If you are a long-time fan of horse-racing, you may find yourself eager to learn more about the sport. One thing that fans of horse-racing may not be aware of from watch the sport on television is how massive the tracks have to be in order for the horses to have a safe and fair race.
There are several horse racing tracks across the globe, but some stand out from the rest. Some of these are the Churchill racetrack, Flamengo, and Santa Anita, and many more. So in this article, we will take a look at the ten most popular and best international horse racing tracks.
The Ultimate Ten Best Horse Racing Tracks in the World
After searching through all of the major horse racing tracks all over the world, we have put together a list of the ten most amazing horse racing tracks worldwide. In these places, you can enjoy horse racing tournaments as well as participate in them.
Churchill Downs Race Tracks – United States
One of the most prestigious racetracks, Churchill down, was built in the mid-1870s to host horse riding competitions and horse racing for citizens. It is one of the biggest horse racing tracks in America.
Design
This racing stadium consists of two types of tracks. The first type is the dirt track which is the primary horse racing track, and the second type is a turf-type track. The turf track is 0.8 mi of turf that is located on the inside of the primary tracks towards the center of the entire arena.
Not only is it an amazing racecourse, but it also has additional facilities. These include a welcoming clubhouse, some state-of-the-art suits for special visitors, as well as a view capturing grandstand.
Competitions
The audience stand has seating with 50,000 seats. However, regardless of seats, it easily fits more than 140,000 people at one time. That’s why it hosts some of the elite G1 races in the USA.
Along with these facilities, it offers some great dining places within their grounds. There is also a shopping place which offers related products. It also contains a Kentucky museum with displays detailing its history since its establishment.
Epsom Downs Race Track – United kingdom
When a place becomes a royal’s favorite destination, its popularity increases dramatically among people. That’s what happened with the Epsom Derby horse racing track present in England.
It has been one of the United Kingdom’s Royal family favorite horse tracks since the 1660s. A lot of the family members visit this track often which makes it special for horse racing fans. The current queen Elizabeth visits this stadium well, making it one of the historic racing tracks in England.
Design
First of all, it’s not a flat race track for horses. It contains many hills and elevations with surprising twists and turns which makes horse riding more complicated but more fun as well.
Also, the Epsom derby track is more than a mile long. However, its design and turns closely resemble a horseshoe shape that can make horse racing trickier than usual.
Competitions
The Epsom hosts some special British style horse racing like Derby Stakes, the Corporation Cup, and most importantly, the Oak Stakes.
Above all, this horse track is open to the public as well. So on normal days, citizens can enjoy their day horse riding in Epsom’s ruts and turfs.
Tokyo Racecourse – Japan
Located in Fuchu in Tokyo, Japan, it is, without a doubt, the largest horse track in the world with the ability to seat 230,000 or more people with ease. Not only is the seating impressive, but it also has the biggest display screen that any horse racing track could have.
Design
Established in 1933, it is made up of a dirt course with an ascending homestretch. The racing pattern follows a counterclockwise direction. Because of their trendy designs and amazing accommodations, the Tokyo horse track has been titled best racecourse of racecourses.
Competitions
Tokyo racecourse is currently hosting some amazing G1 style races like Tokyo Yishun, the Japan Cup, and Yasuda Kinen. It offers a variety of races including steeplechase as well as a good old flat race.
Flemington Racecourse – Australia
Located in the heart of Australia, Melbourne, Flemington Racecourse was built in the mid-1840s for horse races. It was upgraded from time to time for the audience, and now, it can easily hold up to 130,000 people in their stands.
Design
Putting a spotlight on its architecture, it is built on crowned land of a straight track of 1,200 meters. This type of tracking is also known as straight-six. Along with that, this track is in a pear shape, which holds races in counterclockwise dimensions.
Competitions
Since it often hosts the Melbourne Cup, it is important to Australian citizens. Because of such a legendary and honorable connection and hosting, the Melbourne Cup day has been declared a holiday and is the richest handicap in the world.
This Victorian track has been hosting many competitions since the mid-1800s and, therefore, an important monument for the people of Australia. This is the reason why it is included in the list of Australia’s national heritage list.
Santa Anita Park and Racetrack – United States
This track is also known by its other name, “the Great Race Place.” This horse racing track can be found in Arcadia in Los Angeles, California. This giant park (racetrack) is popular for its beautiful scenery of hills and tropical trees, making a horse race more aesthetically pleasing.
Design
Talking about its architecture, it has a standard oval style main dirt course that is a meter long. Along with that, the turf track is located next to it on the inner side. It is slightly smaller by only 0.1 mi, making it 0.9 mi.
Other than these tracks, it can also be just smaller and continent horse racing competition. This can modify their inner turf tracks with a smaller length, making Santa Anita suitable for any competition. The racing direction is in counterclockwise order.
Let’s talk about its audience accommodation, which is not a lot. It can only welcome twenty-six thousand people in its art deco grandstand. Even though this crowd range is low, it still doesn’t seem to be a bothersome problem.
Competitions
Santa Anita is a famous racecourse because it hosts many prestigious championships, including hosting the Breeder’s Cup world championship for their times. Other than that, it is the site of many national horseracing competitions as well.
Longchamp Racecourse – France
We all know Paris for its splendid beauty. But do you know that you could explore one of the best race tracks in this beautiful city? Well, you can! All you need to do is visit the Longchamp Racecourse in Bois De Boulogne.
Design
This course is famous for its beautiful venues and widely popular for its complicated tracks which have three paths of different lengths. The first one is the longest one of almost 1.7 miles in size. The second one has a distance of 1.5 miles, while the third turf is 1.3 miles long.
This beautiful architectural piece was built in the late 1850s to accommodate 50,000 people. Recently, its grandstand has been upgraded to a more luxurious form. This improvement includes a boxed stand, the company of a suite, and many more features.
Competitions
This horse racing track is famous for its annual racing competitions. They host several French competitions, including Grand Prix de Paris, Prix du Cardan, and many more.
It is also widely popular for its tough home stretches. They test the horse’s stamina by placing the fishing post some distance away than usual. It makes the game more interesting. In short, if you’re planning to visit Paris, make sure to check out this place too.
Meydan Racecourse – United Arab Emirates
If you want to look at a real futuristic race track, you should surely visit the Meydan horse racing stadium. Without a doubt, its looks and features will make watching horseracing an amazing experience.
The Meydan track is found at Al Meydan Road in Ras Al Khor, Dubai. It was built in 2010, and although it is a new track, it gained immense popularity among horse riders due to generous rewards for winning competitions.
Design
Focusing on its design, it has the biggest grandstand globally, which can easily fit 60,000 people in it.
The 1.4 meters long main track and the 1.09 meters long dirt turf hosts many races in a counterclockwise direction.
The most important advancement that we want to point out is its trackside hotel for visitors’ accommodation. It’s a pretty appreciable advancement that doesn’t go unnoticed. Now horse racing fans can stay near Meydan racecourse in its affiliated luxurious hotel.
Competitions
It hosts some of the United Arab Emirates’ expensive and highly rewarding horse races, namely Dubai golden shaheen, the famous Dubai world cup, Dubai turf horse racing, Jebel Hatta, and the well-known Dubai Sheema classic.
Its rewarding price and seasonal championships are great tourist attractions. It has racing competitions mentioned above but also has a full-blown world cup carnival from January till March.
Ascot Racecourse – United Kingdom
The Ascot Racecourse in the United Kingdom is another royal family favorite. This track offers quality turfs that provide an experience worthy of a trip. Looking back to its opening, it was first built in 1711 and was inaugurated by Queen Anne of England. Since then, it has become a landmark in the British history of horseracing.
In the early 1800s, the Ascot Racecourse was announced as the property of the royal family. Since then, it’s a host to royalty conducted horse racing programs through the years. However, in 1813, it was opened to public visits through a parliament resolution. Now both you and we can enjoy this track.
Design
The track length lies around 1.2 miles. It offers two types of track racing. One is flat racing and other is jump racing. The route lies on the beautiful turf just six miles away from the Windsor castle.
Competitions
This track is a vital part of the British calendar as it hosts various horse racing events throughout the year. These include Royal Ascot, the Gold Cup, Clarence house chase, Queen Elizabeth, and King George VI skates.
Saratoga Racecourse – United States
A warm and fair atmosphere with beautiful mineral springs is a flawless view to watch horse racing. That’s what the Saratoga Racecourse is famous for – beauty and amazing weather.
Located in Saratoga country of New York, United States of America, this horse racing course was first opened in 1863. More than a century old, this ground marks vital importance in American history. Many high-class American legendary horses and thoroughbreds have been part of this turf.
Design
With 1.2 miles of main dirt course for horse racing, it also has one-mile of turf present inside the main dirt track. It hosts races that run in a counterclockwise direction. These tracks complement professional racers. They are also beginner-friendly so that you can enjoy horse racing there as well.
A few steps along the track, and you will also find a famous racing museum known as the Hall of fame. There, you’ll see some favorite breeds and racers whose achievements are being shown.
Competitions
Saratoga has hosted some good horse racing competitions, including the jockey club gold cup and the all-famous Whitney stakes. It also hosts many G1 races and can seat more than 50,000 people.
Aintree Racecourse – England
It was opened in the 1820s and has been upgraded to accommodate 75,000 thousand people easily. It is well known for public horse racing as well as hosting reputable championships.
Design
One needs four miles and 514 yards long ground for the race for the Grand National, and Aintree fulfills this requirement. Its track is triangular and two miles long.
Along the entire course, there are sixteen jumps, including water jumps and open ditches.
There are two courses, both of them are grass-based.
Another fun fact is that Aintree also contains a golf course used for concerts and public events.
Competitions
Aintree is famous for being a host of the National Grand competition, one of the toughest and most reputable steeplechases that we know of. Along with the National Grand, it hosts Medley steeplechase as well.
Conclusion
In this article, we shared some of the best horse racing tracks in the world with you. All of these horse tracks are based on their quality grounds and historical background without ignoring newly-formed ones that have advanced technologies and designs to give quality horse racing.
These best horse racing tracks include Churchill downs, Tokyo race track, Flemington, Epsom downs Santa Anita, long champ, and the recently opened Meydan racetrack, Ascot, Saratoga, and Aintree racecourses. If you are a horse racing fan, these are the locations you must visit at least once in your life.