A Guide to the World’s Best Horse Racing Tracks

By looking at each continent separately we will provide you, our readers, with some invaluable insights into the world’s leading horse racing venues. Starting with the UK, then continuing to the U.S, Europe and the rest of the world, we look at some of the top feature races hosted by these venues and review some of their main features. We also share some important information specific to UK betting sites and look at special promotions, betting market selection and much, much more. For the complete report, scroll down to the remaining sections!

The Key Facts: UK’s Top 10 Race Tracks

The table below clearly lists the top 10 live horse racing tracks in the British Isles. The criteria used to determine the top 10 looked at the level of prestige of the different events staged at each location, the capacity of the course and – from a betting perspective – the average number of betting markets available online. Other criteria that we used, but did not directly refer to in the table, was the total amount of prize money given out over the course of the respective season, the total number of meetings held, the average attendance, and whether or not the venue is owned by the Jockey Club and approved by the British Horseracing Board (BHB). Once all this was taken into consideration it became pretty clear – apart from a few exceptions – which are the leading racecourses in the UK.

When it comes to betting on different races at the locations listed above, there are a few things to bear in mind. Take a venue like Cheltenham, for instance. It’s feature event, the world-famous Cheltenham Festival, is one of the most anticipated, best-attended events in Europe – let alone the British Isles – takes place in March and features 14 Grade 1 races. This inevitably means that it garners widespread interest, which in turn means that betting sites are more likely to offer more special promotions and perhaps even a few more different bet types for the races held here. The same goes for Aintree, home of the infamous Grand National, and Ascot, home of the Royal Ascot Festival. For a venue like Newbury, that doesn’t host quite as many top-tier competitions, it is still a top market for UK betting sites because of its strong cultural heritage of horse racing. Simply put, be sure to keep a look out for special bookmaker offers for these racecourses!

USA Horse Racing Tracks: Top Three

Horse racing in the US has a long and rich history that dates back to the middle of the seventeenth century. It comes as no surprise, then, that there are a great number of top horse racing tracks around the country; some of which host some highly prestigious, world-famous events. Take a look at our list of the tracks in the US that make a special contribution to the sport of kings.

Churchill Downs

This course got the nod for first place simply because it hosts the biggest race in the US: the Kentucky Derby. A flat-racing-only course that opened back in 1875, its most recognisable architectural feature are the iconic twin spires that tower over about 147 acres of land. The course has a huge capacity of 150,000, it has both a turf and dirt track, and it also hosts the Kentucky Oaks and the Stephen Foster Handicap.

Gulfstream Park

Second in line is Gulfstream Park, home of the Pegasus World Cup. With a winner’s purse of $16million, it’s one of the richest races in the world and one of the most anticipated races in the US flat racing calendar. The venue has both a dirt track and a turf track and hosts the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap and the Florida Derby, both of which hold Grade 1 status, along with 17 Grade 2 events, 22 Grade 3 events and several more unlisted ones.

Arlington Park

Third – but by no means least – is Arlington Park in Chicago, Illinois. Widely renowned for its stunning natural beauty, this racecourse opened back in 1927 and has remained an important venue for horse racing in the U.S. In 1981 it hosted the country’s first million-dollar race (The Arlington Million) and has since become home to a number of key events – the Arlington Million Stakes (G1), the Beverly D. Stakes (G1), the Secretariat Stakes (G1) and the American Derby (G2).

Europe Horse Racing Tracks: Top Three

Whilst it is perhaps true that the largest following for horse racing in Europe is in the British Isles, that does not mean that it isn’t also hugely popular in a number of other countries. France, for instance, has a strong tradition of horse racing and there are a number of hugely important events held in Italy, Germany Denmark and Norway, with each nation having built their own top horse racing tracks. Keep reading to see our list of horse racing tracks in Europe that are of International importance.

Longchamp Racecourse

This heritage racecourse is situated on the Seine River on the Bois de Boulogne in Paris and hosts half of all the Group 1 races in France. Built in 1857, it has a capacity of around 50,000 and is renowned for having 46 different starting points ranging from 1000 to 4000 metres on four separate, interweaving courses. It’s most famous event is the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, a Group 1 race for horses aged three and above, that comes with a massive winner’s purse of around £2.5million.

Chantilly Racecourse

The Chantilly Racecourse is another flat racing venue located in Paris. It first opened in 1834 and has since grown to become one of the most important horse racing venues in France. Its main feature races are the Prix du Jockey Club, the Prix de Diane and the Prix Jean Prat, all of which are of Group 1 status. It also hosted the aforementioned Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2016 and 2017 while Longchamp was undergoing major renovation work.

Iffezheim Racecourse

Arguably the best racecourse in Germany, the Iffezheim has been hosting thoroughbred races since 1858. It has a capacity of around 20,000 and hosts three key Baden Baden racing festivals every year. The most prestigious of these is held across six days in late-August or early-September and its feature event, the Grosser Mercedes-Benz Preis Von Baden, attracts some of the very best runners, trainers, jockeys and owners from all around the world.

Rest of the World: Top Three

That’s right, you guessed it: there are also a large number of top horse racing tracks outside of the UK, the U.S and Europe that are widely renowned around the world! In this section, we’ll travel to the Middle East, Africa and Australia and review the best features of some of the top venues. Scroll down to our list of horse racing tracks in areas that you may not even have thought of.

Meydan Racecourse

This show-stopping equestrian racing venue only opened in 2010 but has quickly risen to become of the leading courses in the world. It’s the official home of the Dubai World Cup, one of the world’s richest horse races, and attracts some of the most-famous horses, jockeys, owners and trainers from all around the world. It also boasts a nine-hole golf course, a fine five-star hotel and state-of-the-art business suites and conference centres.

Flemington Racecourse

Undoubtedly the most famous racecourse in Australia, Flemington boasts a wild, yet all-inclusive, friendly atmosphere and the capacity to host flat races, jumps and steeplechases. The official home of several top-rated events such as the classic Melbourne Cup, the Victoria Derby, the Emirates Stakes and the Australian Cup along with several more, it has a huge capacity of 120,000, which is often filled with jolly spectators donning witty fancy dress.

Greyville Racecourse

This multi-purpose racecourse had a 2,000 metre all-weather “Polytrack” was installed inside the existing turf track in 2014, which solidified its status as the leading horse racing venue on the African continent. Its feature race is the Durban July Handicap, a Group 1 handicap race worth around £220,000. The most successful horse to have raced there is Ipi Tombe, a mare bred in Zimbabwe that won the Durban race in 2002 and went on to claim first place in the Al Fahidi Fort (2003) and the Dubai Duty Free Stakes (2003).

Quality Tracks Across the World

Now that we’ve reviewed the top three horse racing venues in different regions around the globe, its time to name the winner. It wasn’t easy to choose one, especially with such serious competition from the U.S, Europe and the Middle East. Overall, though, with so many top races such as the Grand National, the Original Derby, the British Classics and so many more, the UK has to be number #1. If you want to bet on races at some of the overseas tracks listed here, top betting sites such as William Hill and Coral all provide good coverage of International venues.