Racehorse statue at Newmarket, the home of British horse racing
Horse racing is the second largest spectator sport in Great Britain,[1] and one of the longest established, with a history dating back many centuries. According to a report by the British Horseracing Authority it generates £3.39 billion total direct and indirect expenditure in the British economy, of which £1.05 billion is from core racing industry expenditure,[2] and the major horse racing events such as Royal Ascot and Cheltenham Festival are important dates in the British and international sporting and society calendar.
The sport has taken place in the country since Roman times and many of the sport's traditions and rules originated there. The Jockey Club, established in 1750, codified the Rules of Racing and one of its members, Admiral Rous laid the foundations of the handicapping system for horse racing, including the weight-for-age scale. Britain is also home to racecourses including Newmarket, Ascot and Cheltenham and races including The Derby at Epsom, The Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup. Great Britain has also produced some of the greatest jockeys, including Fred Archer, Sir Gordon Richards and Lester Piggott.
Britain has also historically been a hugely important centre for thoroughbred racehorse breeding. In fact all racehorses are called English Thoroughbred, the breed having been created in England. All modern thoroughbred racehorses can trace a line back to three foundation sires which were imported to Britain in the late 17th/early 18th centuries[3] and the General Stud Book first published by James Weatherby still records details of every horse in the breed.
Gambling on horseraces has been one of the cornerstones of the British betting industry and the relationship between the two has historically been one of mutual dependence. The betting industry is an important funder of horse racing in Great Britain, through the betting levy administered by the Horserace Betting Levy Board and through media rights negotiated by racecourses and betting shops.
^Armytage, Marcus (14 January 2010). "Racing is the second most popular spectator sport". Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
^Economic Impact of British Horseracing 2009 (PDF) (Report). British Horseracing Authority. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
^Waterman, Jack (1999). The Punter's Friend. Harpenden, Herts, UK: Queen Anne Press. ISBN 1852916001.
and 26 Related for: Horse racing in Great Britain information
Horseracing is the second largest spectator sport inGreatBritain, and one of the longest established, with a history dating back many centuries. According...
trainers of Thoroughbred horses. The Irish horseracing industry is closely linked with that of GreatBritain, with Irish horses regularly competing and...
fourth Duke of Queensberry were made in England. In the modern era, horseracingin Scotland comes under a British, as opposed to a specifically Scottish...
InGreatBritain's National Hunt racing, the title of champion jockey is bestowed on the rider who has the most wins during a racing season. From its inception...
Horseracingin Wales has a long tradition dating back to the 18th century. Wales has held flat racing, National Hunt and harness racing, and presently...
A list of notable flat horse races which take place annually inGreatBritain, under the authority of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), including...
oval track. Jump racing, or Jumps racing, also known as Steeplechasing or, inGreatBritain and Ireland, National Hunt racing, where horses race over obstacles...
Peter Carl Mackay (or McKay), was a horse-racing tipster, and something of an institution on the Britishracing scene from the 1920s until the time of...
Australia Thoroughbred racingin New Zealand HorseracinginGreatBritainHorseracingin Ireland Horseracingin New Zealand Horseracingin the United States...
The British Horseracing Authority, also known simply as the BHA, is the regulatory authority for horseracinginGreatBritain. It was formed on 31 July...
The Champion Trainer of National Hunt racinginGreatBritain is the trainer whose horses have won the most prize money during a season. The list below...
The known history of the horseinBritain starts with horse remains found in Pakefield, Suffolk, dating from 700,000 BC, and in Boxgrove, West Sussex, dating...
This is a timeline of the history of horseracing on television in the UK. 1951 The BBC broadcasts horseracing for the first time when it televises races...
list of notable National Hunt horse races which take place annually inGreatBritain, under the authority of the British Horseracing Authority, including...
inGreatBritain and Ireland is awarded to the stallion whose offspring have won the most prize money inBritain and Ireland during the flat racing season...
designed for horses who have not previously run under any other form of racing except National Hunt flat or French AQPS races and inGreatBritain are restricted...
pandemic in the United Kingdom The 2023 running was abandoned due to unsafe ground HorseracinginGreatBritain List of British flat horse races "Coronavirus:...
The Champion Trainer of flat racinginGreatBritain is the trainer whose horses have won the most prize money during a season. The list below shows the...
The Great Metropolitan Handicap is a flat handicap horse race inGreatBritain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1...
live racing from Britain and Ireland, including nearly 90% of all Group and Graded races. Known as The HorseRacing Channel before launch, Racing UK soft-launched...
Bet365 Gold Cup is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase inGreatBritain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over...
This List of British racecourses gives details of both current and former horseracing venues inGreatBritain. As of 30 April 2024, there are 59 racecourses...
Jockey Club is the largest commercial horseracing organisation in the United Kingdom. It owns 15 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree,...
Global Information