Different Types of Horse Racing and Significant Horse Races in the UK

If you are aware enough about horse racing you might have heard of different types of racing grades and we get it, it can be quite confusing. We are here with a guide that explains how horse racing grades work so that you can always be included in conversations about horse racing bets with your friends in the bar. Let’s dig in.

Let’s start with figuring out what is the difference between flat racing and jump racing. Fun fact jump racing is also known as National Hunt. As you can probably guess by the name, flat racing doesn’t have hurdles and jumps, unlike jump racing which has those. Other than that the national hunt flat races are also known as “Bumpers” just to further the confusion.

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Flat Racing

Again as the name suggests in flat races horses don’t have to do the extra work of jumping over obstacles, if the jockey’s actual skills are judged more efficiently, it is considered the purer form of racing.

These types of races in the UK vary in length. There is five-furlong (1,006m) and then the ones that go over two miles. The shorter races are called sprints and the longer ones are called “stayers” the rest of them are middle-distance races. Middle races are considered more prestigious though.

Flat Races are run on natural grass which is called turf or an artificial surface. There are different categories of races depending on their importance. The most popular flat race in Britain is the five classics with Royal ascot predominantly being the flat racing festival of the year.

National Hunt Racing: Hurdles & Steeplechase

These races have hurdles that complicate the races. The thing to remember here is that some National Hunt races are also known as bumpers in which you cannot negotiate with the obstacles. There are two types of national hunt racing, one is hurdles and the other is steeplechases. Hurdles have obstacles that need the horses to jump over, the minimum height of it is three feet to six inches.

Steeplechases have fences and open ditches and water jumps. The fences are usually natural and have more height than the hurdles. Most of the national hunt season is held in the UK or Ireland. The perfect time for them is from Autumn to spring. 

With Steeplechases, horses must negotiate fences, but also open ditches and water jumps. The fences are constructed with more solidity and height than hurdles – often natural bushes are used – and are less forgiving, meaning horses must jump higher and cleaner to avoid a fall.

Both these categories are dependent on the age and experience level of the horses, the distance of the race is also a key factor.

Some of the major Races in the UK

Races From January to March–

• Victor Chandler Chase (Ascot)
• Champion Hurdle (Cheltenham) 
• Queen Mother Champion Chase (Cheltenham) 
• World Hurdle (Cheltenham) 
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• Cheltenham Gold Cup (Cheltenham) 

Races from April to June- 

• Grand National (Aintree) April.
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• 2,000 Guineas Stakes (Newmarket) – late April / early May
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• 1,000 Guineas Stakes (Newmarket) – late April / early May
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• Epsom Oaks (Epsom Downs) Happens early in June
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• Epsom Derby (Epsom Downs) Happens on the first Saturday of June
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• Gold Cup (Ascot) – June

Races in September–

• St. Leger Stakes (Doncaster) – September
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• King George VI Chase (Kempton Park) – Boxing Day

Hope you have gotten all your basic questions answered by this article, now you won’t feel like an outsider when your friends talk about which horse is going to win the next race.