5 Horse Races to Watch During IPL Season

We’re all ready and waiting for IPL 17, which will see the Chennai Super Kings look to defend their title as they bid to become the most decorated team in Indian Premier League history.

The latest edition of the T20 extravaganza runs from March 22 through to May 26, which is an excellent time to be a fan of big-hitting cricket as well as sports like horse racing, with many big races contested during this timeframe.

So, while you’re waiting for the next IPL game to get started, why not tune into five of the biggest horse races on the planet?

Grand National (April 13)

This four-mile, two-furlong steeplechase is one of the hardest races to win in the entire sport.

It’s also one of the most popular with TV viewers, especially in the UK, while punters examine the racing odds today with great interest. At the time of writing, defending champion Corach Rambler (9/2), I Am Maximus (8/1), and Vanillier (9/1) are the current favourites, although that could all have changed by the time the Aintree showpiece rolls around.

ONE FOR SCOTLAND... AGAIN! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

CORACH RAMBLER wins the Randox Grand National for Derek Fox and Lucinda Russell six years after One For Arthur!#RandoxGrandNational pic.twitter.com/B3fZFBd2o0

— Aintree Racecourse (@AintreeRaces) April 15, 2023

The Grand National is such an exciting spectacle because of the huge field of runners – more than 30 will take to the start line – and the devilish nature of the fences, with some standing nearly five feet tall!

Kentucky Oaks (May 3)

The cup of racing fans runs over across the long weekend of May 3-5.

The Kentucky Derby Festival is one of the largest horse racing events in the United States, attracting 150,000 people to the famous Churchill Downs track in Louisville.

While the Kentucky Derby itself is the main course, the Kentucky Oaks is a tasty appetiser – the best three-year-old fillies from across America will battle it out to win their connections a share of the £1 million prize fund.

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Kentucky Derby (May 4)

A day after the Kentucky Oaks comes the big one.

The Kentucky Derby is the most-watched horse race on American soil, with names like Secretariat, American Pharoah, and Justify securing their legacy as some of the finest horses in history by winning the Derby.

With the triumphant connections banking a cool £2.5 million, you can see why they come from far and wide to try and win the Kentucky Derby.

2,000 Guineas (May 4)

Meanwhile, on the same weekend as the Kentucky Derby Festival, is the Guineas weekender in the UK.

The action at Newmarket kicks off with the 2,000 Guineas, the first of the five British Classics on the calendar, and the opening leg of the Triple Crown, which also includes The Derby and the St Leger, into the bargain.

🏆Frankie Dettori wins the 2000 Guineas 🏆#ITVRacing | @FrankieDettori | @AndrewBalding2 | @NewmarketRace | #GuineasFestival pic.twitter.com/hCNR2qaQuN

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 6, 2023

This one-mile charge is a fantastic way to get the UK Flat racing season up and running.

1,000 Guineas (May 5)

And then comes the 1,000 Guineas, a Group 1 race open exclusively to three-year-old fillies.

The second of the British Classics, the 1,000 is the sister race to the 2,000 Guineas a day earlier. So can anyone stop Aidan O’Brien, who has won five of the last eight editions of the 1,000 Guineas?

The IPL and top-class racing: what a couple of months of sport we have in store!