A guide to British Horseracing

British horseracing exists in two forms - Flat racing and Jump racing (also called National Hunt). Both types of racing take place all year round, although each have a season during which the championship races take place; in flat racing this is the summer and in jumping it is mostly the winter.

What is Flat Racing?
Flat racing, as the name suggests, involves horses racing on flat turf or all-weather surfaces, over a distance of five furlongs to two and a half miles. Turf racing takes place from the Ballyham Brockesby Stakes meeting in late March and finishes at the Tote November Handicap meeting, both at Doncaster. The Flat season continues all year round by racing on artificial or ‘all-weather’ surfaces.

The highest quality flat races take place during the summer months, with the best horses competing in Group 1, 2 or 3 races. The calendar is structured around these races, and the Group 1 races usually form the centrepiece of big weekend meetings, such as the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown Park, or can come in clusters over the festival meetings that take place over several days, such as Royal Ascot or Glorious Goodwood.

The Classics are the most prestigious flat races held over varying distances for three-year-old horses. The following races are the five British Classics:

• Stan James 1,000 Guineas – for fillies only, over one mile at Newmarket in May
  Stan James 2,000 Guineas for colts and fillies, over one mile at Newmarket in May
• Vodafone Oaks Stakes – for fillies only, over one and a half miles at Epsom Downs on the first Friday in June
• Vodafone Derby Stakes – for colts and fillies, over one and a half miles at Epsom Downs on the first Saturday in June
• Ladbrokes St Leger – for colts and fillies, over one mile and six furlongs at Doncaster in September.

What is Jumps Racing

Jumps racing only takes place on turf and continues throughout the year, ending at Sandown Park’s Gold Cup meeting in April and beginning again just two days later.

In the same way that the big races dominate the Flat calendar, so they do in the Jump season, with the big races beginning in the autumn. However, Jump racing is very much weighted towards the Cheltenham Festival, with everything counting on Cheltenham Festival results. This is three days of championship races held in March. Every jockey, trainer or owner of a jumping horse dreams of winning a race at the Festival, but in particular the totesport Gold Cup for chasers and the Smurfit Champion Hurdle for hurdlers.

The John Smith's Grand National meeting is another very important meeting, and probably the best-known out of racing circles. The Grand National is a grueling four and a half mile slog with over thirty imposing fences, and a real test of courage and stamina. It is the most valuable Jump race, worth over £500,000.

Boxing Day is a great day in the Jump racing calendar, as so many people love the tradition of blowing away the cobwebs of Christmas and reviving themselves at the racecourse. The biggest race is the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton Park, which is almost as prestigious as the Cheltenham Gold Cup and has a roll of honour that includes four wins for Desert Orchid.

What are the best bookies to bet on horse racing?
We recommend Ladbrokes, Victor Chandlers, Paddy Power and Stan James for excellent racing betting coverage. For international horse racing consider Pinnacle