All around the world, from Australia to the US, horse racing is one of the most popular spectator sports out there. Anyone who has ever attended a meeting will soon see why.
For each race, first, there’s the ceremony of the horses parading around the ring. Then, after they’re under starter orders, they’re off, and the excitement begins.
It’s all made even more thrilling if you’re also a fan of horse racing betting and you have some money riding on the outcome.
Of the many thousands of races that take place worldwide each year, a number stand head and shoulders above the rest.
These classics are the ones that pit the very best horses against each other in a bid to win millions of dollars of prize money for their owners.
Here are just five of these races.
The Grand National
As the British steeplechasing season approaches, the showpiece event is the Grand National every April. Where some races are sprints, this is more like a marathon endurance test for the 34 horses. The course is a total of four miles and 514 yards long and involves the jumping of a total of 30 fences.
The race is held at the Aintree racecourse in Liverpool in northwest England and is the highlight of a three-day festival attended by over 150,000 people. The race itself is watched by a staggering 800 million people worldwide.
The winning horses tend also to become celebrities in their own right. For example, after retiring from racing, the three-times winner Red Rum was frequently asked to open new stores and nightclubs around the UK.
The Kentucky Derby
The first Saturday in May sees the annual running of the first leg of the so-called Triple Crown. Open to three-year-old thoroughbreds who have qualified thanks to performances in other races, it’s run over one and a quarter miles.
Unlike the Grand National, which generally takes around nine minutes to complete, this sprint is all over in less than a quarter sprint. This is why it’s earned the title “the most exciting two minutes in sport.”
It’s also a race rich in tradition, with the winning horse outfitted with a coat of roses. The official drink of the event is the mint julep – a cocktail consisting of bourbon, mint, and sugar syrup – accompanied by a meat stew called burgoo, a regional specialty.
St Leger Stakes
Flat racing takes over from steeplechasing during the summer months in the UK. Within the season are five so-called classic races: the 2,000 Guineas, the 1,000 Guineas, The Oaks, The Derby, and the St. Leger Stakes.
The latter is the season’s final and will be held in September at the Doncaster racecourse in South Yorkshire. The one mile six furlong race was first run way back ione-mileaking it the oldest of the classic races and it’,s open to three-year-old colts and fillies,.
It’s regarded as a season-closer as the weather and racing conditions in September in the UK are less suited to high-speed sprints than steeplechasing’s more rough and ready nature.
The Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe
However, flat racing continues well into October hundreds of miles further south in Paris, France. The country’s premier flat race takes place at the Longchamps race course and is run over a distance of around one and a half miles – 2,400 meters measured by the country’s metric system.
It’s open to horses of all ages and has one of the highest prize funds of any race in the world, with a purse of 5 million euros and the winner picking up 2.8 million euros. This is primarily thanks to the generosity of its sponsors, the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club.
The Melbourne Cup
The last race on our list is run on the first Tuesday in November at the Flemington racecourse in Melbourne, Australia. It’s such an important event that the day itself is a public holiday across much of Victoria – earning it the grand tirace that stops the nation.
The race is 2,400 meters long, or one mile, 1,740 yards, and attracts the best horses from all over the world in a bid not just to win a share in the AUS$8.4 million prize money but also to pick up a solid gold trophy valued at AUS£600,000.
Conclusion
Attend any of these prestigious horse racing events, from the Grand National to the Melbourne Cup, and you’ll quickly understand why this sport remains a thrilling spectacle globally.
These races showcase top-tier competition, rich traditions, and significant prize stakes, making them some of the most exhilarating experiences in sports.
