April 27, 2021

Since the devastating news that the Indian horse racing calendar would have to be canceled for the remainder of the season, horse racing fans in this country have been paying extra close attention to the horse racing season elsewhere. Whilst we can't bring horse racing back to India right now, we can take a look at some of the most spectacular events from the season so far, both at home and abroad.

The Indian Derby is the pinnacle of the Indian racing season for many. It always carries a purse of ? 30,000,000, and it did too this year, but unlike other years, the date it was run was different. Since its inception in 1943, it has been run on the first Sunday of February, but this year there would be a break with tradition to run the race behind closed doors on the 28th of March. Before the race, the horses to watch were Lagarde and Forest Flame from the Suleiman Attaollahi stable, with Immortality also fancied. Before long it became clear to anyone watching at home that Immortality was going to win the title. Forest flame put up a brave battle during the closing stages, but in the end, the plucky filly Immortality won by a length and a half.

This marks the third consecutive win for jockey Suraj Narredu and a career highlight for trainer Pesi Shroff, who not only won the race back in 2010 with Jacqueline but has also ridden the winner as a jockey no less than 8 times. Shroff has been the Indian champion jockey and holds a number of great races under his belt, so it's exciting to see him making such a success of his career as a trainer.

Next on the list of exciting races for many Indian fans, but even more so for those in the UAE, is the Dubai World Cup. Although the prize money for this meeting took a blow this year, the prize for the World Cup remained enormous as ever. For any fans of racing, they will be aware of the frustrating clash between this race meeting and the Indian Derby, with both being held on the weekend of the 27th and 28th of March. Fortunately, it was possible to catch the excitement from all of the most important races, including the Dubai World Cup, which was taken home by Mystic Guide and connections.

For this race meeting at least, you only needed a very simple guide to betting in the UAE. Many of the races, including the Dubai World Cup, were won by the out and out favorites. Whilst the laws on gambling inside the UAE can make it difficult for people in the country to place bets, there are sites that will allow it. Of course, in India, betting on the race is legal, so people don't need to go to such great lengths searching for guides. However, if you're planning to be in the UAE for next year's meeting, it's a good idea to familiarise yourself with the rules. For this year at least, your money would have been safe on the American-owned favorite, who romped home by an impressive 1 and a half lengths under Luis Saez.

Going further afield with this race, the Grand National provides a welcome break in the flat racing calendar across the rest of the world. With jump racing only really taking place in Europe, it's nice to dive in and have a look at what there is to offer once in a while, and there's no race more spectacular than the Grand National to do it. The race in 2020 was an industry first, with a virtual event being televised and bet on by many. In the virtual running of the race, Potters Corner was the victor, so many were interested in seeing if the feat would be repeated in the actual running of the race in 2021. Unfortunately for Potters Corner, it wasn't to be.

Instead what happened will remain a great inspiration to young girls everywhere, who one daydream of becoming a jockey. The great horse Minella Times stormed home, staying on strongly to win under the ride of Rachael Blackmore. Not only was the performance of horse and rider impressive, but Rachael Blackmore will be forever remembered as the first female jockey to win the Grand National.