Major Horse Races
Horse racing takes place on a daily basis across the world at hundreds of different race courses. Dedicated horse racing bettors will generally look through most race cards every day to try and find the stand out bets that offer the most value. Certainly, anyone betting on horse racing will never struggle to find a betting opportunity with the amount of horse races that take place.
Most horse betting sites will cover the majority of horse racing events so getting an online wager is not difficult.
With all these horse races going on, you could be forgiven for that one horse race is much the same as another. However, this is far from true. Every year, there are several horse races that are considered the most prestigious and glamorous and it is these races that attract huge audiences. Winning any major horse race, such as those mentioned below, is the pinnacle of achievement for any race horse owner, trainer or jockey.
Major Horse Races in the United States
Horse racing in the United States dates back as far as 1665, when the first American racetrack was built on Long Island. Today, there are several famous race tracks across North America and the sport remains incredibly popular.
The most famous races in America are the three that make up the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, namely the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes and the Preakness Stakes. These classic horse races attract a lot of attention and are considered high profile races across the world. Unlike the more traditional turfed surface that is commonly used for horse races, particularly in Europe, these three races are run on dirt tracks. Each Triple Crown race is open to colts and fillies and geldings are also allowed to enter.
Any horse that wins all three of these races in one calendar year is known as a Triple Crown winner, a feat that has only been achieved by eleven horses in history. The last horse to win all three did it as long ago as 1978 when Affirmed, trained by Laz Barrera, was victorious in each of these classics.
The Kentucky Derby is the first of these three classics to take place each year. It is usually held on the first Saturday in May and takes place at the Churchill Downs course in Louisville. The race is run over 1 ¼ miles, and was first ran in 1875. It is often referred to as The Run for The Roses which is a reference to the blanket of roses which gets draped over the winning horse.
Next up is the Preakness Stakes which is run over nine and half a furlongs at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The Preakness Stakes is run on the third Saturday in May and is typically the second most watched horse race of the year in America, behind the Kentucky Derby.
The third, and final, leg of the Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes. This is always run three weeks after the Preakness Stakes and takes place at Belmont Park in Elmont in New York. It is the oldest established of these three classics having first been run back in 1867. It is also run over the greatest distance at 1 ½ miles.
Other major horse races in the United States include the Kentucky Oaks and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The Kentucky Oaks is for fillies and is run the day before the Kentucky Derby each year. The Breeder’s Cup Classic is the biggest race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which is held at a different racetrack each year. It offers one of the biggest purses in world horse racing at $5 million.
Major Horse Races in the United Kingdom
Horse racing in the UK has hundreds of years of history and has a fanatical following. There are two distinct types of racing in the UK – flat racing and jump racing. Traditionally, races are run over turf but there are also a number of all-weather tracks in the UK these days. There are around 60 racecourses in the United Kingdom, the oldest being Chester racecourse which is nearly 500 years old.
The most famous race in the UK is the Grand National, a National Hunt race that is known the world over. It is held every year at Aintree Racecourse – in Liverpool, England – over 4 miles and 856 yards. It generally takes place on one of the first two Saturdays in April. Race horses taking part in the Grand National have to jump thirty fences over two circuits of the course and it is a race famed for many fallers. Just finishing the Grand National is an achievement for any jockey, winning it is an ambition held by many a jump jockey.
No mention of the Grand National is complete with a reference to Red Rum, one of the most famous racehorses in the world. Red Rum won the Grand National three times in the 1970’s, a record that has never been surpassed. Red Rum’s first win, in 1973 when he made up 15 lengths in the run in, is widely considered the most memorable Grand National finish of all time.
The Epsom Derby, generally referred to in the UK as just The Derby, is the most prestigious of the British Classics. The British Classics consist of five flat races, each of which is held annually. The other four races which make up the group are the 2000 Guineas Stakes, the 1000 Guineas Stakes, the Epsom Oaks and the St. Leger Stakes.
The Epsom Derby was the first “Derby”, a term that has since been used by many other major horse races. It is considered one of Britain’s greatest sporting events and attracts an audience across the globe. It was first run back in 1780 when it was won by Diomed. Since then, it has gone on to be one of the most competitive horse races in the world. It takes place at Epsom Downs each year, in early June.
Also held at Epsom Downs during June is the Epsom Oaks, another of the British Classics. The Epsom Oaks was first held the year before the inaugural Derby and was won by Bridget. Bridget was owned by the 12th Earl of Derby, after whom the Epsom Derby was named. The Epsom Oaks is open to three year old fillies and is run over a distance of just over 1 mile and 4 furlongs.
The first two British Classics of the year are held towards the end of May or early April at Newmarket. The 2,000 Guineas Stakes comes first – run over exactly one mile and open to three year old colts and fillies. The 1,000 Guineas Stakes is next, also run over one mile but open to fillies only.
The fifth, and final, of the British Classics is the St. Leger Stakes, held at Doncaster in England. At just over 1 mile and 6 furlongs, this race is the longest of the classics. It is also the oldest of the five having first been established in 1776. The race is open for both colts and fillies and is named after Antony St. Leger who devised the event.
There are many other high profile race meetings in the United Kingdom; including Royal Ascot, Cheltenham Festival, Glorious Goodwood and the King VI Meeting. These meetings are attended every year by race goers in their thousands and watched by many more on television.
Major Horse Races in Europe
European horse racing has a rich history and is host to some major horse races throughout the year. Horse racing is particularly popular in France and Ireland, where many of the top race horses are bred. Hungary, Italy and Poland also have long standing horse racing traditions.
The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, generally referred to as The Arc, is arguably the most famous horse race in Europe. It is held annually in France, at the Longchamp Racecourse, on the first Sunday in October. It is the richest horse race in Europe with a prize fund of €4million and is one of the most watched horse races in the world. The Arc is a flat race open to thoroughbreds of at least three years old and run over approximately 1.5 miles. It was first run in 1920, when it was won by a horse called Comrade.
Also held at Longchamp is the Grand Prix de Paris, which is contested by three year old colts and fillies over a distance of 2,400 metres. Established in 1863, the Grand Prix used to be the premier horse race in France until the introduction of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. It is usually held on July 14th to coincide with the French national holiday of Bastille Day.
Horse racing in Ireland primarily revolves around jump racing. Indeed it was in Ireland that point to point to racing – the amateur version of National Hunt Racing – was established back in the 19th century. The thoroughbred breeding industry is very prosperous in Ireland and the country is home to the main operation of Coolmore Stud, the largest thoroughbred stud in the world.
There are 26 race courses in Ireland hosting a number of racing festivals throughout the year. The Fairyhouse festival stages the most valuable horse race in Ireland, the Irish Grand National, which is held each year on Easter Sunday. The Punchestown racetrack is home to one of the most popular race meetings, the five day Punchestown Festival which features the Guinness Gold Cup.
The Irish Derby is another major race in Ireland, and is held in June at Curragh Racecourse. This race has been established since 1866 but was not considered a major international race until 1962, when the prize money on offer was greatly increased.
Also run at Curragh is the Irish Oaks, a flat race open to three year old fillies. It takes place each year in July, over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs. This event was established back in 1895 as Ireland’s answer to the Epsom Oaks, one of the more famous races in England.
Major Horse Races in Australia
Horse racing is a very popular spectator sport in Australia and the country is considered one of the top racing nations in the world. With a phenomenal 360 racecourses across Australia, horse racing is the third most attended sport in the country. It has been well established as a sport in this part of the world since early settlement days.
The most popular race in Australia by quite some margin is the Melbourne Cup, often referred to as “The race that stops a nation”. It is one of the richest turf races in the world and is held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. This horse race is open to three year olds and over and is run over a distance of 3,200 metres. It is held annually on the first Tuesday in November.
The Melbourne Cup was first held in 1861 and was contested by 17 horses and won by the stallion Archer. The same horse also went on the win the race the following year. The race has gone on to become a major horse racing event not just in Australia, where there is a national holiday to coincide with the race, but all over the world.
The Australian Derby is held annually in Sydney at the Randwick Racecourse. This turf race takes place in late March or early April and has been won by some of the greatest Australian race horses such as Phar Lap. It was established in 1861 and originally called the AJC Randwick Derby Stakes, before being changed to the AJC Australia Derby Stakes. It officially became known as the Australian Derby in 1994 but is still referred to by many as the AJC Derby.
Also held at Randwick Racecourse is the AJC Australian Oaks. This horse race is contested over 2,400 metres and is open to three year old fillies. It takes place in April as part of the Sydney autumn racing carnival. The Australian Cup, run at Flemington Racecourse, takes place the month before in March. It is run over 2,000 metres and has been established since 1861.
Horse racing is also popular in neighbouring country New Zealand, which is home to 59 racecourses. The richest horse race in New Zealand is the New Zealand Derby which is run over 2,400 metres at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland. It takes place annually on the first Saturday in March with a prize purse of AUS$2.2 million.
Major Horse Races in Asia
The continent of Asia is also home to some famous horse races and is popular in many countries. China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and the United Arab Emirates all have regular horse racing calendars and the sport has a big fan base throughout these countries.
The richest horse race in the world takes place in Asia. The Dubai World Cup, established in 1996, is run annually at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It has a purse of $10 million and was created by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai. The race is 2,000 metres, approximately 10 furlongs, and is run on a synthetic surface. The Meydan Racecourse was opened in 2010 and is the largest racecourse in the world.
Japan is host to many horse races throughout the year at thirty different racecourses across the country. The most prestigious of these races is the Japan Cup, which takes place in November each year. It is held at the Tokyo Racecourse and is run over 1.5 miles for a purse of around $6 million. The Japan Cup is an invitational event and is widely respected as a horse race of international importance.
Asia may not have the same long history of horse racing as some other parts of the world, but there are some fantastic races that take place in the continent every year. There is a huge amount of money involved in Asian horse racing and the sport continues to grow in popularity and stature.