Horse Racing Seasons
Unlike many sports, horseracing runs all year around in the UK, but that’s not to say that it doesn’t run in seasons. There are two UK horseracing seasons; the National Hunt runs through the winter months and the Flat seasons through the summer months. The National Hunt season runs from mid October until the end of April, with the flat season taking over in the first week of May. Both horseracing calendars hold many significant horse races with both attracting different fans.
Of course with all weather tracks and jumps racing from around the world, you can always bet on your favourite meetings with online bookmakers such as Ladbrokes, no matter what the time of year but the traditional UK horseracing seasons remain.
National Hunt season starts as the weather turns cold and wet, the conditions making horseracing over jumps an easier ride. National Hunt jockeys are known as conditional jockeys while they are training and are allowed weight allowances and handicaps while they train. Jump races are split between steeplechases, run over 2 to 4.5 miles over fixed fences, and hurdle races, run over 2 to 3.5 miles over smaller, less rigid obstacles.
While traditional horseracing fans love the National Hunt season, it’s definitely the poor relation, lacking the glamour and money that the warm weather punters bring to the sport.
Notable horse races during the National Hunt Season are the Charlie Hall Chase, Cheltenham Festival Races and the most famous horse race in the world, the Grand National. You can bet on any of these horseracing events, often with early odds at Paddy Power and other online bookmakers.
The Grand National signals the end of the National Hunt season and the start of warmer weather, it’s time for the Flat season, which needs no description of its name. Short sprints and fast and furious are the order of the day as are some of the richest races in the horseracing calendar.
Flat Jockeys are called Apprentices and like their National Hunt counterparts are allowed weight allowances while they learn the trade with a particular stable. Unlike National Hunt races, all horses start from stalls, designed to ensure all horses start together, this is essential for short sprints that can often be over in less than 10 seconds.
Notable events during the Flat season are the classics: St Leger, 1,000 Guineas stakes, 2,000 Guineas stakes and the Epsom Oaks and Derby.