Europe is home to some of the most historic and lucrative horse races in the ‘Sport of Kings’. Whether it’s jump racing or flat racing, there are plenty of iconic Group 1 races to catch across the UK and mainland Europe. We’re only a matter of weeks away from Royal Ascot, which is dubbed Britain’s most valuable race meeting. As the highlight of the UK flat racing calendar, Royal Ascot attracts a host of promotions and free bet specials that can be found in one place at oddschecker, which covers the majority of the prestigious horse races we’re about to feature.
If you’re fanatical about live sporting events but you’re yet to experience the raw atmosphere of a horse race meeting, the seven following races are the perfect places to start. In fact, once you’ve been a guest at one of these race meetings, the chances are a Tuesday evening meeting on the all-weather course at Lingfield simply won’t ever cut the mustard.
The Grand National, Aintree, England
The Grand National is something of a national institution in England. This historic steeplechase race is staged at Aintree Racecourse and was first run back in 1839. Today, it’s a 4 mile 514-yard race, featuring two laps of the Aintree circuit and 30 fences. It is Europe’s most lucrative steeplechase race, with the prize purse for this year’s race reaching £1 million – half of which was ring-fenced for the winner, Noble Yeats.
The Grand National’s fences have come in for stiff criticism throughout the years, due to their severity and the dangers both horses and jockeys face each year. Becher’s Brook is one of the most notorious obstacles, which had a 6ft 9” drop on the landing side of the fence. Modifications were made to level and widen the landing side back in the 1980s. Red Rum is the most iconic Grand National horse, winning three times at Aintree in 1973, 1974 and 1977, with only Tiger Roll coming close to achieving this record following his back-to-back wins in 2018 and 2019, but has since retired from the sport.
Cheltenham Gold Cup, Cheltenham, England
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the pinnacle of the four-day Cheltenham Festival. The Festival is known as the ‘World Cup of jump racing’, attracting the world’s finest jump jockeys and thoroughbreds to this quintessential corner of the Cotswolds in England. The Gold Cup is typically staged on the final day of the Festival. It’s a Group 1 race, open to five-year-olds and above. In terms of the prize money on offer, the Gold Cup is the richest non-handicap steeplechase in British horseracing.
Some of the most iconic names in National Hunt horseracing have prevailed to win the Gold Cup, including Denman, Best Mate, Arkle and Kauto Star. Earlier this year, Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to win the Gold Cup aboard A Plus Tard. All of which came 12 months after winning the 2021 Grand National.
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Longchamp, France
The ‘Arc’, as it’s affectionately known by horseracing enthusiasts, is a Group 1 flat horse race staged at the picturesque Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France. Held on the first Sunday of every October, the Arc is the most exciting horse race open to thoroughbreds of all ages. It’s also the second richest horse race on the planet, behind The Everest, which carries a prize purse of AU$15 million.
The most successful jockey in the Arc is veteran Italian Frankie Dettori, who has six Arc wins to his name. The most recent being his back-to-back victories in 2017 and 2018 aboard Enable.
Royal Ascot Gold Cup, Ascot, England
Like the Gold Cup at Cheltenham Festival, the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot is also the pinnacle of this regal race meeting. This Group 1 race is considered the pinnacle for all ‘stayers’ i.e. racehorses with the stamina to race over the longest distances. The Gold Cup is typically staged on Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot, which is the third day of the meeting.
The Royal Ascot Gold Cup is the first leg of the Stayers’ ‘Triple Crown’, which also includes the Goodwood Cup and the Doncaster Cup. Stradivarius was good enough to win all three of these races during the 2019 season ridden by the unmistakable Frankie Dettori.
Epsom Derby, Epsom, England
The Epsom Derby is considered the most coveted of all the five ‘Classics’ in the British flat horseracing calendar. It’s also the second leg of the ‘Triple Crown’ of flat horseracing, after the 2,000 Guineas and before the St Leger. The Epsom Derby carries a monstrous prize purse of £1.125 million, making it the richest flat horse race in the UK and only second to the Arc in Europe.
There is immense history attached to the Epsom Derby. It was inaugurated way back in 1780 and through the last two centuries has become one of the most watched horseraces in British sport and indeed elsewhere around the world. The iconic Kentucky Derby in the US even borrowed the ‘Derby’ name from the original Epsom race.
Palio di Siena, Siena, Italy
The Palio di Siena is not like all the other conventional horse races listed in this article. Staged in the beautiful Italian city of Siena, this race is staged twice yearly on 2nd July and 16th August. The first race is held in honour of the Madonna of Provenzano, while the second is staged in honour of the Assumption of Mary.
Each race features ten horses and ten riders, each of which represents one of the city’s wards. The riders climb aboard bareback, with the race lasting three laps of Piazza del Campo – the city’s majestic centre and one of the continent’s most historic medieval public squares. As for the race surface, the event organisers provide a thick layer of earth, designed to give the horses sufficient grip. It’s rare not to see at least one jockey lose his horse mid-race, such are the tight and fast corners of the circuit.
2,000 Guineas Stakes, Newmarket, England
Newmarket Racecourse in Suffolk, England is widely regarded as the spiritual ‘home of horse racing’. It is also home to one of the UK’s five ‘Classic’ races and the first leg of the ‘Triple Crown’ of flat racing – the 2,000 Guineas Stakes. This Group 1 race is open to three-year-old colts and fillies and is said to be one of the best proving grounds for the most promising flat racehorses in Europe.
We’ve already mentioned the Epsom Derby, but many consider the 2,000 Guineas as a trial run for the Derby itself. The last horse to win both the 2,000 Guineas and latterly the Epsom Derby in the same season was Camelot in 2012.
These seven prestigious race meetings aren’t just a gateway into horseracing, they’re a golden ticket to the pinnacle of the sport. If you’re lucky enough to get into the grandstands to watch any of the above races, you’ll soon discover the finest thoroughbreds and jockeys in full flight.
