Horse racing has retained its status as one of the world’s most historic and vastly popular events whilst also sprouting numerous years of prestige since the earlier renditions of such events at various impressive venues that have become mainstays in the racing landscape.
Horse racing’s origins span as far back as Ancient Greece when chariot racing and other means of saddle riding was considered to be the most popular events for many authoritarian personalities and residents to attend.
Over the course of history, racing has spanned across other notable periods such as the Roman and Byzantine Empire’s before becoming well-established in the UK during the 18th century when jockey clubs were formed by King Charles II which in turn would raise its popularity to unprecedented heights, something that the sport has kept up to this day.
Nowadays, horse racing is amongst the most watched sporting events on the planet which has allowed numerous locations to host their fair share of prestigious races at some truly stunning venues.
These are the best horse racing venues in the world today that should be on any racing fans’ bucket-list for ‘must visit’:
- Aintree Racecourse:
Located just a few miles outside the city of Liverpool stands the world-renowned Aintree racecourse which is home to the prestigious and historic Grand National racing event.
The Aintree racecourse is one of the world’s oldest racetracks since it opened for operation back in 1829 and bolsters an incredible overall capacity of 75,000 spectators during its days of operation.
Fans from all over the world flock towards the small area within Merseyside for the Grand National, Mildmay Course and Hurdles’ Course every year which leaves Aintree as a grand stage for anything related to horse racing glory.
- Cheltenham Racecourse:
The hosting venue for the amazing Cheltenham Festival is truly a high mark for all UK racing fans. It’s undoubtedly one of the biggest days on the horse racing betting calendar.
Located in the stunning county of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham seats a near 67,500 fans on race day and has a unique layout between two different courses to catch any upcoming race at the event.
The event dominates the headlines so fans can stay informed on all the latest odds and gossip through a range of outlets.
- Churchill Downs:
Located in Louisville, Kentucky, the Churchill Downs racing site is home to the Kentucky Derby event that is arguably the best horse racing spectacle that the racing world has to offer.
There have been plenty of exciting events that this track has hosted over the years with the most popular and widely watched race being the US Triple Crown of Thoroughbred which has gained mass amounts of popularity over the years since the event’s fruition back in 1875.
The US state of Kentucky is mainly known for its expansive college sports, yet horse racing is a major commodity for all fans to enjoy on a regular basis with Churchill Downs bolstering an impeccable expected capacity of 170,000 fans in attendance.
- Maydan Racecourse:
The Dubai World Cup is one of the younger competitions in the racing world today as it was previously established back in 1996 amidst the growing economic and technological circuit that is the Middle Eastern city of Dubai located in the United Arab Emirates.
Whilst this track can only seat around 25,000 spectators for a large number of events, it is still one of the many selling points for the amazing city of Dubai, from which any avid sports fan or tourist should aim to visit.
With spectacular views of the fabled Dubai city skyline and a state-of-the-art venue to boot, this event is ranked amongst the top races to attend for any sporting fanatic.
- Flemington Racecourse:
Situated in the heart of Victoria, Australia stands the Flemington racecourse which is home to the spectacle that is the Melbourne Cup which resides as one of the world’s most acclaimed racing events.
With a capacity of 120,000 spectators on display every major event, this racecourse and the Melbourne Cup as a whole are certainly worth the price of admission for all sports fans looking to head out to an event of such amazing stature.
Melbourne is one of the sporting world’s most impressive destinations for games centred around sports such as cricket, football and rugby with horse racing also being ranked amongst the all-time favourites by fans across the world.
Some other notable horse racing venues to attend include the Tokyo racecourse in the capital of Japan, the Ascot racetrack located in Berkshire and the Longchamp in Paris, France which are all noteworthy tracks that any sporting fan takes a great likening to.
There are several other venues that fans should aim to attend at some point in their lives, yet these listed above are ranked as the best and most prestigious racecourses in the world today thanks to the venues’ incredible history, stature and mainstay atop the racing world.
