Even though we are approaching the end of the summer of 2024, the horse racing season is still far from over. There are still some very big events to look forward to, even though many have already been and gone, including the Grand National, which, of course, is hosted annually at the Aintree Racecourse and is the most watched event on the calendar. Here in the UK, we are avid fans of horse racing, and of course, our country, as small as it is in comparison to other countries, is home to some of the finest racecourses in the world and also some of the most prestigious meetings.
Horse racing is a global sport, however, and so we are going to look overseas at what other races there are later in the year, when traditionally over here in the United Kingdom we enter towards autumn and winter, where the conditions and ground aren’t suitable for any horse racing meetings. And you can also look at Unibet horse racing if you want to place a bet on any of these races.
The Melbourne Cup
Today, what we are going to focus on is what meetings are left on the calendar as we are halfway through August, so that you know what else you have got to look forward to for the rest of this year. Now the first event that we’re going to look at is called the Melbourne Cup and is one of the biggest races in the horse racing calendar that doesn’t actually call the United Kingdom home. This one is hosted down below and is in November, which of course is in the summer over there and the winter over here, meaning it’s the prime weather for a race meeting.
The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
A bit closer to home, this is just over the water in France and is highly regarded as one of Europe’s most prestigious race meetings, and you’ll be able to catch this one in October of this year, hosted at Longchamps Racecourse for a period of two days (5th October to 6th October). It is also one of the oldest race meetings in Europe, having been around for over 100 years, first being hosted in 1920. The total purse for this event ranks it fifth in the world, with in excess of €5,000,000 being up for grabs across all of the races being held at the meeting.
The Hong Kong International Races
This is probably one of the latest major horse meetings on the yearly calendar, takes place in December in Hong Kong, nicely wraps up the racing calendar, and takes place at the Sha Tin Racecourse. As the name suggests, this meeting in particular is a celebration of the global reach of the sport and aptly takes place at the end of the year. It sees some of the top racehorses, trainers, and jockeys all attending and vying for glory, and it’s certainly one of the meetings on the calendar you don’t want to miss if you’re an avid fan of horse racing.
In Summary
Hopefully today you’ve realised that horse racing is in fact an all-year-round sport, and no matter what month it is or what the conditions are like here in the UK, there is always going to be a big horse racing meeting, should you either just want to watch the racing or indeed if you fancy a punt on a horse in that race in the hope that you win.
