The inaugural British Champions Day, sponsored by Qatar Investment & Projects Development Holding Company (Qipco), was staged at Ascot on October 15, 2011. On a fine autumn day, a sellout crowd of 32,000 gathered to witness Frankel win the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, which, with winning prize money boosted to £567,100, became the most valuable race run in Europe. Sent off at odds of 4/11, Frankel took the lead from his pacemaker, Bullet Train, two furlongs out and drew away, running on powerfully in the closing stages to win by 4 lengths and 3½ lengths from Excelebration and Immortal Verse.

In fact, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes was one of just two Group 1 races on the card, the other being the Champion Stakes, which was transferred from Newmarket. In chronological order, the supporting races were the Group 3 British Champions Long Distance Cup, formerly the Jockey Club Cup, run at Newmarket, the Group 2 British Champions Sprint Stakes, formerly the Diadem Stakes, the Group 2 British Champions Fillies’ and Mares’ Stakes, formerly the Pride Stakes, also run at Newmarket, and the newly-established Qipco Future Stars Apprentice Handicap. The inaugural winners were Fame And Glory, Deacon Blues, Dancing Rain, Frankel, of course, Cirrus Des Aigles and Edinburgh Knight.

To the credit of the Ascot Racecourse Authority and the sponsors, Qipco, all three championship finals created by adjustments to the existing racing calendar have continued to attract top-class fields since their inception. Their quality has been recognised by the European Pattern Committee, such that the British Champions Long Distance Cup was upgraded to Group 2 status in 2014 and the British Champions Fillies’ and Mares’ Stakes and the British Champions Sprint Stakes were upgraded to Group 1 status in 2013 and 2015 respectively.

Contrary to the opinion of Mark Johnston, the most prolific trainer in the history of British racing, who once told the ‘Racing Post’ that ITV should ‘get rid of all coverage of betting’, horse racing and gambling have been inextricably linked since the earliest days of the sport. Indeed, prior to the Stuart Restoration, in the second half of the seventh century, two-horse ‘match’ races, arranged specifically to settle bets between owners, were the order of the day. A century or so later, organised horse racing evolved still further, under the auspices of the Jockey Club, founded in 1750, and Tattersalls, established in 1766.

The first, recognisably-modern bookmaker was reputedly Harry Ogden, who stood on Newmarlet Heath from 1795 onwards but, prior to September 1, 1960, when the Conservative Government of Harold Macmillan enacted the ‘Betting and Gaming Act 1960’, opportunities for legal, off-course betting on horse racing were severely limited.Essentially, the only option for off-course punters – provided, of course, they were demonstrably credit-worthy – was to create an accountant with a bookmaker or, rather more euphemistically, with a ‘turf accountant’, and conduct their business by telephone. That said, despite being outlawed for over a century by ‘An Act for the Suppression of Betting Houses’, which was sanctioned in 1853, illegal operations continued to flourish and it was the hope of the Home Secretary, Richard ‘Rab’ Butler, to take gambling off the streets.

The first licensed betting shops in Britain duly opened their doors on May 1, 1961. They were not universally well-received, although one female customer interviewed by BBC News Extra a few days later epitomised the mood of the nation, saying, ‘They’re a wonderful idea. They’re a great asset as there’s no need to run round corners. You can come in here openly, have your bet and there’s no fears or worries at all.’

The Grand National is one of the most unpredictable and thrilling events within the world of horse racing, with its long history dating all the way back to 1839 seeing countless extraordinary moments. From shock winners to chaotic pile ups, the competition has seen it all. Although the crowning event of Aintree Festival is well known for its drama and next level excitement, there have been a number of truly bizarre and strange moments within this race that not even the live casino world could have predicted. From unexpected interruptions and rare incidents, all the way to surprising turn of events, we have picked out some of the strangest moments to ever occur at the Grand National.

The Race That Never Was

Beginning with one of the most controversial moments in the history of the Grand National, a series of miscommunications in the 1993 edition of the race actually led to its being declared void. Before the race even started, chaos  was afoot, with protestors initially delaying proceedings. Once the race finally got around to its new off time however, a false start was then called due to the starting tap malfunctioning. However, many of the participating runners did not actually realise that the race had been stopped due to this false start, continuing to ride as if they were still in the legitimate event.

 

Even with the frantic attempts of officials around the race course attempting to halt the race, 30 out of the 39 jockeys kept going around the 4 mile track, with John White riding Esha Ness to what he believed was victory. Despite this, the result of this false start was never officially recorded, with the race proceeding to be delcalder null and void. This was the first, and still is the only time to date, in which this has happened in Grand National his

Foinavon Fiasco

Another of the most famous and more bizarre moments in the history of the Grand National occured in 1967 when 100/1 outsider Foinavon won in one of the most unexpected fashions. Upon the pack of contenders approaching the 23rd fence, chaos unfolded when a loose horse caused a massive pile up of runner’s, bringing down almost all of the leading contenders.

 

However, as Foinavon was far behind the leaders, jockey John Buckingham had enough time to steer his horse wide and avoid all the unfolding carnage. White other jockeys struggled to remount their horses, Foinavon trotted on to take an unchallenged lead and secure an astonishing outsider victory. Due to the extraordinary pile up that occurred at the 23rd fence, this was later named the Foinavon Fence at the Aintree racecourse.

The Fan Who Joined The Race

In 1960, the Grand National witnessed a surreal moment when a drunk spectator decided he wanted to join the race and ran onto the track. The fan in question, clearly inebriated with too much booze, tried to run alongside the horses, however, was quickly tackled by security before causing him or any of the runners and real danger. Due to this humorous turn of events which non one expected, it remains as one of the strangest interruptions ever seen at the Grand National.

Unconscious Jockey

Although it is now regarded as one of the most famous races in the events history, the 1973 Grand National was still home to a strange turn of events regarding Australian horse Crisp. This runner was leading the race by a wide margin, however, he suddenly started to tire and dropped off in the final stretch. Behind him was the iconic Red Rum who managed to close the gap, overtaking Crisp just before the finish line. Although this seemed strange to spectaturs, the moment was made even more bizarre after the race concluded.

 

When interviewed, Crisp’s jockey Richared Pitam admitted that he was so exhausted from the demanding course that he was actually rendered unconscious temporarily, barely registering what happened in the final stretches of the race. As a result of this, his judgement was clouded completely, with him proceeding to allow Red Rum to secure his first of three legendary Grand National wins despite his promising lead.

Devon Loch’s Sudden Collapse

One of the horses owned by Queen Elizabeth was involved in another of the strangest Grand National moments, with Devon Loch looking set to win the 1956 Grand National in comfortable fashion. However, to the disbelief of onlookers at the track, Devon Loch suddenly collapsed just 50 yards to the finish line. The horse simply appeared to leap into the air and crumple to the found, not tripping over any obstacle whatsoever. The jockey riding Devon Loch, that being Dick Francise, was left helpless as victory slipped away right in front of him, allowing runner ESB to storm past and claim the win. Even to this day, no one knows exactly why Devon Loch fell just before the racing post, however, some have speculated that the roaring crowd and shadows on the track spooked him at the worst moment possible.

Loose Horse Wins The Race

In the 1928 Grand National, only two horses managed to actually finish the race, with this being one of the most chaotic races ever run at the Aintree Festival. As the conditions were so brutal that day, horses fell left, right and centre, with many others unseating their jockeys in the princess. Remarkably, a loose horse with no rider named Billy Barton actually crossed the finish line first, however, wasn’t declared the winner due to there being no jacokey. To this day, the 1928 Grand National remains the smallest field of finishers in the race’s history.

Horse racing is one of the most popular sports around, with people from all around the world enjoying the spectacle of some of the fastest horses jumping over hurdles and racing in fantastic fashion. This excitement has been translated and used throughout slot games, as there are plenty of slot providers that have created slot games based on this sport! Whilst the slot industry is full of classic titles such as Starburst Extreme, some of the most popular games on the market are based around horse racing. Here, we are going to look through some of the very best horse racing slot titles, from the mechanics of the game to what makes these specific titles so popular!

 

Big Bass Day at the Races

Released by Pragmatic Play and Reel Kingdom, Big Bass Day at the Races is an online slot title which is all about visiting the races. With brilliant imagery such as the racing post, different bubbly drinks, this slot game celebrates the race day culture perfectly. Published onto the market in 2024, Big Bass Day at the Races is a fairly modern slot game which comes with incredibly impressive graphics and detailed bonus mechanics! With a huge racecourse seen in the background, this slot game is perfect for those who enjoy horse racing-themed slot games.

 

Not only does Big Bass Day at the Races come with a brilliant theme and interesting slot mechanics, but the game also includes a handful of unique bonus mechanics, which makes it stand out from the others. For example, there are cash value symbols that can land and be collected throughout the gameplay, whilst wild symbols and free spins can be found across the gameplay in Big Bass Day at the Races, too, which are quite unique and popular features.

 

Rainbow Riches Race Day

 

This Barcrest release was published on the market in 2021, and by using some fairly nostalgic and retro graphics, Rainbow Riches Race Day stands out compared to the other horse racing titles throughout the industry. With classic horse racing imagery, Rainbow Riches Race Day is full of other Irish luck imagery, with mushrooms, horseshoes and shamrocks all being seen across the reels. Rainbow Riches Race Day comes with some nostalgic and incredibly animated mechanics, meaning the slot game clearly stands out compared to most traditional slot games.

 

Just like Big Bass Day at the Races, Rainbow Riches Race Day comes with an abundance of classic features, whether that be wild or scatter symbols. However, there are also horse symbols which can move the corresponding horse across the top of the screen, and if the horse manages to make it to the racing post, then the player will be awarded a cash value.

 

Frankie Dettori Sporting Legends

 

Based on one of the sport’s biggest names, Frankie Dettori Sporting Legends is an online slot game which was released by Playtech in 2018. Featuring some incredibly sharp and crisp graphics, this online slot game takes place with a horse race ongoing in the background, with the grandstands packed out for the race. Operating with different jackpot mechanics, Frankie Dettori Sporting Legends is one of the most fascinating horse racing-themed slot games across the market, paying homage to one of the horse racing legends.

 

Just like the other slot games mentioned throughout this list, Frankie Dettori Sporting Legends features both wild symbols and scatter symbols, which are both staples throughout the online slot industry. Alongside these bonuses, there are also respins and other interesting mechanics in play, which make Frankie Dettori Sporting Legends stand out throughout the industry.

 

9 Races To Glory

 

Another incredibly popular horse racing-themed slot game would be 9 Races to Glory, which was released by Aurum Signature Studios in 2023. 9 Races to Glory features all the classic imagery you would expect to see in a slot game like this, such as golden horseshoes, jockey’s clothes and horses themselves, whilst the background displays a race with horses battling to finish first. With red and white colours surrounding the playgrid, this online slot is brilliantly designed, with fantastic visuals and an exciting theme!

 

Not to mention the additional bonuses, 9 Races to Glory operates with the Epic Strike feature, which is seen in other traditional slot games like 9 Masks of Fire. With this mechanic, players are able to be awarded cash values if they land a certain number of epic strike symbols, with the cash value amounts displayed on the left-hand side of the screen.

Scudamore’s Super Stakes

 

Released by NetEnt in 2019, Scudamore’s Super Stakes is an online slot game that features the race commentator Peter Scudamore. Being one of the most unique NetEnt releases, the slot game aims to take a more ‘realistic’ design with its graphics, compared to the other slot games, which tend to use a more animated style. For those who are fans of traditional horse racing games, Scudamore’s Super Stakes is one of the most impressive horse racing titles out there.

 

Of course, like every other slot game on this list, Scudamore’s Super Stakes comes with some incredibly impressive bonus mechanics. From free spins to jackpots, there is something for everyone in Scudamore’s Super Stakes, yet most of the intrigue is in the free spins, as this is the Peter’s Classic Cup feature, which features free spins and multipliers.