Horse racing has been around for over 2,000 years, with the earliest references to it dating back to the first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece.
Since then, many gamblers have bet everything on the first horse. Well, it’s time to find out which races have conquered the world and attract millions of fans every year.
The results are based on the following criteria:
Total prize money for owners and jockeys;
Total amount of bets placed on the competition;
Historical and global significance;
Scale of media coverage;
Interest of spectators who are not horse racing enthusiasts.
This is how we came up with a list of the most famous and significant horse races with the largest financial turnover in the world
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1. Epsom Derby
Date: early June. Venue: Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey, England. Prize fund: £13.25 million (approximately $2 million).
The Epsom Derby was first held in 1780, making it the oldest horse race on this list. It is one of the most prestigious events in Britain, attended even by members of the royal family.
This annual competition is held in June and is the middle race of the English classic horse racing series known as the Triple Crown. The race distance is 2.4 km, and only three-year-old thoroughbred stallions and mares can participate.
The Epsom Downs racecourse can accommodate up to 120,000 spectators.
2. Breeders’ Cup Classic
Time: late October – early November. Location: USA. Prize fund: $5 million.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic is the most expensive race not only in the Breeders’ Cup series, but in all of American horse racing. This is impressive, given that it was established relatively recently, in 1984.
The 2,000-meter race takes place on a dirt track and is held at various racetracks throughout the United States. It has only been held outside the country once, in 1996 in Toronto, Canada’s largest city.
The prize fund for this race is larger than that of the Triple Crown series, but its lack of a rich history prevents it from being ranked higher.
3. Arc de Triomphe
Date: First Sunday in October. Venue: Longchamp Racecourse, Paris, France.
Prize fund: $5.5 million.
Better known as the “Arc,” this horse breeding cup is perhaps the most prestigious event in European horse racing and the most expensive race in the world.
The annual competition at the Longchamp racecourse in Paris is always held on the first Sunday in October. This tradition has been upheld since 1920, when the first race was held. Horses aged three years and older are eligible to participate in the 2,400-meter race.
Since the Qatar Racing Club became the sponsor of the race, the prize fund has more than doubled, from $2 million to over $5 million.
