Horse racing

Horse racing (often called "racing") is an equestrian sport that exists in a number of forms including harness racing and endurance racing. The term is generally applied to what is technically called thoroughbred racing, involving horse and jockey in races over short to moderate distances run at a fast pace.

Horse racing is one of the world's oldest sports and, by the end of the 18th century, it had become one of three major professional sports being contested in Great Britain. The other two were cricket and boxing aka prizefighting. All three developed through the interests of gambling and patronage but, unlike cricket and boxing, racing retained very close links with the gambling industry to the extent that they are now completely reliant on each other. Racing is also closely associated with the horse breeding industry and successful horses can make huge sums for their owners in the provision of stud services, the aim of which is to breed future champion racehorses.

Modern horse racing developed in Great Britain and Ireland. British and Irish racing have two classes: flat racing and National Hunt (aka steeplechasing). A flat race is run over a set distance without obstacles. A National Hunt race is run over a set distance but with a number of hurdles or fences to be negotiated. In other countries, flat racing predominates.

Major races

Note. All are flat races unless stated otherwise.
Australia

• Melbourne Cup

Canada

• Queen's Plate

Dubai

• Dubai World Cup

England

• Champion Hurdle (National Hunt)
• Champion Chase (National Hunt)
• Cheltenham Gold Cup (National Hunt)
• Grand National (National Hunt)
• 1,000 Guineas Stakes
• 2,000 Guineas Stakes
• Epsom Derby
• Epsom Oaks
• St Leger Stakes
• King George VI Chase (National Hunt)

France

• Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

Ireland

• Irish Grand National (National Hunt)
• Irish Derby Stakes

Japan

• Japan Cup

USA

• Kentucky Derby
• Preakness Stakes
• Belmont Stakes
• Breeders' Cup (note — this is a series of events)

Development of racing in Great Britain and Ireland

It is generally believed that the first races to take place in England were organised by soldiers of the Roman Empire in Yorkshire during the 2nd century. The first definitely recorded race dates from 1174 during the reign of Henry II at a fair in Smithfield, London.

In 1512, there is evidence of a trophy being presented to the winner of a race at a fair in Chester; it was a small wooden ball decorated with flowers. Around the same time, Henry VIII imported a large number of stallions and mares for breeding, but it was not until the 17th and 18th centuries that modern methods of thoroughbred breeding were introduced.

In 1605, Newmarket became known as the home of horse racing in England after its discovery by James I who was touring the area, which already had a long association with horses going back to the time of Boadicea. By 1634, spring and autumn race meetings had been introduced at Newmarket and the first Gold Cup event was held that year.

Racing was briefly impacted when it was banned in 1654 by the republican government of Oliver Cromwell. Many horses were requisitioned by the state. Racing recovered and flourished after the Restoration in 1660. In 1664, Charles II instituted the Newmarket Town Plate and wrote its rules himself:

Articles ordered by His Majestie to be observed by all persons that put in horses to ride for the Plate, the new round heat at Newmarket set out on the first day of October, 1664, in the 16th year of our Sovereign Lord King Charles II, which Plate is to be rid for yearly, the second Thursday in October for ever.

In 1711, Queen Anne, who kept a large string of racehorses, organised racing at the village of East Cote, now known as Ascot, near Windsor Castle. She founded the Royal Ascot meeting where one of the main events each year is still called the Queen Anne Stakes.

In 1740, the British Parliament introduced an Act "to restrain and to prevent the excessive increase in horse racing", though it was largely ignored. In 1752, the Jockey Club was founded to establish rules for British racing. It remained the governing body of the sport until 1993 when it handed over control to the new British Horseracing Board.

Also in 1752, the first recorded steeplechase took place in County Cork over a distance of 4.5 miles between the towns of Buttevant and Doneraile. The name of this type of race was derived from the practice of racing the horses across country by going from church steeple to church steeple. In 1758, the Society of Sportsmen of the Curragh, a precursor of the Irish Turf Club was founded.

In 1776, the first "classic" race took place with the introduction of the St Leger Stakes, run annually at Doncaster. The inaugural winner was Allabaculia. In 1779, the inaugural Epsom Oaks was run at Epsom and won by Bridget. A year later, Epsom Derby was introduced and won by Diomed. 1809 saw the first running of the 2,000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket, won by Wizard; and the last of English racing's classics, the 1,000 Guineas Stakes was introduced at Newmarket in 1814 and won by Charlotte.

The world's most famous steeplechase traces its origin to 1836 with the inaugural running of the Great Liverpool Steeplechase at Aintree Racecourse. Three years later, it became the Grand National. The first winner was The Duke, ridden by Captain Martin Becher, after whom Becher's Brook would be named.

Development of racing in North America

The first recognised race meeting in the United States took place in 1665 at another course named Newmarket, which was on the Salisbury Plains section of what is now Nassau County, New York on Long Island. The American Stud Book was started in 1868 and it initiated organised racing. There were 314 tracks operating in the United States by 1890 and in 1894, the American Jockey Club was formed.

However, the first North American classic was the Queen's Plate which was initiated by the Toronto Turf Club in 1859 to be run for the first time in June 1860. The Queen's Plate is run over 1¼ miles by 3-year-old thoroughbred horses foaled in Canada and is the oldest race for thoroughbreds in North America. The first winner was Don Juan.