Three days of top quality racing; 500 million viewers over 140 countries; 30 unique fences; One Grand National Champion. The 2021 Randox Grand National meeting is a racing event for seasoned fans and first time punters alike, bringing everyone together over this amazing sport. With nearly 200 years of history and featuring the famous fences, such as Becher’s Brook, The Chair, Foinavon, The Canal Turn and Valentine’s Brook, The Grand National races are some of the most challenging tests for runners and riders.

Get Grand National ready with the Wed 7th April Preview Night.

Don’t forget to check out The Wine Tipster’s Unibet Racing Blog for each day of the meeting and all his top tips. You won’t want to miss his naps this week!

All 21 races will be covered on RacingTV and ITV Racing so you won’t miss a thing.

Randox Liverpool’s NHS Day Thurs 8th April

Celebrating the heroes of the NHS, the first day of the Randox Grand National Meeting is bound to get off to a flying start with four Grade 1 races in running order: Manifesto Novices’ Chase, Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle, Bowl Chase and Aintree Hurdle . The Wine Tipster can’t wait for the Rose Paterson Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase held over the iconic fences for amateur riders. What a thrill!

The Fan National Sweepstake declarations will be made on the 8th too.

Randox Ladies Day Fri 9th April

Ladies Day is not only an impressive day for fashion, but also for the four Grade 1 races to get your racing gears going with the Top Novices’ Hurdle, Mildmay Novices’ Chase, Marsh Melling Chase and Sefton Novices’ Hurdle. A firm favourite among Liverpudlians, this year you can bring the catwalk to your own home! Share your best raceday outfits with The Wine Tipster on Twitter and Instagram.

Randox Grand National Day Sat 10th April

And finally, the day everyone has been waiting for. One of the world’s most famous sporting occasions shown live on ITV. The 17:15 Randox Grand National Steeplechase features forty runners competing over more than four miles and over 30 unique fences, with winners automatically becoming sporting legends. Saturday isn’t just about The Grand National, The Mersey Novices’ Hurdle, The Doom Bar Maghull Novices’ Steeplechase and the Ryanair Stayers’ Hurdle are the Grade 1 races of the day, and the 7 racecard is packed with top racing action.

Satisfy your Grand National obsession with these Facts and Figures from its 182 year history.

Celebrating The Grand National

Go all out for this momentous occasion with a bottle of show-stopping Coates & Seely Brut Britagne Reserve NV, Hampshire (£31.95 Coates & Seely, Magnum £64.95 Lea & Sandeman). Or their Rosé Brut Britagne NV, Hampshire (£32.96 Coates & Seely, £31.75 Lea & Sandeman) always hits the spot.

Looking for an easy drinker that matches the quality of the racing? Yealands Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand (£11.59 Waitrose) is a truly class act.

An unbeatable great value Red for the top racing is the Ramos Reserva Vinho Regional Alentejano 2018 from Portugal and available in Majestic £8.99.

Something stronger for the edge-of-the-seat viewing? A glass of top quality Glenfarclas 10 Year Old Malt is a smooth taste experience (£32.90 Master of Malt, £34.95 The Whiskey Exchange).

The Wine Tipster wishes you a winning Grand National! Cheers!

Tweets by TheWineTipster

As one of the major highlights of The Newmarket Gold Season, The Cambridgeshire Meeting is 3 days (September 24th, 25th and 26th) of superb horseracing on the Rowley Mile. Unfortunately, racing will remain behind closed doors so let The Wine Tipster guide you through the history of The Cambridgeshire Meeting and his tips for celebrating at home.

Coming up as part of The Gold Season will be the Dubai Future Champions Festival on 9th and 10th October. The Wine Tipster is hugely empathetic to the wonderful team at Newmarket who have dealt with the changing restrictions for The Cambridgeshire Meeting but will no doubt have a fabulous meeting in spite of it all.

Cambridgeshire Thursday – Thursday 24th September 2020

For the first day of the Meeting, Cambridgeshire Thursday sees a range of impressive stakes to get things going. The Wine Tipster is especially looking forward to:

3:00 TATTERSALLS STAKES (REGISTERED AS THE SOMERVILLE TATTERSALL STAKES) (COLTS & GELDINGS) (GROUP 3) (Class 1) (2yo) ITV4

• The Wine Tipster is watching La Barrossa from trainer Charlie Appleby who has a great chance today

3:35 JOCKEY CLUB ROSE BOWL STAKES (LISTED RACE) (Class 1) (3yo+) ITV4

• The Wine Tipster is excited by the 7 year old Withhold who has leading claims to take the race today

Shadwell Day – Friday 25th September 2020

Friday, also known as Shadwell Day, boasts two Group contests, the Group 2 Shadwell Rockfel Stakes and Shadwell Joel Stakes (both on ITV4). It’s a hot card for the day, so check out all of the races featured:

1:15 DERRINSTOWN IRISH EBF MAIDEN STAKES (COLTS & GELDINGS) (PLUS 10 RACE) (Class 4) (2yo) Racing TV

1:50 TASLEET BRITISH EBF ROSEMARY STAKES (LISTED RACE) (FILLIES & MARES) (Class 1) (3yo+) ITV4 & Racing TV

• Previous Newmarket winner Alnaseem will be having her 13th horse race with her 13th different jockey aboard! Jockey Adam Kirby is having a go today. (Courtesy of Andy Stephens of Racing TV)

2:25 PRINCESS ROYAL MUHAARAR STAKES (GROUP 3) (FILLIES & MARES) (Class 1) (3yo+) ITV4 & Racing TV

3:00 SHADWELL ROCKFEL STAKES (GROUP 2) (FILLIES) (Class 1) (2yo) ITV4 & Racing TV

• The Wine Tipster is looking forward to seeing Isabella Giles in this race, trained by Clive Cox who’s been having a great year with his 2 year old.

3:35 SHADWELL JOEL STAKES (GROUP 2) (Class 1) (3yo+) ITV4 & Racing TV

• This is a belter of a race because we have Benbatl against Kameko who are the top two in the market and should make for a cracking race. Kameko has finished 4th in his last three starts in big races following a lot of bad luck, so things will be interesting between the runners.

4:10 EQTIDAAR GODOLPHIN STAKES (LISTED RACE) (Class 1) (3yo+) Racing TV

4:45 SHADWELL FARM HANDICAP (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-90) Racing TV

Juddmonte Day – Saturday 26th September 2020

The finale to The Cambridgeshire Meeting is Juddmonte Day on Saturday – a true spectacle to behold with some top races and great horses to look forward to in all races:

1:15 BLANDFORD BLOODSTOCK MAIDEN FILLIES’ STAKES (PLUS 10/GBB RACE) (Class 4) (2yo) Racing TV

1:50 JUDDMONTE ROYAL LODGE STAKES (GROUP 2) (Class 1) (2yo) ITV4 & Racing TV

2:25 JUDDMONTE CHEVELEY PARK STAKES (GROUP 1) (Class 1) (2yo) ITV4 & Racing TV

• An interesting race – Alcohol Free for an each way bet, and Happy Romance should make this race interesting having previously raced in this race with trainer Richard Hannan

3:00 JUDDMONTE MIDDLE PARK STAKES (GROUP 1) (Class 1) (2yo) ITV4 & Racing TV

• The Wine Tipster likes the look of Method with Frankie Dettori

3:35 CAMBRIDGESHIRE HANDICAP (HERITAGE HANDICAP) (Class 2) (3yo+) ITV4 & Racing TV

• The famous Cambridgeshire Heritage Handicap was established in 1839 at the same time as The Cesarewitch. The two races are known as the historic Autumn Double, with the second leg of this pair being run at the Dubai Future Champions Festival (9th and 10th October). The Wine Tipster can’t wait to watch around 30 horses thunder up The Rowley Mile!
• The Wine Tipster’s excited for his old friend Sir Busker who he’s been tipping up endlessly – they won at Royal Ascot but have been unlucky in other races. Sir Busker is a really good each way selection.

4:10 BRITISH STALLION STUDS EBF ‘JERSEY LILY’ FILLIES’ NURSERY HANDICAP (Class 2) (2yo) Racing TV

4:40 BENTLEY MOTORS HANDICAP (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-105) Racing TV

At Home – Where To Watch

Racing TV will be showing every race live which you can watch on your TV, tablet or mobile. Race Replays will also be available 20 minutes after the winner crosses the line. ITV Racing and ITV4 will be showing a number of races too, with details of the fixtures and broadcasters being available on The Cambridgeshire Meeting website.

At Home – To Do

There are a number of interactive and fun activities to get involved with at home during The Cambridgeshire, don’t forget to follow all the Social Media for Newmarket Racecourse and The Wine Tipster to share your #AtHome celebrations!

• Calling friends and family to enjoy the day with? Why not use a Video Background from The Jockey Club and feel as though you’re really there.
• The Raceday App is a must for the At Home experience. Get your own digital racecard, exclusive content, and access to the Raceday 5 Game with a chance to win a bottle of Coates & Seely Rosé NV and £10,000!
• Decorate your home with The Jockey Club Bunting which can be used throughout The Gold Season At Home.
• Need to brush up on your racing knowledge and jargon? Check out Racing Explained for all the confusing terms!
• Colour and fill in your own Sweepstake Sheet for each of the races.
• Put your knowledge of Newmarket to the test with Raceday Quizzes.
• Don’t forget to keep up to date with the fantastic Competitions available.
• Set the scene for the Meeting with your very own Spotify Playlist.
• Get inspiration from others’ At Home Celebration creations here!

At Home – What To Wear

Feel like you’re spending a day at the races but from the comfort of your own home. Why not put on a fancy dress or a three piece suit and enjoy the day safely at home.

Racing At Home Inspiration Gallery to inspire your creativity and fashion for the meeting. Don’t forget to share your raceday outfits with us on Social Media – Newmarket Racecourse, The Wine Tipster.

At Home – What To Drink

The UK is the biggest market for Prosecco DOC, so what better wine to pop when you celebrate The Cambridgeshire Meeting At Home? The Wine Tipster recommends Ruggeri Argeo Prosecco DOC Brut from Treviso which is available across The Jockey Club Racecourses and from The Great Wine Co. It is a Gold Medal winning bottle with vibrant lemon aromas making this a refreshingly crisp bottle. Prosecco DOCG La Gioiosa Valdobbiadene is seriously elegant and bursting with apple notes – definitely worth a try, available from Majestic.

Why not try Prosecco DOC in a simple cocktail – an Aperol Spritz or Bellini, depending on what you have in the cupboard, go down a treat with these bottles. Don’t forget to check for the Prosecco DOC Certification by looking for the sticker on the neck of your bottles – you’ll be sure to have a quality bottle of Prosecco that way.

For a touch of class at The Cambridgeshire, Coates and Seely’s delightful English Sparkling Wines are a must. The Wine Tipster especially loves their Brut Reserve NV which is a Gold Medal winner and full of depth and complexity.

For those on a budget, The Wine Tipster also recommends 6 wines under £10 as The Jockey Club Catering’s resident wine and food pairings expert. All 6 are smashing on a sunny day and with picnic food.

Fancy a gin? The Wine Tipster enjoys Salcombe Distillery’s multi-award winning ‘Start Point’ Gin with Fever-Tree’s Premium Indian Tonic Water over ice. Delicious.

For a non-alcoholic option, why not enjoy a Luscombe Hot Ginger Beer which really packs a punch worthy of The Cambridgeshire.

At Home – What To Eat

The weather has been spectacular, and what better way to enjoy the racing and the late sunshine than with a picnic at home? Gather your favourite picnic treats such as scones (jam or cream first?), sausage rolls, sandwiches, sweet treats such as flapjacks and lemon drizzle and snacks such as Taste of Game Crisps and local Pork Pies from the Butcher’s. If you’re looking to impress with your picnic, why not try The Jockey Club Catering’s moreish Rosemary Focaccia and Baked Camembert. The Wine Tipster sees this At Home Meeting as another great opportunity to support local and stay safe.

The Wine Tipster is looking forward to enjoying the Powters Original Newmarket Pig Sausages in a delicious casserole, or for a Full English Breakfast to get the raceday off to a cracking start. Dating back to the 1880s, the family run business are still producing their distinctly peppery sausages with a blend of secret spices in small batches for punters.

Did you know? The Newmarket Sausage is a protected food name and has to be made in the vicinity of the town!

For more food inspiration, check out The Jockey Club’s Autumn Inspired Recipes from Midsummer House.

The Wine Tipster hopes that you and your families can stay safe this meeting, and enjoy The Cambridgeshire Meeting At Home. To keep up to date with The Wine Tipster’s blog, subscribe here, and don’t forget to follow him on Social Media for updates and coverage.

This six-year old mare will race her last UK race on Saturday 5th September in the Group 3 September Stakes at Kempton Park, before bidding to win an historic third Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe on October 4th following her narrow defeat last year by Waldgeist in really testing conditions. Let’s celebrate the incredible career of the Queen of the Turf before cheering her on to make history!

Enable has had a fantastic six-year-old season, running what trainer John Gosden described as a “gorgeous race” in the 2020 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park where she finished second behind the mighty Ghaiyyath, despite not being at peak fitness. Enable then became the first horse to gain a third victory in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on 25th July, winning in truly impressive style. She is of course a red hot odds on favourite at 1/8 to take the September Stakes at Kempton Park today and will draw huge media interest. Having been set to retire last season, her performances this year have been hugely impressive and it has been a joy to watch her enthusiasm, spirit and talent continue to shine through in her races. The admiration from her brilliant jockey, Frankie Detorri, is evident in interviews where he describes his deep connection with the spectacular horse, “She’s an amazing horse in every way: ability, courageous, uncomplicated.”

As a two time winner of the Cartier Awards ‘Horse of the Year’ and ‘Champion Older Horse,’ as well as holding 13 Group 1 wins to her name, Enable truly is the Queen of the Turf. Some of her major wins include as a three-year-old, the Investec Oaks at Epsom, the 2017 Darley Yorkshire Oaks, which she won again in 2019, her two Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe wins, and her incredible versatility to win the Breeder’s Cup Turf in America in 2018. Her 2019 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes win was an incredible victory against Crystal Ocean, and The Wine Tipster reminisces that being on the finish line and experiencing the public engagement from everyone at the course for her win was electric. The Wine Tipster was also privileged enough to see Enable run what was thought to be her last UK appearance in 2019 at the Darley Yorkshire Oaks. A horse like Enable brings all types of people together to share in her glory and her talent. The Wine Tipster says that seeing Frankie Dettori become emotional highlights all Enable has done for racing and how special she is.

Frankie Dettori, on winning the 2020 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes for a record-equalling seventh time said, “We tried a variety of things to get the fire back, and that’s why John Gosden is a great trainer, he does things outside the box, and we got her back. She’s not getting better, but her enthusiasm throughout the race today was plain to see and she’s thriving with racing… I love her so much. I’ve become friends with her, she’s got tremendous presence and she knows she’s good”.

John Gosden commenting on the 2019 Darley Yorkshire Oaks said, “This was a lovely prep for her, a gorgeous race in its own right and we couldn’t be more pleased with her… She has this amazingly competitive mind. She’s just a great filly with a great constitution.”

Enable became the third female to win the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park in 2019 and the first five-year-old mare to take the prize. Frankie Dettori said, “I’m as ecstatic as when I won my first race on her… Her longevity has been incredible. I never stop getting excited when I ride her in the morning. She’s very special. I really love her… She’s got so many gears and the unbelievable will to win. She’s got everything.”

Racing at Kempton Park on Saturday 5th September will remain behind closed doors, with ITV and Racing TV broadcasting the feature race, The September Stakes, at 2:35pm.

The Wine Tipster will be active on social media throughout the meeting, and will be providing his tips in his Unibet Racing Blog. Subscribe to The Wine Tipster Blog here to get the latest posts straight to your inbox.

At this year’s Qatar Goodwood Festival, The Wine Tipster spent the five days presenting for Goodwood TV and Radio, and Racing UK. As well as sharing his tips for the Festival, The Wine Tipster was also involved with the Stewards’ Cup draw on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s big race. He represented Mick Easterby, who had Hoof It and Perfect Pasture running, and managed to draw good numbers for both horses – Hoof It in Stall 4 and Perfect Pasture in Stall 17.

The 10 year old Hoof It, a former winner of the Stewards’ Cup, ran a fantastic race and finished 6^th, while Perfect Pasture didn’t run as well as expected given some of his recent form, but given his listed win earlier in the season, he is well worth supporting on his next appearance.  

Overall, it was an amazing five day festival of racing which demonstrates the depth of the racing, and which The Wine Tipster believes will only continue to grow in terms of racing quality throughout the five days. The spectacle and setting of the Festival make this an exciting and unique racing occasion, and a must for true racing fans and those looking for their first racing experience.

The Wine Tipster’s personal highlights included Expert Eye in the Qatar Vintage Stakes on the Tuesday, who ran a great race and has a good chance for the Guineas Festival next May. On Ladies’ Day, Winter showed what a brilliant filly she is by winning the Nassau Stakes in ground that was far too soft for her to show her real class, but she is undoubtedly an outstanding three year old.

In the Qatar King George Stakes on Saturday, Battaash showed that his Sandown performances had been no fluke as he always travelled like the winner to beat a very strong field, showing that he really is a top class sprinter.

The Wine Tipster had a great time broadcasting with Lee McKenzie and Anthony Kemp on Goodwood Radio, as well as doing exciting features on Course TV with Rupert Bell and Hayley Moore. Racing UK also broadcast The Wine Tipster and his regular partners in food and drink crime, Tom Stanley, Rishi Persad and Niall Hannity.

Food and drink highlights included the Gin Garden, featuring Bombay Sapphire, Hendricks and Goodwood’s own gin. The Secret Garden offered a great buffet experience with wonderfully presented food and a great ambience – a must-go at the course.

Coates and Seely were a great feature with their Sparkling English Wines which have deservedly won numerous awards, rightly so given that the wines are Group 1 performers.

It has to be said that the Goodwood team did an amazing job when faced with such a mixed week of weather, coping with 35ml of rain on the Wednesday. Seamus Buckley, the retiring clerk of Goodwood described the day as the most difficult he has had to deal with in 23 years of working at the racecourse. Despite the weather, the team coped brilliantly and Buckley can certainly retire on a high.

The Wine Tipster enjoyed a wonderful few days of racing, and is looking forward to presenting more at the Haydock Rose of Lancaster Stakes Day this Saturday.

The Wine Tipster had a fantastic Royal Ascot 2017, presenting for Racing UK, BBC Berkshire and Ascot Racecourse. Over four and a half thousand people per day worked tirelessly throughout the week to make it another unforgettable year, which was made even more special with the spontaneous three cheers for the Queen everyday. Nearly 300,000 people attended this year’s Royal Ascot 2017 and the media coverage has never been stronger across the world.

As the official Champagne of Ascot this year, Champagne Bollinger was certainly flowing throughout the week, as was the official cocktail of the Flat season: The Royal Blush. The beautiful pink concoction is a mix of Beefeater London dry gin and rhubarb syrup, with chilled lemonade and fresh raspberries – making the perfect summer drink to enjoy at the racecourse.ITV’s James Tanner’s 

Queen Anne Kitchen was a new feature for the Racecourse, and was a particular favourite of The Wine Tipster, especially the Salt and Pepper Squid and the West Country Crab Salad, which paired beautifully with the Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Spy Valley from Marlborough, New Zealand. Tom Stanley my wonderful colleague from Racing UK enjoyed ‘going in’.

Other new features of Ascot this year included the 1768 Restaurant for lunch and afternoon tea, as well as The Village in the centre of the course which provided a more relaxed racing experience and was home to some stunning food stalls. The Wine Tipster tucked into Eggs Benedict from the wonderful Hotbox, who appear at music festivals across the country with their delicious delights.The Wine Tipster’s highlights of the week included tasting with Rishi Persad such dishes as Raymond Blanc’s Cornish Crab Salad with Coconut Bisque which was beautifully paired with the award-winning Bolney Estate Bacchus 2016 from Sussex. In regards to racing, however, The Wine Tipster enjoyed Gold Cup Day, especially with the 2 ½ mile feature won by his big tip of the week, Big Orange, who gallantly just managed to hold off the favourite Order of St George. Ribchester breaking the course record in the Jersey Stakes in the first race of Royal Ascot 2017 was also an unforgettable Ascot moment, as was Caravaggio in the Commonwealth Cup for the all conquering Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore.   

All in all, another memorable and exciting Royal Ascot, for both the racing and fine dining experiences.

The Racing UK Club Day took place on Saturday in the Ascot Pavilion with over 900 members travelling from far and wide to take part in their biggest day of the year.

As MC for the day, The Wine Tipster began by introducing Aidan Coleman who talked through his 5 rides for the day. His least fancied ride was Forthefunofit in the 4.10pm race as he returned to hurdles for the first time in ages following a run of poor form. He not only won but returned at 20-1, the biggest price of the day! It also happened to be the Racing UK Club Day Today Handicap Hurdle.

The Wine Tipster also marked the card for the day along with Tom Stanley from Racing UK. They both highlighted Cue Card at 4-9 in the Betfair Ascot Chase who now heads to the Cheltenham Gold Cup with an outstanding chance following the sad defection of his stablemate Thistlecrack with a tendon injury. He also backed Tenor Nivernais in the 2.25 who won by 30 lengths which featured in his Racing Plus column. His nap of the day in Racing Plus was Divine Spear who finished 2nd in the 3pm race following a very exciting finish. Divine Spear was backed down from 12-1 on the day so he still paid each-way backers.

Early in the day, the names of four members were picked out of a hat and given the chance to judge the best turned out horse in the Racing UK Club Day Today Handicap Hurdle and to present the winning team of Forthefunofit with their trophies

 

 

For the first time, professional wine and champagne expert and racing pundit, Neil Phillips, The Wine Tipster presented two masterclasses featuring four different wines from Bibendum Wines. The first, after the first race, was a focus on Australia with highlights including Tim Adams Fairfield Semillon which was a great introduction to Semillon for many alongside his Riesling. The Diamond Valley Chardonnay from the Yarra Valley proved a great reminder of excellent Chardonnay from Australia.
The Rosé masterclass took place after the third race with the Operetto Garganega Pinot Grigio Blush a favourite as well as Château Leoube showing its perennial popularity. There were so many questions that the masterclass had to pause so that the members didn’t miss the 3pm race!

It was a fantastic and busy day. The Wine Tipster managed to fit in a piece for Ascot TV highlighting Yering Station Little Yering Shiraz Viognier and Château Leoube Rosé. He was also interviewed by racing broadcaster, Rupert Bell for Ascot TV and Tim Dellor and Sasha Thorbek-Hooper from BBC Berkshire.

The Racing UK Club Day was a great success blessed with fantastic weather and gripping racing. It also saw the launch of the new menu in the Parade Ring and Panoramic Restaurants as well as the new fine wine list.

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