A Guide to the Biggest Horse Races in the World

In terms of their popularity, the UK’s major horse racing events are on about the same level as the F1 British Grand Prix and the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, while many sporting pundits and enthusiasts argue that events such as the Grand National can even match the men’s FA Cup Final.

On this page, we’ll be drawing your attention to some of the biggest horse races in the world and in the UK to give you an insight into the events that draw the most attention and, thus, the best horse racing betting opportunities.

The Biggest Horse Races in the UK & the Rest of the World

Although it is true that horse racing has long been – and is widely recognised as – a quintessentially British pastime, it is widely popular all around the globe, with several countries each holding their own domestic events and world-famous championship races. Overall, you’ll find that the bookmakers featured here in our review series each offer pretty good coverage of the world’s horse races; the very best, however, offer outstanding coverage, and rarely fail to show a major event.

By and large, Britain leads the way when it comes to world-famous horse racing events, in both flat jumps and national hunt racing. Royal Ascot, the Grand National, the Cheltenham Festival and the Hennessy Gold Cup are but a few of the major events that see some of the best-trained horses from the UK & Ireland gather to put on a spectacle for the thousands of eager punters, a-list celebrities and members of the royal family that come together to get a glimpse of the action. Outside of the UK, however, there are a number of equally prestigious races such as the Dubai World Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic that offer huge purses and attract hundreds of thousands of spectators. Keep reading the sections below to discover some of the most popular events.

The United Kingdom

With the National Hunt season taking place throughout the autumn and winter months and the jump season coming to life in the spring and summer, there are a whole host of horse racing events, governed by the British Horseracing Board, taking place throughout the year in the UK. Here are some of the most popular listed below.

Royal Ascot

The Royal Ascot festival is British horse racing at its finest. Eighteen top-level races, of which eight are in the Group One category, take place over the five-day-long event; there are a whole host of first-class fine dining and hospitality services available as well as some show-stopping entertainment for festival goers. Find out about the bookmaker’s odds levels and promotions and some general historic info in our complete Royal Ascot betting review.

The Grand National

The Grand National is widely regarded as the biggest horse racing showcase in the British Isles. It has earned a reputation as one of the most challenging steeplechases in the world due to the distance of the race and the larger-than-average obstacles that stand between the competitors and the finish line. Head over to our full Grand National betting review for more info.

The Cheltenham Festival

With its four days-worth of top class horse racing, its care-free, family-friendly atmosphere and over £4 million worth of prize money on offer for the lucky winners, the Cheltenham Festival is really one of the UK’s most favoured racing meets. Read our Cheltenham Festival betting review to discover all the fantastic betting opportunities on offer.

Hennessy Gold Cup

The Hennessy Gold Cup is one of the less mature jump races in the UK racing calendar. It is a grade 3 National Hunt steeple chase reserved only for horses over the age of four and is held every year at Newbury in either November or December. Head over to our full review for more details.

The Champion Hurdle

The annual Champion Hurdle race is held at the celebrated Cheltenham Festival. It is a Grade 1 National Hunt race ran over 2 miles and 87 yards in which competitors are required to clear eight hurdles. It is one of the most prestigious hurdle races in the British racing calendar and includes a star-studded list of hall of famers, many of whom have gone down as the some of the best competitors in the history of the sport. Read our complete Champion Hurdle review to discover more.

Europe

Outside of the UK, horse racing is still a hugely popular spectator sport that garners widespread interest and generates substantial profits for bookmakers and punters alike. Keep reading below for some examples of some of the most important races in mainland Europe.

The Irish Derby

Ireland’s equivalent of the Epsom Derby, this flat race is one of the biggest events in the Irish Horse racing calendar. The group 1 race is open to three year old thoroughbred fillies and colts and takes place at the Curragh over one mile and four furlongs. Scheduled usually between late June and early July, it is enjoyed a rich history ever since 1946.

Prix de Diane

The Prix de Diane has had a long and established history ever since its inception in 1843. The French equivalent of the Epsom Oaks, the race was named after Diana, the mythical goddess of hunting and animals. Open to three-year-old thoroughbred and fillies, this race runs at Chantilly over a distance of one mile and two and a half furlongs and takes place each year in June.

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

Considered the biggest race in all of Europe, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe awards a ridiculously large purse of five million euros to the horse that wins. Taking place at the end of the highly prestigious Arc Weekend at the Longchamp Racecourse, the race is open only for grade 1 horses and runs over one and a half miles.

The USA

The USA is the land of the cowboy, so naturally they love their horse races. As a result, some of the most prestigious and richest races take place all across the country. Read below to find out more.

The Breeders’ Cup

When it comes to American Horse Racing, there are few events as important as the Breeders’ Cup. Horses far and wide come to this race to prove that they are the best in the world. The highlight of the two day event is the mile and a quarter Breeders’ Cup Classic which gifts the winner a grand total of $6 million.

The Kentucky Derby

When it comes to attendance and prestige, it doesn’t get much bigger than the Kentucky Derby. Coming at the end of the Kentucky Derby Festival, the race has been called “The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports.” The grade one race takes place over one and a quarter miles, and has been going on since 1875.

Pegasus World Cup

No one does it bigger than the Americans, and the Pegasus World Cup is proof. Inaugurated this year, the prize money for the next Florida event is a staggering $16 million. Named after the mythical Greek horse, the grade 1 race takes place at the end of the January, and runs for over 9 furlongs.

The Rest Of The World

Horse Racing is not only for Americans and Europeans, in fact boasting a strong history across the entire world. Below we have summarised the three most important races from the rest of the globe.

The Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is so big that all the locals are given a free holiday to celebrate the race. Described in Australia as “the race that stops a nation,” it takes place over exactly two miles, with the prize money totaling a whopping A$ 6 million (around £3.5 million). It is open for three year olds and over and takes place at the Flemington Racecourse. Read more in our Melbourne Cup review.

Durban July Handicap

The biggest horse race on the entire African continent, the Durban July handicap has been running at the Greyville Raccecourse ever since 1897. As a result, many jockeys see winning this race as a means to get established on the world stage. Running to just under 11 furlongs, this three-year-old and up race offers a purse of R4.25 million (around £250,000).

Dubai World Cup

Offering $10 million to the winner, the Dubai World Cup contains the second largest purse in the world. Running on a dirt track at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, it has been going on since 1996. The flat race is open only for group 1 horses and boasts of length of ten furlongs.

International & UK Horse Racing Calendar

Due to the different seasons for national hunt racing and flat jumps it can, at times, be a little tricky keeping track of all the different races. It is for this reason we’ve prepared this horse racing calendar to help so that you never miss out the chance to redeem an extra bonus deal or limited-time-only promotion at the bookies when the big events come around.

In the end, it was difficult to choose just one outstanding bookmaker with regard to the overall quality of race coverage. This is simply because given the widespread appeal of horse racing in the UK and abroad, it is well within the bookie’s interest to offer as many races as possible so that punters stay satisfied.

When push came to shove, however, Paddy Power emerged as our number 1. Not only do they show every race from the UK & Ireland, but they also carry an impressive selection of races from North America, Africa, India and Europe, as well as live streams and detailed form guides for a large majority of them.

Quantity as Important as Quality

In all honesty, any bookmaker worth its salt will provide bets on all of the races listed on this page – if it doesn’t the chances are it isn’t worth signing up to. What is perhaps more important is that the betting site you have in question offers bets for some of the less high-profile races so that you always have a selection of races to wager on all throughout the year. As can be seen above, Coral are probably the best operator in this regard, however Ladbrokes and, sometimes, Betfred are known for offering a varied race selection.