5 races to re-watch while self isolating

Because there is no racing I didn't know what to do with my time, so I decided to re-watch some of the greatest races. 

It wasn't easy but here's my top 5 races...

1) Red Rum- All three of his Grand National victories were goose bump invokers and history makers. Personally the 1973 is my favourite. The key to his wins were staying wide in the field. Crisp was about 20 lengths clear seemingly not going to be beaten. Red Rum was second. Both well clear of the rest of the field. And just before the line Red Rum manages to catch Crisp to narrowly get the win. From that moment you know he's something special. 

2)  Frankel- The unbeaten 14 timer on British soil. Any of his races would be worth a watch but especially the 2000 Guineas. With no pace makers and going to the front we can see the full ability of Frankel. He easily went clear and keeps extending the lead. Other horses not even having a chance of winning. Another one of my favourites is the Juddemonte international. 

3) Tiger Roll- His 2018 Grand National win.  Hearts in mouths as he approached the final few jumps. There were fallers all over. He managed to stay up and in that moment alone I knew he'd win. The first double Grand National winner since Red Rum in 1973/74.

4)  Frodon- I have a massive soft spot for this horse. His effort in the Ryanair chase at Cheltenham last year is one of racing's unforgettable memories. After leading near enough whole way it looked like Aso would beat him. However, Frodon refused to give up after jumping well throughout. Realistically he should never have won that class of race but it makes him more loveable. Jockey Bryony Frost's interview after is also one that will always stick in my mind. 

5) Enable- Controversial I know because of the failings in the Arc.  I believe she's one of the best horses today despite her failings in the Arc. She's versatile in her running making her even more of a threat. Her performance in the King George VI and Queen Anne Stakes 2019, with her pace and battling against Crystal Ocean was simply breath-taking. 

Here some of my favourites. What are yours? 

How will coronavirus Impact racing?

We had the sad update that racing would be cancelled earlier this week.

After firstly saying it would take place behind closed door due to coronavirus. Realistically this is for the best. Just a shame especially with the big meetings coming up.

Irish racing first announced that they'd be racing behind closed doors, the first meeting being Dundalk. The images from the racecourse make it look like a ghost town. This was followed by Kelso. It was thought that all racing would go to be like this; instead it has been closed down.

It's uncertain as to when this will be lifted. These closures came after the rumour mill saying there was hope for the Lincoln meeting, the start of the flat and one of the biggest days of the calendar. Even if it's not open for the mass public, each owner would have reportedly receive one badge per horse instead of the normal complimentary six.

A bigger blow was the Grand National being cancelled. This much anticipated meeting due to the sheer number of tickets sold isn't happening. People all had the same question on the tip of their tongues: will Tiger Roll complete the treble. Gordon Elliot has however said it's more than likely he will come back next year.

The impact of the coronavirus on racing has suffered a big backlash as not only are caterers losing money. The bigger chains of bookmakers can take the hit but there's much concern for independent old style bookmakers with their stands, as without punters there will be economic issues. There are serious worries for the people in the yards as they simply have to turn up to work to look after the horses. The horses also are raring to go but can't.

This is a very uncertain time for everyone, even those who aren't in the industry. We can only hope that racing will return as soon as it's safe to. Ireland are still continuing behind closed doors giving us racing enthusiasts some rest bite. 

Cheltenham Festival 2020 guide

Cheltenham Festival is one of the highlights of the jump season, with so much to see, the unique fashion, the electric atmosphere and most importantly the racing. Here's your quick 'Chelts' 2020 guide.

Cheltenham has got so many different enclosures and areas it can be difficult to find your way around. One of the most popular is the Guinness Village and in my eyes this is a must see. The great atmosphere and the friendliness means everyone's encouraged to get involved. 

Even if you don't like racing that much there's so much to do and see, including more than 70 stalls to explore in the shopping village. 

New for 2020 is The Park: all the live music and DJ sets will take place. The big names include Nick Grimshaw, Laura Whitmore, Roman Kemp and Marvin Humes. These will all be doing sets after racing and gives the atmosphere another level. Keeping the buzz going. 

These little touches all make the day an experience not just an event. 

This year as usual tweed will be a staple part of the Cheltenham festival fashion but it will be straying from tradion with pops of colourful tweed. Colourful fur and feathers will also be core elements. Men will sway more towards the Peaky Blinders look, flat caps prominent. Here's just a reminder that fancy dress isn't encouraged especially not on St. Patrick's day. 

The Chelts roar will set the level of excitement for the whole four days of racing. This is leading up to the Gold Cup. It'll be interesting to see how Tiger Roll fares in the Glenfarclas Chase (cross country chase) as the last 2 years he's won this, he's gone on to win the Grand national.

The Gold Cup is wide open. The withdrawing of Native River through injury means a significant contender has been lost. There's many horses that have a chance. These include last year's winner Al Boum Photo. He won't give up the title easily.

Other horses with recent form include Lostintranslation , Frodon and Santini. With the latter opening up as the early odds favourite. However, the Irish raiders like Kemboy and Delta Work must also be watched with their undeniable form.

With my head I'll be backing Santini but my heart will be backing Frodon. 

Let's hope that we can actually see the racing and Coronavirus doesn't stop it.