#Midlands National

After a week of action, elation, tears and turmoil, the Cheltenham Festival concluded with the Gold Cup. The Gold Cup is one of the richest races in Britain, and this year's crown went to A Plus Tard as Rachael Blackmore created history. Blackmore had a dream 2021 though she made the decision to go with A Plus Tard last year when stablemate Minella…

Shark Hanlon has never been one to shy away from the big occasion and believes it will take a "fair one" to beat bet365 Gold Cup winner Hewick in next week's Galway Plate. The trainer is readying the seven-year-old for a tilt at the €270000 contest on Wednesday, July 27 (6.40) on his first start over fences since a dominant display on the final day…

Saturday sees the 174th running of the Grand National at Aintree. The Charlie Longsdon-trained Snow Leopardess heads the betting but here we run through the entire field, in order of allotted weight. 1) MINELLA TIMES (Henry de Bromhead) Rating (out of 10) 6, weight 11st 10lbs Created history for Rachael Blackmore last year but he has only run twice…

Rachael Blackmore will be hoping to write another chapter in her incredible racing career as she gears up for this year's Grand National. The 32-year-old made history last year, becoming the first female to win the world's most notorious steeplechase with Minella Times and the duo are back this year to retain their crown. Fresh from her Cheltenham…

The Randox Grand National is underway and racegoers have returned to the world's greatest steeplechase for the first time in three years. Punters have not been at Aintree to cheer on the Grand National runners since 2019, after the race meet was cancelled in 2020 and held behind closed doors last year. They braved rain and chilly temperatures on…

Has flown through the grades since the turn of the year and won the Scottish Grand National like a very well-handicapped mare. Subsequent rise of a stone makes life much tougher now but she jumps, she stays and she's clearly in exceptionally good heart. Has more than held his own over the past few seasons and generally lands on a nice prize each…

Hewick provided Ireland with another big-race success on British soil when running out an impressive winner of the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown. £800 horse Hewick runs out a ready winner of the £160000 feature Winner of the Durham National at Sedgefield in the autumn, Shark Hanlon's charge was pulled up on his return from a break in last month's…

Jim Wilson, one of only three amateur jockeys to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, has died after a long battle with cancer at the age of 72. Wilson partnered Peter Easterby-trained Little Owl, which he owned jointly with his brother Robin, to win the 1981 Gold Cup. But Wilson's massive association with jump racing's biggest meeting extended way beyond…

Jake Price returns for yet another round of Saturday horse racing betting tips and predictions. This time his selections come from the meets at Ascot and Haydock. This Saturday Jake is tipping 3pts worth of tips spread over three races at Haydock and Ascot including a 1pt tip for a 8/1 selection. If any of these tips take your fancy, then click on…

A Plus Tard will take centre stage when he defends his Betfair Chase crown at Haydock Park on Saturday but connections of mud-loving Protektorat, who is a class act in his own right, will be enjoying all the weather bulletins suggesting plenty more rain at the track between now and the weekend. It's not that A Plus Tard does not handle deep ground…

Hewick: an easy winner of the bet365 Gold Cup under Jordan Gainford Saturday: bet365 Gold Cup, Sandown Hewick may have only cost the price of a cow but he showed a far greater turn of foot when bounding clear in the bet365 Gold Cup. The seven-year-old, who was bought for just €850 in 2017, has been a regular visitor to Britain this season and won…

Finished second in the Galway Plate last year, just a length behind his stable companion Royal Rendezvous. He is 3lb higher now than he was then, but he is a classy chaser, he is four for four this season, and he warmed up for this nicely with an impressive victory at Tramore last time. We haven't seen him since he finished third behind Blue Lord…

The Galway Plate (18:40) on Wednesday is available as a free Race Pass, which means logged-in customers can view all our premium comments and ratings. Wednesday evening's Galway Plate (18:40), a handicap chase over an extended two and three quarter miles, is the big race of the whole week at Galway, with a fiercely competitive edition in prospect.…

Screaming Colours and Conor Orr won the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter Saturday: Midlands Grand National, Uttoxeter Screaming Colours stirred memories of one of the best steeplechasing mares of all time, Anaglogs Daughter, when the familiar blue and white silks of the Durkan family were sported to an emotional big-race success in the Boulton…

Fiddlerontheroof (left): finished a clear second to Cloudy Glen in the Ladbrokes Trophy Out of nowhere, a race that some might have taken as a veterans' handicap going by its roll call could have a bearing on this year's Gold Cup, Grand National, or both. That hinges mostly on Fiddlerontheroof, who will be seen for the first time since finishing a…

17:00 Fairyhouse, Monday Live on ITV4 Good efforts in valuable staying handicaps the last twice, 15½ lengths fourth of 12 to Diol Ker in Leinster National at Naas (24.6f, heavy) 36 days ago. Big effort needed to defy top weight. Eight wins from 19 NH runs. Little impact in competitive handicap company this season, well held in Topham at Aintree 10…

Tom Thurgood shares his views on the €200000 Guinness Kerry National, the highlight of the Listowel Festival. Enjoy Wednesday's big event live on Racing TV and Racing TV Extra. The Tote Galway Plate could well prove the key form line to Wednesday's Guinness Kerry National, with no less than eight contenders from that big race set to line up once…

Lord Lariat: Irish Grand National winner set to contest the Guinness Kerry National next week The stablemates who caused massive shocks in the last two Irish Grand Nationals are set to take each other on in next week's Guinness Kerry National (4.20 Wednesday) after trainer Dermot McLoughlin confirmed both Lord Lariat and Freewheelin Dylan are on…

Trainer Ciaran Murphy is counting down the days to the Randox Grand National in which he saddles strong contender Enjoy D'Allen on the horse's first start in the colours of JP McManus. Murphy's runner, who he has trained for the race since finishing third in the Irish version last season, is as short as 12-1 to give him a breakthrough…