A DAY AT THE RACES
Flat or jumps?
There are sixty racecourses in Britain, staging two codes of horseracing, flat racing and jumps racing, both of which take place all year round. Eighteen courses race only on the flat, twenty-four only over jumps and eighteen under both codes, including racing on artificial surfaces, such as All Weather Tracks.
Flat racing reaches a peak in summer and autumn and features the five British Classics. There are plenty of other major meetings, such as Royal Ascot, but cheering on the top flat jockeys such as Frankie Dettori, Ryan Moore or Paul Hanagan at any of the flat meetings around the country is just as exciting!
| The Five British Classics |
Notable Trainers |
Notable Jockeys |
The QIPCO 2,000 Guineas
and 1,000 Guineas |
Sir Henry Cecil |
Frankie Dettori |
| The Investec Oaks and Derby |
Sir Michael Stoute |
Ryan Moore |
| Ladbrokes St Leger |
Richard Hannon |
Paul Hanagan |
Jumps racing over steeplechase fences or hurdles starts during the summer but climaxes at the Cheltenham Festival in March, with the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree a few weeks later. All jumps racing courses have their own distinct charm and identity.
| Top Races |
Notable Trainers |
Notable Jockeys |
| The Grand National |
Paul Nicholls |
AP McCoy |
| The Cheltenham Gold Cup |
Nicky Henderson |
Richard Johnson |
| The King George VI Chase |
Phillip Hobbs |
Ruby Walsh |
