St. Patrick’s Day means two things: first, everyone is wearing green and, second, it’s time for the Cheltenham Festival. This major horse racing event is second only to the Grand National in terms of scale and prestige. It is often used by the owners to gauge the fitness of their stables relative to the others in their class. This year’s staging was just as successful as ever with the audience getting all the thrills they expected from the races. The crowd is always lively here as they cheer for their favourite horses and jockeys on the track. Fans also troop to the betting windows to make money with their picks.
Fan Betting
Fans are so passionate that they bet hundreds of millions of British pounds throughout the week. This has been the trend for years at the Cheltenham. That is a serious amount of money for any type of racing event which no one can ignore. There is clearly much money to be made if you are an astute observer and a lucky bettor. Indeed, a lot of fans went home extremely happy after winning with their bets. It’s an excellent opportunity to multiply your money simply by making prudent choices and taking advantage of Cheltenham free bets.
Outlook for the Grand National
Now that the festival has come and gone, everyone is gearing for the next big event in horse racing. The Grand National is approaching fast and with it comes an even bigger opportunity to make money. Fans are likely to take Grand National betting to new heights after what they saw in Cheltenham. Brands lost millions while there were plenty of unexpected winners. Here is another chance to win with relatively safe bets with great odds and offers.
Event History
The festival has deep roots with things getting started as far back as the mid 1800s. It first went by a different name and travelled to different places every year. It took decades before it was able to settle in Cheltenham thanks to the improvements made in the place. They built a new stand, laid out miles of drainage, and fixed many other things that impressed the selection committee. Several different races began to be added to the line-up during the festival. There have been many milestones in the history of the event including the first win by a female jockey in 1987 and the addition of a fourth day in 2005.
2016 Race Results
It was indeed an exciting week of festivities with most of the horses coming in with great form. Each day brought plenty of highlights for the fans to chew on. Those who follow the sport know all of the drama behind the scenes which make the race results more meaningful. For instance, some of the fan favourites were having issues and it wasn’t certain if they could perform at the level that was expected of them. When they proved the critics wrong, the fans erupted in jubilation. There were also a lot of surprise winners and others that had incredible performances.
Huge Losses for William Hill
More good news for betters everywhere, noted bookie company William Hill has taken a huge stumble in its profit margins recently. Losing 11% of its profits from last year, the company was the biggest faller in the FTSE 350 having fallen from roughly 291 million pounds in 2015 to somewhere between 260 and 280 million this year. William Hill’s profit warning is good news for online gamblers and gambling sites, as it further confirms that old-school, establishment bookmakers can be circumvented by gamers trying to make their fortunes.