Cheltenham Festival 2026 day three: Tips for televised races on ITV
Day three of the Cheltenham Festival has quickly rolled around and after a thrilling last couple of days, all focus turns now to St Patrick’s Thursday.
Sports News Blitz’s Jeff Mexico and Kieran McHugh are back for round three of the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday, March 12.
Cheltenham Festival 2026 guide: Day-by-day race times, how to watch tv guide, best horses, trainers, jockeys and more
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival is the biggest four days in National Hunt racing. Sports News Blitz delivers a guide to the race times, tv schedule, top horses, trainers, jockeys and more.
March is a magical time of year. The weather starts to behave itself, it’s not dark at 4pm and 8am and most importantly - it’s the Cheltenham Festival.
Cheltenham Festival 2026 day one: Tips for televised races on ITV
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival is finally here - and we will be watching every minute of it on ITV (until The Chase comes on).
In young racing writer Kieran McHugh, we have not only found someone who understands the incoherent ramblings of our veteran racing tipster Jeff Mexico - but actually has a passing interest too.
Sports News Blitz have asked Messrs McHugh and Mexico to select an ‘on the nose’ tip and an each-way contender for every race that will be televised on Tuesday, March 10.
Over 92,000 at Sha Tin to witness former Joseph O’Brien-trained Stunning Peach land Year of the Horse Cup
A Chinese New Year Raceday crowd of 92,612 were in attendance at Sha Tin to welcome in the New Year and see Stunning Peach, formerly trained by Joseph O’Brien, win the feature HK$3.12 million (approx. £300,000) Class 2 Year of the Horse Cup.
In total nearly 100,000 fans were watching in Hong Kong, with another 5,000 people watching the action on screens at Happy Valley Racecourse, and turnover on the day hit HK$1840 million (approx. £175m).
What Cheltenham Festival clues have been uncovered from 2026’s Dublin Racing Festival?
After a pulsating renewal of the Dublin Racing Festival, full of twists, turns and shocks, Sports News Blitz’s horse racing expert Kieran McHugh examines the impact the two-day event will have on the upcoming Cheltenham Festival.
ITV horse racing tips and best bets for Leopardstown on Sunday, February 1
Sunday, February 1 hosts the second day of the Dublin Racing Festival.
After jetting around the globe, Sports News Blitz’s Kieran McHugh landed in Ireland.
And our pundit is keen to unearth some clues for the Cheltenham Festival.
ITV horse racing tips and best bets for Sandown, Musselbrough and Leopardstown on Saturday, January 31
Sometimes we struggle to keep up with the personal life of Sport News Blitz’s horse racing tipster Jeff Mexico. This week he carried out an ‘important scientific experiment’ during Storm Chandra, which hit the UK this week.
Standing naked behind the Betfred in St Austell, he wanted to see if a 75 mph wind would move his genitals independently. Without going into too much detail, he concluded the experiment a success and was promptly arrested for indecent exposure.
While you have that unpleasant image in your mind, why not take a gander at Jeff’s 11 tips for ITV’s big weekend of equine action at Sandown, Musselburgh and day one of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown.
Harry Skelton: We’re very proud to be the winning-most trainer-jockey partnership
Star Sports ambassador Harry Skelton looks back on a record-breaking weekend for the team, and ahead to Festival plans for some of their Trials Day runners.
Which 10 horses could steal the show at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival?
At the end of January, National Hunt fanatics will descend on Leopardstown Racecourse, for the Dublin Racing Festival.
One of the highlights of the National Hunt calendar, the DRF always attracts some of the best horses, trainers and jockeys in the business.
The Dublin Racing Festival is held annually at Leopardstown, with the showpiece races namely the Irish Gold Cup and the Irish Champion Hurdle.
Sports News Blitz’s racing expert, Kieran McHugh, has picked out 10 horses which he believes you should be keeping an eye on before the Leopardstown extravaganza begins on January 31.
New World Pool fixtures from Australia, South Africa, UK and Ireland for 2026
World Pool’s 2026 fixture list will feature a host of new big race days from Australia, UK, Ireland and South Africa.
World Pool’s new spate of fixtures will kick-off in South Africa little over a week into the new year, when 10 races on King’s Plate Day from Kenilworth on 10 January will be commingled for the first time.
A further new South African addition to the fixture list will see races on H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes Day (7 March) from Turffontein part of World Pool in Q1.
Horse racing news: World Pool posts strong growth in 2025
World Pool turnover on overseas races, that is those meetings internationally commingled from outside Hong Kong, grew by 20% in 2025.
The total amount bet into the Hong Kong Jockey Club-powered pools across 57 overseas racedays in 2025 totalled HK$9.3bn, up from HK$7.8bn in 2024.
2025 also saw a new record set for the highest single race turnover for World Pool bet types. Ka Ying Rising’s appearance in The Everest saw betting surge to a total of HK$83m, smashing the previous high of HK$66.2m wagered on the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes in 2023 when Hong Kong sprinter Wellington lined up.
Harry Eustace carries high hopes for Docklands in LONGINES Hong Kong Mile
There will be another Eustace among the names for Sha Tin’s LONGINES Hong Kong International Races on Sunday (14 December) once again with David's brother Harry hoping for a more prominent showing from his stable star Docklands.
The elder sibling of one of Hong Kong's brightest training talents has had a fine year himself, with Docklands becoming his first top-level winner in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
Now a very experienced five-year-old, he bids to improve upon last year's 12th-placed finish when tackling the HK$36 million (approx. £3.5m) G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.
Fact To File rated narrowly ahead of Gaelic Warrior despite John Durkan defeat
Sunday’s John Durkan Chase saw a career-best effort from Gaelic Warrior (173 from 169) to get the better of last year’s winner Fact To File, aided by the run of the race but building on his strong finish to last season when beating Grey Dawning in the Bowl at Aintree and following up at Sandown.
Giavellotto, Minnie Hauk and Cicero’s Gift among strong UK and Irish entry for Hong Kong International Races
Giavellotto, Minnie Hauk and recent British Champions Day Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Cicero’s Gift are among a strong entry of 33 horses from Great Britian and Ireland for the 2025 LONGINES Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin on 14 December.
Taking on the world’s best sprinter, Ka Ying Rising, in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint is a tall order, but UK and Irish entries include G1 winners Khaadem, Kind Of Blue, Big Mojo, Arizona Blaze and Buccanero Fuerte, as well as She’s Quality, also entered.
When is the 2025 Breeders’ Cup? How to watch and the key trainers and jockeys to follow
Racing’s finest from across the globe — including major names from Britain, Ireland, France and Japan, will compete across 14 Championship races at the 2025 Breeders’ Cup, with more than $30 million (£25 million) in prize money on offer.
As another flat season draws to a close, Sports News Blitz looks at everything UK and international fans need to know about this year’s Breeders’ Cup meeting at Del Mar Racecourse, California.
Amo Racing support Sussex equine charity after winning inaugural Star Sports Brighton Owners Series
Amo Racing will donate £5,000 to Hurstpierpoint-based equine interventions charity Parkfield Equine Solutions after winning the inaugural Star Sports Brighton Owners Series.
Parkfield Equine Solutions deliver intensive equine interventions for children, young people and adults to develop confidence, build life skills and improve their wellbeing.
Horse racing news: World Pool to debut on Dewhurst Stakes and Might and Power Days
World Pool will return to action on Saturday, October 11 with two new fixtures for 2025; Dewhurst Stakes Day from Newmarket and Might and Power Stakes Day from Caulfield.
A total of 12 races, seven from Australia and five from the UK, will be globally commingled on the day forming a top-class composite card that features four Group 1s and six other Group races.
Horse racing news: Ka Ying Rising "needs to improve" following trial
David Hayes expects Ka Ying Rising to improve significantly ahead of G1 The Everest (6f/1200m) on 18 October after the world’s highest-rated sprinter finished third under Zac Purton in a 1000m barrier trial at Royal Randwick in Sydney this morning (7 October).
Horse racing news: Eight World Pool fixtures in eight days upcoming from the UK, South Africa and Germany
World Pool will return to action at Ascot and York on Saturday 26 July, beginning a busy period for the globally commingled pools, which will then be active on racedays from Germany and South Africa, take in three days of Goodwood, and return to Germany all in the space of eight days.
All eight races on King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day from Ascot will be part of World Pool, while this year two new World Pool races from York will be commingled, taking the total to 10 races on 26 July.
Horse racing news: Cheltenham alternatives - Britain’s cheapest racecourses
An article from the Online Betting Guide has revealed the cheapest race day tickets in the UK.
The list ranks Britain’s racecourses from best to worst based on various factors, including ticket prices.
Cheltenham, Aintree, Ascot and others alike all score highly, but racing is a sport enjoyed by millions across the country.
For many, these top courses are often out of budget. In response, we’ve rounded up some more affordable alternatives.
Sports News Blitz’s horse racing writer Callum Close takes a look at Britain's top-10 cheapest race tickets.