If you’re thinking of basing a holiday around top sporting action, horse racing offers plenty of opportunities to visit some fantastic places.
From the romance of Paris to rubbing shoulders with royalty at Royal Ascot, the sport of kings provides a hugely enjoyable platform to build a holiday around.
Read on for our top six recommendations of the finest horse racing destinations around the world.
Cheltenham
The Cheltenham Festival is the highlight of the jump racing season in the United Kingdom, with the four-day event taking place in a natural amphitheatre in glorious Gloucestershire.
The four-day meeting features a host of Grade I races, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Stayers’ Hurdle.
The Festival always attracts a huge Irish contingent, providing punters with a superb atmosphere throughout the meeting.
Dubai World Cup, United Arab Emirates
The Dubai World Cup is the richest race in the world with a prize of $10 million for the lucky winner.
Held at the superb Meydan Racecourse, the event attracts top horses from across the world and this Bitwin Bonus Code 2018 offer will help boost your bankroll to wager on the race.
Situated alongside the luxurious Meydan Hotel, you can watch the race in March from the stunning grandstand or from the comfort of a luxurious room or suite at the world’s first track-side hotel.
Royal Ascot, England
Royal Ascot is the jewel in the crown of the flat racing calendar in the UK, regularly attracting over 300,000 spectators to the track during June every year.
It is also a major event in the British social calendar, with the fashion on show often gaining as much attention as the actual racing.
The meeting features at least one Group One event on each of the five days, with the Ascot Gold Cup the undoubted highlight of the event.
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, France
The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is one of Europe’s biggest horse-racing events.
Held at Longchamp Racecourse on the banks of the River Seine at the start of October, the race attracts thousands of elegant Parisians to watch some of the finest thoroughbreds in Europe.
Many highly acclaimed horses including Alleged and Dancing Brave have won the race and were rightly regarded as the champion mile-and-a-half horse that season.
Breeders’ Cup World Championships, USA
The Breeders’ Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I thoroughbred horse races held over two days in late October or early November.
Tracks across North America take it in turns to host the event which attracts top horses from the USA, Europe and Oceania.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic is the one of the top races in the USA and is now regarded as the fourth leg of horse racing’s Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing — the traditional Triple Crown of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, plus the Classic.
Melbourne Cup, Australia
The annual Melbourne Cup Carnival is a tradition dating back to 1861 and is considered by many people to be the greatest 3,200-metre horse race in the world.
The November event attracts horses from across the world and is widely known as “the race that stops a nation”.
With fashion events for both adults and children, the Melbourne Cup offers one of the most fun destinations in the horse racing industry.