» Paul Alster

Paul Alster

Paul Alster has been a horse racing broadcaster and journalist for over three decades. Originally a race commentator, he has worked extensively as a TV presenter and pundit, form analyst and tipster, betting reporter, SP Returner, racing manager, and has bred and owned racehorses in Britain and overseas. His favourite horse of all-time is the Michael Dickinson-trained chaser Wayward Lad, arguably the best horse never to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
@paul_alster

March 16th 2020, 2:59 pm

Loss of Grand National could cripple racing industry

By Paul Alster

The impact of a loss of the Grand National, and racing as a whole, is already being estimated by many in the industry who fear the sport is likely to be put on hold until at least the end of June due to the coronavirus outbreak. Although no official decision has been made on the […]

March 16th 2020, 12:12 pm

Grand National odds-on to be cancelled

By Paul Alster

The Randox Health Grand National at Aintree next month is unlikely to take place, according to the bookmakers’ odds, as one firm makes the race as short as 1/5* to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since the Second World War, only once has the race not been officially run, and that was in […]

March 12th 2020, 11:40 pm

The Storyteller runs cracking National trial

By Paul Alster

Took a few of our Cheltenham Festival hopes to the beach this afternoon for a bit of a play … 16 Grade 1s between them ⭐️ #HappyHorses #Samcro #TheStoryteller #ApplesJade #ShatteredLove @gelliott_racing pic.twitter.com/Gdy3rMfYq3 — camilla sharples (@camsharples) March 4, 2020 After going through a fairly quiet patch in the previous couple of weeks the Gordon […]

March 12th 2020, 7:32 pm

UPDATE: Aintree Grand National and Coronavirus – Cancelled or Crowd-less?

By Paul Alster

We live in uncertain times. The only certainty seems to be that there will be far more uncertainty than we are experiencing at the moment. With politicians rushing to batten down the hatches and do all they can to stem the spread of Coronavirus, the sporting world is now resigned to the fact that many, […]

March 10th 2020, 6:43 pm

Ultima runner-up Kildisart runs cracking National trial

By Paul Alster

Good luck to everyone at @benpauling1 today. 🐎 2:10 Global Citizen 🐎 2:50 Kildisart Fantastic team that deserve more festival success! #BPR #Kildisart #GlobalCitizen #CheltenhamReady #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/DCHTxgfW0h — Ash (@AshTalksSports) March 10, 2020 With an ideal three-and-a-half week gap between the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival and the Randox Health Grand National on April […]

March 10th 2020, 5:54 pm

Could champion jockey-elect be without Grand National mount?

By Paul Alster

At the time of writing the North of England is closing in on celebrating its first National Hunt champion jockey since 1979 in the shape of the tremendously popular Brian Hughes. But will the champion jockey-elect face the starter for the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree on April 4? It would be a remarkable […]

March 6th 2020, 4:06 pm

Elliott team performing below par

By Paul Alster

As is often quoted, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Quite who first said that famous phrase is hotly disputed – the likes of Benjamin Disraeli and Mark Twain are among the front-runners – but what is not in dispute is that in many areas of life it rings as […]

March 6th 2020, 3:42 pm

What’s in a Grand National winner’s name?

By Paul Alster

From the regular punter’s point of view the Grand National is one of the ultimate challenges. With so many unique variables such as weight, extreme distance, going conditions, adaptability to the giant fences etc., serious study of the form book is required, but for most once-a-year punters the name of the horse is often the […]

February 22nd 2020, 7:21 pm

Kempton clues to Aintree contenders

By Paul Alster

Kempton’s Grade 3 Betway Handicap Chase (formerly known as the Racing Post Chase, among other things) was among the feature contests on a fine card at the Sunbury track on Saturday and gave food for thought for a number of runners whose connections are eyeing a tilt at the Randox Health Grand National in the […]