Horse Racing in Great Britain

Updated: 15.08.2025

In Great Britain, horse racing is an important sport with a long tradition. It is known as the sport of kings in this part of the world due to its strong association with royalty and the upper class. Another crucial ingredient that makes the sport such a profound part of the British way of life is betting. Placing a wager on the outcome of a horse race makes the event much more compelling for spectators. And horseracing takes place almost every day in the country, not counting Good Friday and Christmas. The British Horseracing Authority oversees the sport, ensuring that it remains a well-oiled part of the gambling and entertainment sector.

History of Horse Racing in Great Britain

Patterned horse racing in Britain really took off during the reign of King Charles II in the 17th century, but racing took place long before that. Yorkshire, around 200 AD, is believed to be the site of the earliest horse races in Britain, organized by soldiers of the Roman Empire. In the centuries that followed, horse fairs became a regular occurrence throughout Britain, and it's widely believed that horse racing often took place at these events. The first official record of a horse race - believed to have been arranged for the entertainment of King Henry II at a horse fair in London - dates from 1174.

In the early 17th century, Newmarket, now recognized as the home of horseracing in England, received a crucial introduction to the sport from James I. Not long after, in the same century, crowds began to gather at Newmarket for regular meetings to witness the spectacle of racing horses. Among them was King Charles I, who apparently enjoyed the annual Gold Cup, first run at Newmarket in 1634. Puritan zeal led Oliver Cromwell, the country's ruler at the time, to ban horse racing altogether in 1654, even though he owned horses and was a horse breeder. After Cromwell's death, King Charles II came to the throne and reinstated the sport.

Over the years, horse racing grew in popularity, and in 1740, Parliament introduced a law to try to curb the growth of the sport. But the act had little effect, and just a few years later racing became the first regulated sport in Britain. In 1752, the Jockey Club was formed and the first official rules of racing were introduced. As the century progressed, several races that we still know today were established, including the St. Leger Stakes and the Epsom Derby.

For the next hundred years, it would be a leading sport with a huge following. Audiences would soar, and people would make it the talk of the town in all the major newspapers. More incredibly, it was a sport that would double in its betting side. It was now a professionally run sport and on-course bookmakers, or touts as they were more popularly known, were now part of the scene.

Horse racing was such a popular sport that it was the only sport to continue through both world wars in the 20th century, although there were far fewer races during those times. By the 1960s, however, horse racing was on a new course toward an indefinite end, and two major developments would forever affect it. The first was the arrival of the television phenomenon, which became a common household appliance; horse racing was one of the first sports to be regularly televised. The second major change came when off-track betting was legalized and bookies opened across the country. Betting on horses became more accessible, more convenient and more common. Today, even football is shown less frequently on British television than horse racing. Betting on horses remains a popular British pastime.

Modern Day British Horse Racing

There are approximately 10,000 equestrian events held in the UK each year at more than 1,000 racecourses. Millions in prize money is paid out. Countless people attend the ceremonies and even more watch on television. Although many tracks have disappeared for one reason or another over the decades, there are still about 60 licensed tracks. Of these, several have a history that goes back centuries. For the most part, the two types - flat racing and jumps - continue, one in as strong a form as the other.

Flat racing is, as the name implies, racing on a flat surface. This is usually grass, but some other surfaces are used, such as synthetic surfaces suitable for all-weather racing. Jump racing is over fences and is officially known as National Hunt racing. National Hunt racing itself is divided into two separate forms: jumps and steeplechase. Most jumps racing takes place in the winter as the ground is softer and less dangerous for the horses.

As mentioned above, the Jockey Club originally governed the sport of horse racing. In 1993, the British Horseracing Board was formed and these two organizations shared the governance of horse racing. In 2006, the Jockey Club formed the Horseracing Regulatory Authority to continue to regulate the sport while they focused on the racecourse and racetracks they owned. The following year, the Horseracing Regulatory Authority and the British Horseracing Board merged to form the British Horseracing Authority (the BHA). The BHA is responsible for the sport of horseracing today.

Betting on Horse Racing

Betting on sport in the UK is as important as the sport itself. Bookmakers and betting companies have a huge role to play and are responsible for a large amount of the prize money that is awarded, as well as spending huge amounts of money on sponsoring race meetings. The vast majority of people who watch horse racing enjoy betting on the outcome of the race. For many, it is simply a way to make the races a little more enjoyable and exciting. A way that is perfectly legal and a way that many people do. Some, however, take their horse racing betting very seriously and study the form and the horses and bet with purpose.

There are several ways to bet on horse racing in the UK. If you are actually at the racecourse, there are a number of on-course bookmakers to choose from, as well as the Tote. The Tote is the official horse racing betting organization in the UK; it is a pari-mutuel organization, and all betting money goes into a pool from which the winners are paid. The Tote used to be government-run, but was sold to the private sector in 2011. If you're not at the racetrack, it's still very easy to place your bets. Bookmakers are very common and can be found in most towns and cities.

In recent years, more and more people have been betting online. Convenience plays a big part in this. Also, most online betting sites offer bonuses and rewards programs that increase the value of using their services.

Major Racecourses & Races in Great Britain

The world is familiar with some of the horse races and racecourses in Great Britain. Newmarket is the home of British horse racing, and as mentioned above, this little known town is well known in horse racing circles around the world. The Grand National, held at Aintree in Liverpool, is undoubtedly one of the biggest horse races held each year. The Royal Ascot Festival and the Cheltenham Festival attract audiences from around the world.

The United Kingdom's Triple Crown also includes three flat races. The 2,000 Guineas Stakes is run at Newmarket. The Epsom Derby is run at Epsom Downs. The St. Leger Stakes is run at Doncaster Racecourse. Other classic flat races include the 1,000 Guineas Stakes and the Epsom Oaks.