Staff Reporter
When it comes to sports such as football, the difference and popularity in Britain and Spain is minimal. When it comes to horseracing, however, that is a different story. British horse racing has a long and storied history, dating back centuries and although Spain also has a long history, it has never quite reached the same heights in popularity at home or abroad.
Big British Meetings Of The Season
Big race meetings in Britain seem to come around every few days. One such meeting that could match the Spanish sunshine is the aptly named, Glorious Goodwood which takes place in July/August each year. With the 2023 renewal now just around the corner, racing odds for the likes of Nassau Stakes favorite, Blue Rose Cen (5/4) are now available.
The Glorious meeting is run at the beautiful Goodwood racetrack, with the feature race being the Stayers Cup for which, Coltrane, is the 3/1 favourite in the Goodwood betting odds 2023. The Glorious Goodwood meeting is usually basked in the Sussex sunshine, it is not alone in being a stunning spectacle in the British racing season.
Royal Ascot
Royal Ascot is arguably one of the most famous flat racing meetings in the world. Thanks, in part, to the attendance of the royal family each year, the fancy dress code and top class racing action make it a spectacle to behold. A full week of action takes place at Ascot racecourse each summer, and attracts some of the biggest names in racing worldwide.
Spanish Racing Highlights
Gran Premio De Madrid
Arguably the biggest race in Spain, and definitely the biggest race of the season at the Hipodromo de la Zarzuela racecourse. The race attracts some of Europe’s best trainers and riders each year, becoming a coveted prize in the racing world.
The Classics
As with nearly every country that features horse racing as a part of its sporting world, Spain has its own set of Classic races throughout the season. Much like the British 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, or the famous Epsom Derby, Spanish racing also features its own versions of the iconic races.
Types of Racing
In Britain, horse racing is diverse and features more types of racing than just the normal flat turf contests. National Hunt, or jump racing as it is known is just as popular if not even more so in the British Isles.
Races such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Aintree Grand National are as well known as the Derby, the 2000 Guineas, or any other big flat race throughout the year.
In Spain, on the other hand, jump racing is pretty much non-existent. The Spanish prefer to race their horses on the flat turf circuits, where the fastest, or best stayers usually come out on top in their respective races.
All-weather racing, where races take place on a variety of sand and fiber surfaces. This always-racing flat racing to continue throughout the year, with racing usually taking place under the floodlights throughout the winter evenings.
All-weather is another type of racing not popular in Spain, but they have the quirky beach racing at Sanuclar in Andalusia each year.
All in all, racing is never going to be as possible amongst the Spanish public as it is in Britain, but there is a niche following in parts of the country that allows those with a racing penchant to get their fix.
