Horseracing fans are preparing for one of the most exciting periods of the year – a month which always generates massive interest in online betting circles.
The March schedule is headlined by the 2024 Cheltenham Festival, which is the pinnacle of the National Hunt season in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
With plenty of top-class action for followers of Flat racing also scheduled to take place, there is something to suit everyone in March. Read on as we take a closer look.
Cheltenham Festival – Cheltenham, 12th–15th
March 2024
The Cheltenham Festival will dominate many of the sporting headlines during March, with the four-day meeting guaranteed to produce numerous thrilling storylines.
The action gets underway on 12th March, when the famous ‘Cheltenham Roar’ will send the runners on their way in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Punters will have their fingers crossed over the participation of Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle later the same day, with the horse not guaranteed to run after scoping badly.
The highlight on Day Two is the Champion Chase, where the Willie Mullins-trained El Fabiolo is odds-on to triumph at the meeting for the second successive year.
He was a superb winner of the Arkle Novices’ Chase in 2023 and is strongly fancied to give Mullins yet another success at Cheltenham.
The Stayers’ Hurdle is the standout event on the third day and looks to be the most competitive of the main championship races from a betting perspective.
Trainer Gordon Elliott has two fancied runners in the race – Irish Point and Teahupoo – and it would be no surprise to see them fighting out the finish.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the main event on the final day and will likely see reigning champion Galopin Des Champs cement his status as the best staying chaser in the business.
Lincoln Handicap – Doncaster – 23rd March 2024
Attention switches to Flat racing later the same month as Doncaster stages the traditional curtain-raiser to the new campaign on 23rd March.
The highlight of the card is the one-mile Lincoln Handicap – one of the most historic races in the annual racing calendar in the United Kingdom.
Its history can be traced back to Lincoln Racecourse in the 1800s and has since become an event which garners massive interest among sports bettors across the country.
Ante-post odds for the hugely competitive handicap race are published months in advance, giving shrewd punters the opportunity to grab some early value.
There has been a significant gamble taking place over the past few weeks, with Liberty Lane backed down from double-figure odds into 8/1.
The Karl Burke-trained four-year-old has won over the course-and-distance and remains open to plenty of improvement after just seven career starts.
The son of Teofilo was given an entry in the Irish Guineas after running out an impressive winner of a decent maiden event at Nottingham in October 2022.
He subsequently contested the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York last May, and showed up for a long way before fading out of contention in the final two furlongs.
Liberty Lane relished the return to a one mile and an easier surface at Doncaster in September, edging out Royal Hunt Cup runner-up Sonny Liston in a Class 2 handicap.
He subsequently failed to fire on firmer ground in the Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket the following month, but could bounce back to form in the Lincoln.
Dubai World Cup – Meydan – 30th March 2024
The recent running of the $20 million Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse could provide a useful form pointer for the Dubai World Cup at the end of March.
The $12m event at Meydan Racecourse will likely feature a thrilling rematch between Saudi Cup first and second Senor Buscador and Ushba Tesoro.
Senor Buscador was favoured by the race conditions last weekend, with the nine furlong-trip around one turn undoubtedly playing to his strengths.
However, he has finished fourth, fifth and eighth in his three runs over 1 1/4-mile – a factor which could tip the scales in favour of the runner-up.
With Saudi Crown (3rd) and National Treasure (4th) set to swerve the Dubai World Cup, Kabirkhan could emerge as the biggest threat to the Saudi Cup duo at Meydan.
The son of popular United States superstar California Chrome, who won this race in 2016, sprang to prominence when winning a ten-furlong handicap at Meydan in January.
That was his debut run for United Arab Emirates champion trainer Doug Watson, who is still waiting to record his first victory in the Dubai World Cup.
The horse has been beaten just once in 11 career starts and connections believe he has the talent to emerge victorious at Meydan.
Watson and jockey Pat Dobbs have both raved about Kabirkhan in recent weeks and odds of 8/1 are an extremely tempting each-way proposition.
Michael specializes in journalism, digital content production and social media management. He has a passion for numerous sports including football, horse racing and ice hockey. Michael currently works on a freelance basis, producing daily content for various outlets within the sports industry.
