Best horse racing tracks have always stood out as a symbol of magnitude. Over the centuries, there have been no grand changes, but it aged like a fine wine. It evolved from a rudimentary stamina or speed horse contest.
Horse racing always had a place in the British culture. Although the popularity has diminished, Brits still try to maintain the traditions. If you are new to horse racing, you may want to check out the Horse Racing Betting Glossary from our partners at betting.bet, but let us check out the most prominent horse racing tracks.
Best Horse Racing Tracks – International Variety
The list features the best worldwide horse racing venues in the UK, USA, Europe, Australia, etc.
Epsom Downs
The location of this racecourse is the British town of Epsom. The track has a capacity of 130,000, but there is also an opportunity to watch it from the Epsom Downs, a public-free area. The orientation of this horse racing track is counter-clockwise, in other words, left-handed.
Even though the first recorded race took place in 1661, the debut of the glorious event could have happened earlier. The archivists found proof of possible horse racing events dating to the 1640s. Epsom Derby, Epsom Oaks, and Coronation Cup are the most famous events.
Epsom Downs – Tournaments and Worth-Noting Details
Epsom Derby is the UK’s deluxe 2,400-metre thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-old colts and fillies. Below, we explain the basic vocabulary and a few misconceptions.
• A colt is a male horse who is under the age of four years.
• A filly is a young female horse who is under the age of four years. Filly is too young to be named a mare. In countries like the United Kingdom and the United States, horse racing institutions set the cut-off age for fillies as five.
Epsom Oaks is also a tournament for 3-year-old fillies. However, the Coronation Cup is for horses who are four or older. All three events belong to the Group 1 races.
Santa Anita Park
The city of Arcadia in Los Angeles Country, USA, has one of the most legendary horse racetracks ever. It features multiple racing events during early fall, winter and spring. The racetrack offers the possibility to see the prestigious Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap.
Nevertheless, horse racing fans from all over the country had a chance to witness the Breeder’s Cup on 11 occasions – in 1986, 1993, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, and 2023. During the Summer Olympics in 1984, Santa Anita was the place that served for equestrian events.
The orientation of Santa Anita Park is counter-clockwise (left-handed). The track near the mountain range of the San Gabriel Mountains officially opened in 1934. In 2016, the horse track set the highest 2-day attendance numbers at the Breeder’s Cup – 118,484.
Flemington
The third horse racing venue is in Melbourne, Australia. It hosts the world’s wealthiest handicap and the richest 3,200-metre horse race – Melbourne Cup. A handicap is a race between the horses that carry different weights. The handicapper is the person who is in charge of allocating the weights. According to the rules, a finer horse must carry a heavier weight so that a slower horse has a grander probability of winning.
The Flemington horse track is near the Maribyrnong River. Horse riding enthusiasts commenced using this area as a horse track in March 1840. The most extraordinary feature of this area is the pear-shaped racetrack. The most famous events are the Melbourne Cup, Black Caviar Lightning, and LKS Mackinnon Stakes. As mentioned, the Melbourne Cup is a 3,200-metre race for at least a 3-year-old horse.
Flemington – Importance and Curiosities
If you ever travel to Melbourne, Australia, you must visit this horse track. It is a part of every Australian because it is their national treasury. It has operated since 1861, except for a break during WWI and WWII. To exemplify the importance, we present you with an infrequent fact. Melbourne Cup race day has been a public holiday for Victoria state residents since 1876.
The other events are Black Caviar Lightning and VRC Champions Stakes (registered as the LKS Mackinnon Stakes). Both affairs are Group 1 thoroughbred horse races, which operate under Weight for Age conditions. This condition signifies that a horse will carry a set weight that varies depending on the horse’s sex, age, race distance and month. Weight for Age category races are usually the highest quality Group 1 races.
Tokyo
Another anti-clockwise direction is in Tokyo. Tokyo horse racing track is in the capital’s central city of Fuchu. It accommodates 223,000 fans, and there are 13,750 seats. In 2007, after seven years of renovating one of the best horse racing tracks, the people of Japan finally had an opportunity to see the newly made additions.
The 1933 track now has a gigantic video screen and a proper grandstand named the Fuji View Stand. Japan Cup, Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), and Yasuda Kinen are the top-tier horse racing track events in the country of the setting sun.
Tokyo – The Sun Does Not Go Down Here
Japan Cup is a TOP 3 national-level horse competition. It transpires on the last Sunday of November, and the distance is 2,400 meters. It also functions under Weight for Age conditions with a maximum of 18 steeds on turf. Tokyo Yushun, or Japanese Derby, is another 2,400 metres Group 1 horse event for 3-year-old thoroughbred fillies and colts. The first race occurred in 1932, and it is the Japanese counterpart of the English Epsom Derby.
Yasuda Kinen is similar to other horse tournaments, but the only discrepancy is that it is solely a summer event (June). The horse racing event debuted in 1951 as the Yasuda Sho in honour of Izaemon Yasuda, the founding head of the Japan Racing Association. After Mr. Yasuda died, the horse racing organizers changed the event’s name to the Yasuda Kinen (1958). In conclusion, Tokyo is one of the upscale racecourses in the Far East. The Japan Racing Association and National Association of Racing (NAR) conduct approximately 21,000 horse races a year.
Saratoga
Part 1 of the best horse racing tracks finishes with the racecourse that is in New York City. One of the oldest sporting venues in the United States is the 1863 Saratoga Race Course. The exact location is the city of Saratoga Springs in Saratoga County. It is not worth mentioning the track’s orientation because it is identical. The horse track features sixteen Group 1 races throughout the year. Saratoga’s most famous races are Travers Stakes and Whitney Handicap.
Travers Stakes is the third-ranked horse racing event for American 3-year-olds. Only the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes have better positions in the international qualifications. The first Travers Stakes race occurred in 1864, and it is the most aged stakes race in the US, particularly for 3-year-old horses. Whitney Handicap is another event that takes place in the Saratoga horse racecourse. The only disparity is that it is a thoroughbred race for horses which are four years or older.
Saratoga – Diamonds Are Forever and Health Source
The place is so famous that even the director of the James Bond novel, Ian Fleming, decided there must be a scene from the Saratoga Race Course. Since the 14th century, the site’s most lavish attraction point was its healing waters (mineral springs).
The Saratoga waters pour from the ground and are heavily charged with carbon dioxide gas and many essential minerals. People believe the water has magical healing powers and can assist people with skin disorders or digestion problems.
Aintree
The ceremonial and metropolitan county of Merseyside is famous not only for its football traditions but also for the Aintree racecourse. Aintree itself is a small village that borders the city of Liverpool. Like many worldwide horse venues – the Aintree horse racing track also features a left-handed orientation.
The 1829 track is the home of the annual 3-day event in April – Grand National steeplechase. The Grand National is a handicap steeplechase of a total distance of 6,907 metres. In the most valuable jump race in European horse racing, the horses must beat 30 fences over two laps. The Grand National belongs to the duo of the most prestigious National Hunt events in the UK.
Aintree – Other Tournaments
The other two well-known races are the Liverpool Hurdle and Aintree Bowl. The Liverpool Hurdle is a Group 1 National Hunt hurdle race for horses aged four years or older. During its process, there are thirteen hurdles to take care of. According to the rules, hurdle tournaments consist of at least eight hurdles and a minimum distance of 3,200 metres. The total distance of the Liverpool Hurdle is 4,964 metres.
The Aintree Bowl is a Group 1 National Hunt steeplechase for horses who are five years or older. The horses must overcome the stretch of 5,020 metres and jump over nineteen fences. It began to function in 1984, and its primary purpose was to give the horses who did not participate in the Cheltenham Gold Cup an opportunity to present themselves.
Alongside the Grand National, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is the second member of the National Hunt racing. The paramount portion of the National Hunt season transpires in the winter because the ground is milder, and it is less dangerous to jump for the horses.
Meydan
In the past few decades, the United Arab Emirates has been one of the leaders in building and improving its sports facilities and infrastructure. The Meydan is the newest horse racing facility in our two-part article. The racecourse can accommodate up to 60,000 lovers and is probably the most luxurious horse racing track on the planet.
The Meydan construction works terminated in 2010, and it replaced the old Nad Al Sheba racecourse. The current venue includes a horse racing gallery, a museum, a 5-star hotel and a 9-hole golf course. When there are no scheduled races, it operates as an enterprise and conference centre. The definition of the Arabic word Meydan denotes the place where individuals congregate and race.
Meydan – Wealth and Magnificence
The city of Meydan attracts thousands of horse racing enthusiasts each year. The prize money is one of the highest in the world, so there is no surprise it entices worldwide entries. The horse racing venue features the same orientation – counter-clockwise.
The most notable races are the Dubai World Cup, Dubai Gold Cup, and Sheema Classic. The Dubai World Cup takes place on the last Saturday of March. The distance of this Group 1 flat race on dirt is 2,000 metres. The thoroughbreds from the Northern Hemisphere must be four years or older, and thoroughbreds from the Southern Hemisphere must be three years or older.
The Dubai Gold Cup is the 2012 tournament for thoroughbred horses. However, it was initially a Group 3 racing competition, but since 2014, it has run as a Group 2 level race. The Dubai Sheema Classic is a racing contest for horses who are four years old or older. The year of the inauguration of the 2,400-metre race is 1998. The event acquired the Group 1 class in 2002.
Longchamp
The first right-handed racecourse on this list is the French Longchamp. The Hippodrome de Longchamp in Paris is a 57-hectare horse racing facility that offers a strong challenge as it has a mixture of intertwined tracks and a well-known hill. The Longchamp venues vary from 1,000 metres to 4,000 metres in length.
More than half of the Group 1 horse racing competitions ensue here, and it can accommodate up to 50,000 people. The first horse race at Longchamp occurred on the 27th of April 1857. Emperor Napoleon III and his wife Eugénie also visited the tournament and had the opportunity to feel the charm of competitiveness. The most prominent horse racing contests are the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Prix du Cadran, and Grand Prix de Paris.
Longchamp – French Contests
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat race for thoroughbreds aged three years or older. The total distance of this racing competition is 2,400 metres, and it runs on the first Sunday of October. The Prix du Cadran is the most prestigious Group 1 flat horse race for stayers in France. A stayer is a horse who is capable of racing over long distances.
The race is open for thoroughbreds aged four years or more, and the early October tournament consists of 4,000 metres. The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat race for 3-year-old thoroughbred fillies and colts. This endearing midsummer horse competition has a distance of 2,400 metres.
Ascot
We get closer to the end, and the penultimate racecourse on this list is the clockwise Ascot venue. Ascot is a town about 40 kilometres west of London, UK. Queen Anne founded the 72-hectare racecourse in 1711. In addition, it is the second youngest horse racing competition after the Epsom Downs (1661). The Royal Ascot, British Champions Day, and Clarence House Chase are the top three contests in a calendar year.
Ascot – Royal Family and Extra Activities
The Royal Ascot has been the top-notch British horse racing event for approximately 300 years. People come together not only to race their thoroughbreds but also to become witnesses of all kinds of activities.
The Royal Ascot is a mid-June competition and will start on the 18th of June 2024. Sports lovers can watch seven flat horse races per day and partake in many weekly festivities and musical performances. Even Queen Elizabeth II was a relatively constant spectator of the Ascot horse racing.
The Clarence House Chase is a Group 1 National Hunt steeplechase, which is unrestricted to horses who are at least five years old. The January race sets the challenge of 3,371 metres and 13 fences. The British Champions Day is yet another thoroughbred race that transpires in October.
Churchill Downs
The final spot on the best horse racing tracks list belongs to the Churchill Downs racecourse. The Kentucky state must be proud of having such a tradition in its arsenal. The counter-clockwise horse venue opened in 1875 and is located in south Louisville, the largest city of the Kentucky state and 27th overall in the country.
It has a capacity of 170,000 and attracts millions of horse racing fans from around the globe. Churchill Downs has hosted nine Breeder’s Cup editions (1988, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2018), and seven Group 1 events happen here each year. The most prominent races are the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, and Clark Stakes.
Churchill Downs – The Race for The Roses
The Kentucky Derby is a 2,012-metre Group 1 stakes race for 3-year-old thoroughbreds. The first Saturday of May is one of the most awaited dates on the calendar. The Kentucky Derby winner is draped in a veil of roses – this is why this horse competition is called The Run for The Roses.
The Kentucky Oaks is a Group 1 stakes race for 3-year-old thoroughbred fillies. The 1,800-metre horse race ensues on the Friday before the Derby. The Clark Stakes is a late November race for at least 3-year-old horses. The race debuted the year the Churchill Downs racecourse was opened. It is currently an 1810-metre Group 2 event.