Worldwide Horse Racing Events Not to be Missed

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

Held at the prestigious ParisLongChamp racecourse in France, there are thirty races planned for 2020, eighteen of these being group 1 and the main feature being the Qatar Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe.

For die-hard horseracing fans, ParisLongChamp is a fantastic venue. With impressive one 180 degrees views from the pillarless grandstand. 

With around five hundred screens around the park for watching the races from, plus one hundred and fifty betting points, you’ll never miss out on the action. 

There will be plenty of entertainment on offer at this year’s event. Take your pick from the open-air cafe with a vast rooftop lounge that allows 360-degree views of the course below. Or experience the open-air concert venue with some exciting performances planned.

This year’s event isn’t to be missed in an eclectic atmosphere full of racing fans, a unique festival atmosphere, music and even gourmet food.

Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Festival is one horse racing event that requires no introduction! Here is what to expect on four days of top-quality horse racing and events this year.

Everything kicks off on day one on Tuesday 10th March on the Old Course which is otherwise known as Champion Day. Here, the best young horses compete in the opening Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle. 

Day two promises to be equally exciting on Wednesday 11th March, highlights including Ladies Day and the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, deemed one of the most exciting races of the week. 

On Thursday, expect a range of top-quality grade one participants in the Stayers Hurdle and Ryanair Chase as well as the Marsh Novices Chase. Then on the finishing day, experience the excitement and thrill of the Gold Cup.

The Grand National

The Grand National needs no introduction, being one of the world’s most famous and exclusive horse racing events. As well as over 150,000 people coming together at Aintree this year, around six hundred million people worldwide will be tuning in on TV as well, making it one of the highlights of the sporting year.

So, who is expected to win this time around? Tiger Roll by G Elliott is the number one prediction, closely followed by Burrows Saint and Kimberlite Candy. However, we recommend keeping your eye on the younger horses who never fail to do well.

After all, out of the previous twenty-two winners of the Grand National, eighteen of them happened to be aged between nine and eleven. 

For your piece of the action, book your tickets for this year’s event which takes place on Saturday 4th April where you’ll have the chance to place bets from 5:15 pm at Aintree. You could even arrive a couple of days beforehand if you want to take part in the opening day on Thursday or the Ladies day on Friday before the main event.

Nakayama Grand Jump

Initially started in 1934, this is one of Japans most significant sporting events which is enjoyed by people worldwide and rivals other top steeplechase events internationally. 

It’s held during April every year at Nakayama Racecourse at Funabashi which is only half an hour away from Tokyo. 

The racecourse is around a century old and can accommodate over one hundred and sixty-five thousand people with a combination of grass, jump and dirt racing.

Twelve gates exist in total, the main features being a three-foot-high and twelve-foot long water jump and a five-foot-high grand hedge. However, it’s nowhere near as dangerous as it used to be in the past.

The most successful ever jockey at the race was Brett Scott and Shinichi Ishigami who both achieved three grand jump titles. Trainers who experienced the most success at the course include Eric Musgrove and Shoichiro Wada who both experienced three victories with their horses. The fastest finishing time ever was by Oju Chosan, finishing in just 4.43 during the 2018 race.

Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is split into four race days.

The main one is the AAMI Victoria Derby Day on 31st October. It will feature several first-class racing events and celebrations and is considered to be one of the most prestigious racing days in spring with a total of nine group races, four of them being at elite group level one.

On the 3rd November is the Lexus Melbourne Cup Day which features a combination of sport, entertainment, fashion and celebrities. Kennedy Oaks Day follows this on the 5th November and Seppelt Wines Stakes day on the 7th, which is the final celebration of everything that happened during the week’s event. 

Expect two group one races, one for middle-distance horses and the other featuring some of the fastest horses from around the world who will battle it out on the world-renowned Flemington straight.

In total, there will be fourteen group one feature races. But as well as the sport, there will also be plentiful opportunities for fine dining, entertainment and cocktails as this world-class venue.