The popular sport is an entertainment across the globe, but is incredibly prominent within the UK with the royal family even setting time aside to watch horse racing events. Originally most prevalent amongst the British aristocracy, horse racing now attracts ordinary people, especially with its betting aspect.
So what can you expect from horse racing in 2023?
For Those Who Have Been Living Under A Rock, What Is Horse Racing?
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that is considered an ancient sport, dating back to Ancient Greece and other civilisations around that time in the form of chariot racing. Horse racing involves jockeys riding racehorses sprinting across a course, and/or even jumping hurdles, as they compete to the finish line.
Horse racing is a performance sport, testing both the agility of the racehorses and the jockey’s own skill. Whilst regulations may vary in different countries, many horse races restrict the breeds allowed to compete.
In the UK, and other countries, you may find the term ‘derby’ used synonymously with horse races. The prize money for the winner is dependent on the event itself as each event usually has its own distinct prizes.
Horse racing’s most popular feature, however, is its gambling. Viewers can bet on the horse that they think will win, with individual horses having their own betting odds, represented as a fraction and expressing the profit over the stake. For example, you could bet on a horse with 4/1 odds meaning that for every £1 you stake, you’ll be getting £4x the profit.
There are typically two types of horse racing that you can commonly find on television or elsewhere, which are:
- Flat racing – a track absent of hurdles or fences so the horses only race either a straight or oval shaped course
- Jump racing/National Hunt racing – a track that has obstacles that horses must jump over before they can reach the finish line; these obstacles could be either hurdles (small) or fences (large)
In the UK, you can expect to see the Grand National (National Hunt), the Royal Ascot (flat racing), the Epsom Derby (flat racing), and the Cheltenham Gold Cup (National Hunt) as some of the most prestigious horse racing competitions in British culture.
You are definitely not going to want to miss out on these ones.
Horse Racing In 2022 So Far
We are not quite in 2023 yet, and 2022 had a few horse racing highlights that we are compelled to share.
- Cheltenham Festival 2022 (mid March) – Gold Cup won by A Plus Tard trained by Irishman Henry de Bromhead, with Rachael Blackmore as jockey. After winning, Blackmore became the first female jockey to have ridden a Cheltenham Gold Cup winner.
- Grand National 2022 (early April) – won by Irish horse Noble Yeats with jockey Sam Waley-Cohen and trainer Emmet Mullins. This was Waley-Cohen’s last ride and successfully ended on a high note.
- Epsom Derby 2022 (early June) – crowned a new champion, British horse Desert Crown who currently holds a 3-0-0 record. He was ridden by jockey Richard Kingscote and trained by Sir Michael Stoute. This was the first Derby win for Kingscote and sixth for Stoute.
- Royal Ascot 2022 (mid June) – the Gold Cup winner was a favourite and another Irish horse Kyprios, with jockey Ryan Moore and trainer Aiden O’Brien.
- Summer Festival 2022 (early July) – France takes home the Coral-Eclipse with horse Vadeni, jockey Christophe Soumillon and trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. Vadeni was previously a winner of the Prix du Jockey Club, so it was not exactly that surprising that this favourite won.
- King George Weekend 2022 (late July) – the winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes proved to be Pyledriver, ridden by jockey P J McDonald and trained by William Muir and Chris Gassick.
- QIPCO British Champions 2022 (mid October) – the Champion Stakes was won by again an Irish-bred horse, Bay Bridge, with jockey Richard Kingscote and Sir Michael Stoute as trainer. You may have noticed that these two won the Derby back in June. 2021’s Derby winner, Adayar placed second.
Read: 5 IDEAL, quintessentially British events to attend this summer
Look Out For These Horse Racing Events For 2022/2023
Now what upcoming horse racing calendar dates should you be putting on your diary?
Here we have compiled a list of exciting horse racing fixtures that you will not want to miss:
- The Open 2022 (Friday 11 November – Sunday 13 November)
- Coral Gold Cup 2022 (Saturday 26 November)
- King George VI Chase 2022 (Monday 26 December)
- Cheltenham Festival 2023 (Tuesday 14 March – Friday 17 March)
- Grand National 2023 (Thursday 13 April – Saturday 15 April)
- The Royal Ascot 2023 (Tuesday 20 June – Saturday 24 June)
- Epsom Derby 2023 (Friday 2 June – Saturday 3 June)
- QIPCO King George Diamond Weekend 2023 (Friday 28 July – Saturday 29 July)
- Qatar Goodwood Festival 2023 (Tuesday 1 August – Saturday 5 August)
And with that, we’ll see you as close to the finish line as we can get!