punters, determined to take home some money. And, it’s likely to do just the same in 2020.