As the summer slips away for another year, the world of flat racing looks beyond the UK, settling its gaze on events like the Le Prix De L'Arc De Triomphe and the big races in America, Dubai and Australia. Yet, while we say goodbye to the champagne and pomp of events like the Derby and Royal Ascot, we get to welcome the blood and thunder of the national hunt season. From now until late spring, we will be treated to some of the best chases and hurdles. It's unique to Britain and Ireland, of course, but the action will be world class. Here's what you should look out for:
Who takes the crown from King Ruby?
Ruby Walsh's retirement is clearly the most significant in horse racing since Sir Tony McCoy called it a day in 2015. Unlike McCoy, who spent the majority of his race time in the UK, Walsh was more of a special attraction, crossing the Irish Sea to "raid" festivals like Cheltenham and Aintree. Cheltenham, in particular, was Ruby's stomping ground, taking home the top jockey award an amazing 11 times. Much of that came down to his partnership with maestro trainer Willie Mullins, so look for Paul Townend to now get the nod on the pick of Mullins's superstars.
Only Red Rum stands between Tiger Roll and history
The Grand National might seem a long way off, but you can be sure it occupies a fair slice of Gordon Elliott's mind. The trainer of double-winner Tiger Roll has been tight-lipped about whether he will aim the horse at the historical hat-trick only achieved by Red Rum. Currently, Tiger Roll is just 6/1 to win the Grand National (888sport), but if you bet on horse racing there might be a little more value in looking at the likes of Native River (25/1) and Beware the Bear (33/1).
And speaking of history...
Even if Tiger Roll wins the Grand National for a third time, he still might not be the horse that everyone is talking about at the end of the season. Altior is on a 20-race winning streak, and he is going for his own historical treble in the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2020 (he is 4/1 favourite). It will be Altior's fifth consecutive win in a Grade 1 race at the Festival. Surprisingly, his rating has remained relatively low with the BHA, but this is a once in a generation horse.
Horse racing stands at a crossroads
Equine deaths are not unique to national hunt racing, but there is a growing backlash against some of the major events. Just look at how animal rights activists managed to stop Taylor Swift's scheduled performance at the Melbourne Cup. We could spend ages talking about the ethics, but it's enough to say that those involved in horse racing love the animals and believe in treating them well. Some changes have been brought into place, notably to do with the whip and pulling horses up in longer races. Yet, it might not be enough for animal rights activists. Expect this to be a growing issue in the industry; one that horse racing might have to address before it gets worse.
