Horse racing is an equestrian
sport which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot
races of Roman times are an early example, as is the contest of
the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse
mythology. It is often inextricably associated with gambling, the
activity of wagering on the outcome of a race.
Forms of horse racing
The principal form of horse
racing, which is popular in many parts of the world, is
thoroughbred racing. Harness racing is somewhat popular in the
United States, Canada, Australia, France, Italy and Scandinavia,
and to a lesser extent elsewhere. Quarter horse racing is also
popular in the United States.
The breeding, training and racing of horses in many countries is
now a significant economic activity as, to a greater extent, is
the gambling industry which is largely supported by it.
Exceptional horses can win millions of dollars and make millions
more by providing stud services, such as horse breeding
Horse racing in North America
Monmouth Racetrack in New Jersey in May 2005.The style of racing,
the distances and the type of events varies very much by the
country in which the race is occurring, and many countries offer
different types of horse races.
In the United States, races can occur on flat surfaces of either
dirt or grass, generally thoroughbred racing; other tracks offer
quarter horse racing]] and harness racing, or combinations of
these three types of racing. Racing with other breeds, such as
Arabian horse racing, is found on a limited basis. American
thoroughbred races are run at a wide variety of distances, most
commonly from 4.5 furlongs (905 m) to 1½ miles (2414 m); with this
in mind, breeders of thoroughbred race horses are able to breed
horses to excel at a particular distance (see Dosage Index).
The high point of US horse racing has traditionally been the
Kentucky Derby which, together with the Preakness Stakes and the
Belmont Stakes, form the Triple Crown for three-year-olds.
However, in recent years the Breeders' Cup races, held at the end
of the year, have been challenging the Triple Crown events, held
early in the year, as determiners of the three-year-old champion.
They also have an important effect on the selection of other
annual champions. The corresponding standard-bred event is the
Breeders' Crown. There are also a Triple Crown of Harness Racing
for Pacers and a Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters.
American betting on horse racing is sanctioned and regulated by
state governments, almost always through legalized pari-mutuels
gambling. Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has its
own Hall of Fame for horses, jockeys, and trainers.
The most famous horses from Canada are Northern Dancer, who after
winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness went on to become the
most successful Thoroughbred sire ever, and his son Nijinsky II.
In Canada, however, harness racing is more popular than
Thoroughbred racing. Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, home of the
Queen's Plate, Canada's premier thoroughbred stakes race, and the
North America Cup, Canada's premier standard-bred stakes race, is
the only race track in North America which stages Thoroughbred and
Standard-bred (harness) meetings on the same day. The North
America Cup has the largest purse of any Canadian horse race.
Horse racing in Australasia
For more details on this topic, see Horseracing in Australia.
In Australia, the most famous horse is Phar Lap. Cardigan Bay, a
pacing horse from New Zealand, who enjoyed great success at the
highest levels of American harness racing in the 1960s. Racing in
Australasia has enjoyed great success with races such as the
Melbourne Cup, which has recently been attracting many
international entries. See also: Australian horse-racing.
Horse racing in Europe
For more details on this topic,
see Horseracing in the United Kingdom.
In the United Kingdom, there are races which involve obstacles
(either hurdles or fences) called National Hunt racing and those
which are unobstructed races over a given distance (flat racing).
The UK has provided many of the sport's greatest ever jockeys,
most notably Gordon Richards. See also United Kingdom
horse-racing.
In Ireland, noted for its racing history, the Derby-winning
thoroughbred Shergar was kidnapped on February 8, 1983. He has
never been found. The multiple Gold Cup winner Best Mate also
hails from Ireland, while the great Red Rum was bred there, before
moving across the Irish Sea to be trained.
Pedigree
For more details on this topic,
see Horse breeding.
While the attention of horse racing fans and the media is focused
almost exclusively on the horse's performance on the racetrack, or
for male horses possibly its success as a sire, little publicity
is given to brood mares. Such is the case of La Troienne, one of
the most important mares of the 20th century to whom many of the
greatest thoroughbred champions, and dams of champions, can be
traced.
Horse Racing Guide
For those of you who have never been horse racing before or are
fairly new to horse racing and would like to know a little more
about what is available this is our guide to a Day At The Races.
Hopefully it will help you to get as much enjoyment from a day's
horse racing as possible.
Race Courses
In the U.K. there are 59
different horse racing courses. Therefore there should be one not
too far away from you. Some of the courses offer flat racing only
or jumps racing only. A number will provide both. The turf flat
racing season runs from the end of March through to November.
Outside of these months there are three all weather tracks at
Lingfield Park, Wolverhampton and Southwell that provide flat
racing all year round.
Jump racing now takes place all year round. There is a notional
end of season towards the end of April, but for those of you who
like to see horses meet the challenge of jumping over obstacles
there is a full summer program and jump racing is therefore never
far away.
To check out what is happening at a racecourse near you click this
link to all 59 courses. We provide full contact information and a
list of fixtures for every course.
Travelling To And From The Course
By their very nature
racecourses cannot normally be found lurking just off the high
street. Because of their size they are often situated some way out
of town. Do not despair though, most courses usually offer bus
services from the nearest train stations. Always phone ahead for
details. There is normally ample parking available at courses as
well, but be aware traffic can be heavy around courses on busy
horse racing days, so it pays to arrive early.
Enclosures
Courses are usually split into
three sections. These are the Silver Ring, Tattersalls (The
Grandstand), and Members (sometimes called the Club Enclosure).
Anybody can go into the Silver Ring or Tattersalls and you can
usually buy a day badge to the members section as well. The
member's section is often divided into two areas with certain
parts off limits to everyone except annual members.
From the Silver Ring you will be unable to see the horses parade
before the race and the Silver Ring is usually situated someway
from the finish line. At some courses the Silver Ring is located
in the centre of the track so this is then less of a problem. The
dress code for the Silver Ring is relaxed and you will have no
problem gaining access in jeans and tee shirt for example. There
are bar facilities and you will also be able to place a bet with
both The Tote and some on course bookmakers.
Entry into Tattersalls will position you a lot nearer the finish
line, so you will get a much better close up of any exciting
finishes. You also get to see the horses parade before the race
and you can also get access to the area around the winner's
enclosure once a race has been completed. There are plenty of bars
available and you will have a wider choice of bookmakers to place
a bet with. Dress code is normally smart casual.
The member's area is the most upmarket area on the course. You
have access to all the same facilities as those available in
Tattersalls, but you are right on the finish line. Dress code is
smart and it is unlikely that you will get in wearing jeans. Often
jacket and tie is the order of the day. If you are unsure always
check with the course before you go.
The Silver Ring is the cheapest enclosure. To gain access usually
costs around £5. Entry to Tattersalls costs around £12 and
Member's around £15. These prices vary from course to course and
can cost considerably more on major race days.
Discounts are usually on offer to groups of racegoers, although
advance booking is usually required.
To get a full flavour of a day's horse racing I would recommend
that you at least try the Tattersalls enclosure.
Eating and Drinking
If you want to eat at the
course then there is food on offer to meet most people's
requirements. I am in fact a big fan of the noodle bar at Windsor
on a Monday evening in summer! There is usually an assortment of
food outlets ranging from a restaurant, café type food and snack
bars offering hog roasts etc.
Drinkers are always well catered for with each course having a
range of bars. For those with more refined tastes you can always
find champagne bars and Pimms bars around. For those of us with
tastes a little more down to earth there are plenty of bars
selling bear. A word of warning though, queues, especially at the
bigger meetings, are the order of the day and a man or woman for
that matter could easily die of thirst when waiting to get served
at the Cheltenham Festival. My favourite bar can be found at
Newbury where the good ladies behind the bar have always been
happy to put our drinks in a safe place whilst we are placing a
bet and watching the race. Don't count on this service always
being available on the busiest horse racing days though.
The Racecard
If you are new to horse racing
of are not too sure where to start with the horse racing form
book, then make sure you pick up a race card when you get to the
track. Some courses will give them out free with entry to the
member's enclosure, but even if you have to pay they are usually a
sound investment. Quality obviously varies a bit from course to
course, but they are usually well written and can give some very
handy hints on which horses to back.
Placing a Bet
A day's horse racing wouldn't
be complete without placing a bet. There are three ways of placing
a bet at a racecourse. Firstly you can bet with The Tote or you
can bet directly with a bookmaker. When you place a bet with The
Tote your money goes into a pool. If you win you get back a
percentage of the pool based on the number of bets taken on the
horse, less a deduction made by The Tote. This deduction is The
Tote's profit. Therefore you don't know what odds you will get at
the time of placing the bet.
At The Tote you can also place Jackpot and Placepot bets. These
are bets which need to be placed before the horse racing starts
for the day. For the Jackpot you need to select the winner of six
races and for the Placepot you need to select horses that will be
placed in six races. You can also place bets on forecasts and
tricasts.
For me a large part of the enjoyment of a day's horse racing is
placing a bet with a bookmaker. Be aware that most bookmakers only
take bets on horses to win (i.e. they don't accept each way bets)
and their minimum bet is normally higher than The Tote. The fun
comes though from trying to get the best price available. There is
a real buzz in getting on at 5/1 as opposed to 4/1. If you have
never been before you might think that bookmakers are likely to be
imposing figures, but I have always found them friendly, helpful
and above all honest.
The third way to place a bet is through the on course betting
shop. This is just like any other betting shop and is used
primarily to either place bets on races at other courses or to
place multiple bets, such as doubles and trebles, on races at the
track that you are at.
One useful tip is that if you are planning to back a horse that is
unlikely to be one of the favorites, back it with The Tote as you
are likely to get a better return for your money.
To find out more about betting, check out our comprehensive
Betting Guide.
Hospitality
If you fancy going racing in
style then there are a number of hospitality packages available.
As a minimum you can have a good quality lunch in the restaurant
whilst you are watching the horse racing. Most courses also have
boxes available and some also have marquees. Hospitality packages
differ from course to course, so contact the course that you are
planning to visit in advance and ask for details.
Racing Festivals
If you would like to try horse
racing at it's very best then try one of the major meetings. For
these it is always wise to buy tickets in advance to avoid
disappointment. For flat racing the leading festivals are Guineas
Meeting (New market early May), Derby Weekend at Epsom (early
June), Royal Ascot (late June), New market July meeting (early
July) Glorious Good wood (first week of August), York Ebor meeting
(late August), Festival of Racing (Ascot late September). There is
also excellent horse racing to be found at Chester and York in
May.
Over the jumps the biggest meetings are the Kempton Christmas
meeting, Aintree in early April and the biggest of them all the
Cheltenham Festival in March.
Evening Meetings
During the summer months a number of courses have meetings in the
evening. These are often very popular and are well attended. A
number of courses lay on entertainment after the horse racing has
finished. There is simply no excuse for not trying a trip to the
track with evening horse racing available as well.
Sunday Racing
This is a recent innovation, but now a number of courses have
horse racing on a Sunday. These are often a good day out for
families with facilities and entertainment available for children
as well.
