Summer Racing Fixtures for Betting Fans

The summer racing calendar is a significant collection of critical dates. Some of the prominent racing weekends attract millions of television viewers on, including millions of international viewers. While big race meets, like Cheltenham and The Grand National, fall outside the summer calendar, there's still a deep variety of races from multiple countries to sink your teeth into during this period.

Horse racing is one of the most popular sports and gambling markets in the United Kingdom. Traditionally, horse racing attracts a specific type of player, especially given that some of the odds you can find on winning horses offer much more value than most other sports betting markets. However, it is important to understand the betting types available before placing bets on the races this summer.

The Royal Ascot

One of the most prestigious horse racing events occurs in the middle of British summer. The Royal Ascot weekend is considered the zenith of the flat racing season and traditionally takes place on the third weekend of June and spans four days. With over half a million people attending across the duration of the event, it is one of the biggest flat race meets on the planet. It is one of the oldest world-renowned horse races in the world, with the initial meeting taking place over 300 years ago!

British Champions Day is the big one, with several group one races taking place. However, there are several substantial individual races across the entirety of the weekend, such as

● St James' Palace Stakes

● The Gold Cup

● Commonwealth Cup

● King's Stand Stakes

● Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes

● The King George VI

The Gold Cup is considered the jewel in the crown for many horse breeders and jockeys looking to win the big prize. With so many global bookmakers offering markets on Ascot, it's difficult to predict an exact figure on how much people bet on all of the races combined over the weekend. Still, it is more than £100 million, an astonishing sum.

The 2023 Ascot marked a sombre and considerable change as it was the first race meeting since the passing of the Queen. It was an event that she regularly attended, with her first visit over 80 years ago. As one of the stalwarts of the flat racing calendar, this is a summer racing fixture you won't want to miss next year if you're a horse racing enthusiast.

Ebor Festival

York is a hidden gem of a destination for many travellers and the Ebor Festival brings in horse racing fans from all over the United Kingdom, and further afield, looking to soak up everything the event offers. York is one of the hotspots of English horse racing, with many events occurring during the calendar year.

This year marks the 180th anniversary of the Ebor Festival. It traditionally spans across the August bank holiday weekend, signifying a bookend to the summer's racing fixtures. It is also North England's most celebrated and significant summer racing event.

Epsom Derby

If you're looking for an individual race instead of a whole weekend of racing fixtures, the Epsom Derby is one of the biggest individual horse races in the summer months. This year, the Derby hit the headlines for different reasons as the race was significantly disrupted by a string of protesters hoping to derail proceedings. The event eventually went ahead, and Aiden O'Brien made it to nine wins in the Epsom Derby.

Horse racing meets are important during the summer as they bring out fans from all over the country looking to soak up the atmosphere of a big race meet. Given the climate in the UK, the three-month summer period is crucial to generate revenue in ticket sales and gambling markets. This is so it can fuel the industry and help pay big prize money to the jockeys and teams involved to keep the quality as high as possible.

A summer racing weekend isn't just about horse racing. It is part of a more significant occasion that allows people to dress up, enjoy themselves, see friends and family and roll the dice on a big race to complete a fun and exciting weekend. In many parts of the country, it is a tradition and with some of them cemented in the calendar and generating significant business for their local area, they'll continue to be around for many years to come.