World's Greatest 27 Horse Races: Part 3

[Zenyatta]

With the end of another racing year, for fun I did a bit of research and decided to try to rank my list of the greatest 27 horse races in the world. Today I count down from 9-1 and reveal my choice for the title of 'World's Greatest Race Horse'.

9 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
When: July
Where: Ascot, Ascot, England
Why: One of the most highly regarded open-age flat races in Britain, its featured the best champions and best finishes in British racing. The 1975 duel between ‘Grundy’ and ‘Bustino’ has been described as ‘the race of the century’. Many contenders for Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe have come from this race.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Georg ... eth_Stakes

8 Dubai World Cup
When: March
Where: Meydan, Dubai, UAE
Why: The world’s richest horse race, with a purse of US 10 000 000 after 2010, now held at the grand Meydan race course. It was the creation of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai_World_Cup

7 Grand National
When: April
Where: Aintree, Merseyside, England
Why: For sheer popularity and spectacle, this race is hard to top. It’s the most valuable national hunt race in Britain, and generates huge betting interest and television viewing figures. The race is a gruelling handicap chase over 4 miles, with 30 fences to jump. Probably the toughest race in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_National

6 Breeder’s Cup Classic
When: November
Where: Varies (North America)
Why: Considered one the best races on the sporting calendar, it’s a weight-for-age race that is held at different tracks around the United States (usually on dirt). Its rich purse and reputation often attracts the highest quality horses from around the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeders%27_Cup_Classic

5 Cheltenham Gold Cup
When: March
Where: Cheltenham, Cheltenham, England
Why: It’s the most prestigious National Hunt race in Britain, a chase with 22 fences to be jumped. It’s the culmination of the Cheltenham festival, featuring the best chasers and the highest purse for a non-handicap chase.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheltenham_Gold_Cup

4 Kentucky Derby
When: May
Where: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Why: Known in the States as ‘the most exciting 2 minutes in sport’, it’s the key race of the US ‘triple crown’, and the one everyone wants to win. It’s one of the US’s oldest horse races, and seeped in Kentucky traditions. The winner is draped in a blanket of roses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_derby


3 Epsom Derby
When: June
Where: Epsom Downs, Epsom, England
Why: The richest and most prestigious horse race in Britain, regarded as the best of the 5 British ‘classics’, with a history dating back all the way to 1780 and the inspiration for many races around the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epsom_Derby

2 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
When: November
Where: Longchamp, Paris, France
Why: The most prestigious horse race in Europe, with many winners regarded as all-time champions including the mighty ‘Sea the Stars’. It’s truly international in scope and one of the world’s most renowned sporting events. It’s the world’s 2nd richest race on turf. The sheer quality of the racing and the plethora of champions allows one to make a very strong case that this race is the greatest of them all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prix_de_l% ... e_Triomphe

1 Melbourne Cup
When: November
Where: Flemington, Melbourne, Australia
Why: One of the richest and most prestigious handicap races in the world, it’s ‘the race that stops a nation’, with a public holiday declared in Australia, and massive betting interest. As a spectacle, it’s the grandest in the world, with over 100,000 in attendance at the peak of the Melbourne Spring racing carnival. Spectacle, Atmosphere, Luck, Skill, Excitement and Wide International Interest, the combination of these factors makes the Melbourne Cup a deserving winner of the title ‘The World’s Greatest Horse Race’.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_cup

[Iron]

I'm surprised the Grand National isn't in a higher position.

In this country at least, it must be far and away the most bet on race in the calendar...

Jeff

[Zenyatta]

For sheer popularity it is certainly tops (and also has a huge TV audience around the world) but in terms of the quality of racing, it's actually a lower grade UK race.

[pdupre1961]

I'm surprised the Grand National isn't in a higher position.

In this country at least, it must be far and away the most bet on race in the calendar...

Jeff

Jeff,

For once I agree with you - the Grand National at Aintree is the biggest race in the English calendar - so should be above the Derby, full-stop...

It doesn't matter that it's for stayers as opposed to quality (Gold Cup / Epsom Derby), it is by far the most popular amongst the public. Therefore, the greatest in England.

Paul

[pdupre1961]

For sheer popularity it is certainly tops (and also has a huge TV audience around the world) but in terms of the quality of racing, it's actually a lower grade UK race.

Then, so is the Melbourne Cup - at 2 miles (3,200 metres) it is for stayers as well. You have not kept to the same parameters. There are better quality races all week long at Royal Ascot.

If you are going for quality - there is no better race than the Epsom Derby, not even Le Prix de l'arc de Triomphe matches the Epsom Derby for prestige.

So, therefore my conclusion is that Number One should be the Epsom Derby OR the Aintree Grand National.

Paul

[Zenyatta]

Then, so is the Melbourne Cup - at 2 miles (3,200 metres) it is for stayers as well. You have not kept to the same parameters. There are better quality races all week long at Royal Ascot.

The difference is that the Melbourne Cup attracts top stayers from around the world.

The final 7 were all great races in their own way, and definitely hard to split them, you could make strong cases for all the final 7.

[rubysglory]

Christophe Lemaire describes the aura around having riding in the Melbourne Cup as something he had never experienced anywhere else in the world. When asked was it becuase of the crowd 'I think it was more than that,'' he said. ''In Japan, I am used to riding in front of the big crowds … There was something else. Something magical. Maybe, because for me, Australia is very far from my country and here they talk about the legend of the Melbourne Cup, so maybe I can feel that I am a part of the legend now. This is something special. Nowhere else do I feel this emotion.''

rg

Read more:

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/horseracing ... z1derNwTjd