National Hunt racing, also known as “jump racing,” is basically horse racing but with a twist. It is possible to place bets on plenty of horse racing events by visiting the 1xBet website too.
Here the horses don’t just sprint flat out; they jump over obstacles like fences and hurdles along the way. This makes the race a whole lot more thrilling and unpredictable. The main idea is to test not just speed but also the stamina and jumping ability of both the horse and the jockey. Some great bets can be placed at 1xBet on amazing horses that participate in these kinds of events too.
2 kinds of events
These races are mostly held in the UK and Ireland, where the sport has a rich tradition and a dedicated fan base. There are two main types of National Hunt races: “Hurdles” and “Steeplechases.” Hurdles are lower jumps, usually about 3.5 feet (1.07 m) high, which are spaced out over a course of about 2 to 3 miles (3.2 to 4.8 km). At 1xBet it is also possible to bet on open golf now, which are a great companion to the great horse racing wagers.
On the other hand, Steeplechases are more demanding. This is because of the following aspects:
- it has higher fences (up to 5 feet or 1.5 m);
- they also sometimes include water jumps or ditches;
- horses also run over longer distances, sometimes even 4 to 5 miles (6.4 to 8 km).
In addition to betting on open golf instances now, the 1xBet website allows you to wager on big horse racing events too.
Great events
One of the most famous events in the National Hunt calendar is the Cheltenham Festival, which draws crowds of around 250,000 people over 4 days. It’s got races like the Gold Cup and the Champion Hurdle, where horses like Arkle and Kauto Star have become legends. You can enjoy horse betting with 1xbet.ie/en/line/horse-racing on the best horses from all across the world.
Winning a race at Cheltenham is a big deal. The prize money for the Gold Cup, for example, is around £625,000, which is roughly $790,000. Another iconic event is the Grand National, held at Aintree, Liverpool. The Grand National is no joke; it’s a marathon of 4 miles and 2 ½ furlongs (that’s about 7.2 km) with 30 fences to clear! Only around 40% of the horses even finish the race. Many horse betting events of this kind can be wagered with the 1xBet website.
Over the last decade, top jockeys like Ruby Walsh and AP McCoy have dominated the National Hunt scene. Walsh retired in 2019 with 59 wins at the Cheltenham Festival, while McCoy, known as the “Champ,” notched up a jaw-dropping 4,348 career wins before hanging up his boots in 2015.