Although the most popular sport in the world is football, this wasn’t always the case. Horse racing is one of the few sports that’s been around since Ancient Greece and still has fans from all over the world.
Nowadays, this is one of the most-watched sports in some countries, which is why it’s no surprise that people love to bet on it. There are many unique things about horse racing, such as the markets, odds, and even the races themselves.
Before you take a look at the different betting options, we’d like to share some of the most interesting facts about this sport.
- Horse racing is considered to be The Sport of Kings
Like we’ve mentioned, this sport has been around for many years and it’s prevalent in some countries, such as the UK. During the 1600s, King James I was interested in it, and later on, Charles II created Newmarket (which can be considered the headquarters of British racing).
Following this story, horse racing got the nickname “The Sport of Kings”.
- The sport was banned between 1653 and 1658
Even though it was really popular, there were times when this sport was banned. This happened between 1653 and 1658, during Oliver Cromwell. After the Civil War ended, most of the horses were requisitioned.
Needless to say, this had a negative effect on the people who were breeding horses back in the days. Luckily, the ban was lifted just five years after it was imposed.
- Flat racing yields more money than Jump racing
Those of you interested in horse racing know that there are two main types – flat racing and jump racing. Both of them are really cool to watch, but flat racing takes the crown when it comes down to prizes, at least in the UK. According to some sources, the average prize for those types of races is around £17,000, whereas Jump racing brings around £11,000.
Moreover, the flat races are generally considered to be more prestigious, which also has an effect on the prize pools. You can find fiat races in many countries around the world.
- The horses for racing were meant to go to war
There are many popular horse breeds out there, but the Thoroughbred is probably the most popular one when it comes down to races. However, this breed wasn’t “created” for racing. Instead, it was bred for war.
However, it seems like things didn’t go as planned, which is why people started using those fantastic horses for racing.
- Racehorses live for around 30 years
Most racehorses around the world live up to 30 years old. However, they stop racing when they reach 15 years of age because they just can’t compete with the younger horses.
- Jockeys shouldn’t weight more than 126 pounds
Even though horses are big animals, they can’t carry a lot of weight because they won’t be able to run as fast. Therefore, every jockey has to be no more than 126 pounds.
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