28 March 2023
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Irish sports fans are in for a treat over the next few months, with the upcoming calendar packed with a plethora of top-class events.
There are plenty of sporting events to look forward to this summer
Horse racing dominates proceedings during spring, while All-Ireland Senior Football and rugby union are the headline acts in the summer.
Read on as we look at what is on the agenda, starting with an event that is the centrepiece of a three-day horse racing extravaganza over the Easter weekend.
Irish Grand National
The Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse is the richest National Hunt race of the year in Ireland and always attracts massive interest among sports bettors.
Previous winners of the race include Arkle and Desert Orchid, highlighting the prestigious nature of an event that truly tests a horse’s jumping ability and stamina.
Mahler Mission is fancied to run a big race in this year’s renewal and gain compensation for being one of the unluckiest losers at the Cheltenham Festival.
The horse fell at the second last when leading the National Hunt Chase, but can bounce back to claim victory in the Irish Grand National.
Punchestown Festival
While Three Card Brag ran a fine race to finish fifth in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, connections were rightly frustrated at missing out on victory.
Drying ground conditions on the final day ultimately scuppered his hopes, but he still ran well to end up just outside the top four.
A drop back to two-and-a-half miles for the Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final is now on the cards for a horse whose future lies over fences.
He has come out of the Cheltenham race extremely well and the opportunity to target a valuable prize at Punchestown could be too tempting to ignore.
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The 2023 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final is guaranteed to be one of the biggest betting events of the summer.
The top GAA betting sites make Kerry the favourites to win the title for the 39th time and it would be a brave move to back against them achieving the feat.
Dublin will likely mount a strong challenge, while Galway, Mayo and Derry also have the talent to progress to the championship game.
However, Kerry swept to a brilliant victory in last year’s final and could be tough to stop in their bid to enhance their excellent record in the competition.
Rugby Union – Ireland vs England
Ireland were brilliant winners of the recent Six Nations championship and are strongly fancied to make a big splash at the Rugby World Cup later this year.
A warm-up game against England in August will test their title credentials, particularly with their opponents also eager to impress at the big tournament.
Ireland defeated England 29-16 in the Six Nations, but the scoreline may be a little closer when the two teams renew hostilities.
A 1-5 point winning margin for Ireland will likely be the value bet in a game which is sure to have rugby fans on the edge of their seats.
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