Sports fans are in for treat over the next few months, with the upcoming calendar jam-packed with a host of top-class events.
If you are inclined towards betting you are spoilt for choice, with barely a week going by without a noteworthy event taking place.
For example, the NFL’s Super Bowl will be staged during February, while soccer’s prestigious Champions League returns during the same month.
There are also a handful of top eSports events scheduled which will garner plenty of interest on https://thunderpick.io/en/esports over the coming weeks.
The spring calendar is dominated by horse racing, with several major Festivals taking place in the United Kingdom and Ireland during March and April.
All of the top trainers are busy preparing their horses for the big meetings, and leading names such as Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott will likely have plenty of winners.
With that in mind, we offer up six talented horses we think are well worth following when the Festivals are staged.
Delta Work
Experienced punters and newbies will be in their element in April when the long-distance Grand National is staged at Aintree.
Elliott’s Delta Work will be high on the list of possible horses they will back after running a fine race to finish third in last year’s renewal.
The five-time Grade 1 winner is also scheduled to run in the Cross-Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and could be a good bet to finish in the money in both races.
Delta Work ran an excellent race to finish third at Cheltenham at the end of January – a run that will have put his spot on for his main spring targets.
High Definition
Big money purchase High Definition was slashed in the betting for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham after winning at Leopardstown over the festive period.
Trainer Joseph O’Brien admitted after the race that he had left plenty to work on and the horse should be primed to run well at the Festival.
High Definition’s form received a massive boost when Diverge, who was well beaten in sixth at Leopardstown, recently romped to a bloodless victory at Punchestown.
Trainer Willie Mullins may now target Diverge at the Supreme, further highlighting the strength of what High Definition achieved on his hurdling debut.
Hitman
The Grand National meeting is one of the standout events in the horse racing calendar and provides punters with loads of betting opportunities beyond the big race.
Hitman could be a horse to follow at Aintree after showing his liking for a flat track with a hugely impressive victory at Haydock during November.
He was subsequently pulled up in the King George VI Chase at Kempton by jockey Sam Twiston-Davies, but was found to have suffered a small bleed during the race.
Trainer Paul Nicholls has confirmed Hitman will be freshened up for a spring campaign and he could be worth an interest if he turns up at Aintree.
Energumene
Supporters of Energumene were left empty-handed after the horse ran a below-par race to finish third in the recent Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham.
Despite the defeat, Mullins has maintained the nine-year-old remains on track to defend his two-mile Champion Chase title at the Gloucestershire track.
Mullins felt the new white fences at Cheltenham had spooked the horse and insisted he would be better for the experience when March comes around.
Jockey Paul Townend confirmed after the race that he wouldn’t swap him for the two horses that finished in front of him and his faith is unlikely to be misplaced.
Ashroe Diamond
Mullins knows what it takes to win the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and could add another victory to his tally this season.
He rattled off five straight wins in this race between 2016 and 2020 and will saddle a lively contender in the shape of Ashroe Diamond in March.
The horse produced two excellent performances against mixed company at Punchestown and Leopardstown, before romping home in a mares only race at Fairyhouse.
Jockey Danny Mullins described the performance as ‘awesome’, and it will take a good horse to lower Ashroe Diamond’s colours at Cheltenham.
Jonbon
Top Irish owner JP McManus paid a whopping £570,000 to buy Jonbon and he can recoup some of that outlay with a victory in the Arkle Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.
The horse ran well in last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, finishing second behind current Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill.
After recording stylish victories at Warwick and Sandown this season, Jonbon will return to the former track for another prep run in February.
A victory there would put the Nicky Henderson-trained seven-year-old spot on for a tilt at the Arkle the following month.
