News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. Oct. 7, 2019: Horse racing dates back as far as ancient Rome and Greece, but over the years, some events have gained more prestige than others. These are ten of the most prestigious horse racing events found around the world that fans shouldn’t miss. If you’re a betting man when attending the races, Timeform have some great offers, you just can’t turn down.
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is one of the most popular races in the world and particularly in America. It’s known as the ‘most exciting two minutes in sports’ and the ‘fastest two minutes in sport’. The winner of this race earns $1,425,000 and it also forms part of the Triple Crown.
The Preakness Stakes
Held in Maryland, a few weeks after the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes is the second leg of the Triple Crown and dates back to 1873. It’s the second-most popular racing event in terms of attendees and spectators and similarly to the Kentucky Derby, it lasts just two thrilling minutes.
Belmont Stakes
The final leg of the Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes, held in June in New York. This event brings in more than 20 million viewers on TV and thousands of in-person fans. It’s arguably most famous for the horse Secretariat who set the track record in 1973 and also won the Triple Crown as well.
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is the biggest horse race in France and also one of the largest in Europe. It’s held at the prestigious Longchamp Racecourse in Paris and has one of the highest prizes in Europe at €4 million, making it one of the world’s richest turf races.
The Royal Ascot
The Royal Ascot is a week-long event and one of the oldest horse racing events in the world, dating back to 1711. The Queen attends this event every year and its arguably the most famous event in the UK. More than 300,000 people travel to Ascot each year and it has a prize of around £6.5 million.
Dubai World Cup
One of the newer races on this list, the Dubai World Cup was established in 1996 but it’s huge prize of $10 million makes it one of the most elite races in the world. It’s held at the stylish Meydan Racecourse and is one of the richest races in the world.
The Grand National
The Grand National is one of the most spectacular and famous races in the world – a race of just four miles but a brutal attack for horses and jockeys. This race is so famous that even those who don’t typically watch horse racing attend it each year. It’s held at Aintree Racecourse and dates back to 1839.
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is part of the Melbourne Cup Carnival and is regarded as the greatest 3,2000-metre horse race in the world. It was first started in 1861 and is a week-long event held in November.
Breeders’ Cup
The Breeders’ Cup is a two-day event that is known as the ‘richest two days in sport’. It is held in the US and Canada and has a purse of more than $20 million.
Nakayama Grand Jump
Held in Japan, this event is the most important race in Asia and was established in 1999. The Grand Jump is a steeplechase event and offers a prize of around $1.7 million.
