Horse racing is a popular spectator sport in the UK, and gambling on horseraces is the cornerstone of the British betting industry. Indeed, UK horse racing is a major contributor to the economy of the nation.
Horse racing practiced in the UK is generally of these types:
Flat Racing, where horses usually sprint over unobstructed distance in the race track; and
Hurdles Racing, where obstacles are part of the course and horses need to tackle these hurdles.
Point-to-Point Racing, which is a more informal race and usually run on an ad hoc basis.
All these horse racing types are run under the auspices of the Horseracing Regulatory Authority, the regulator for British horse racing, and the British Horseracing Board, the sport's governing authority.
Today, there are about 60 horse race tracks in the UK.
The main horse racing meetings in the UK are:
March
Cheltenham Race track - The Festival
Lingfield Park Race track - Bet Direct Winter Derby
April
Aintree Race track - Aintree Grand National Meeting
Ayr Race track - Scottish Grand National
Newmarket Race track - Craven Meeting
Sandown Park - Betfred Gold Cup Celebration
May
Newmarket Race track - Guineas Meeting
Chester Race track - May Meeting
June
Epsom Downs - Epsom Derby Meeting
Ascot Race track - Royal Ascot
Newcastle Race track - John Smith's Northumberland Plate
Placing bets on horse races is as old as the sport itself, but in the UK, nationwide betting is particularly very strong. The horse racing betting shop is a familiar sight throughout the length and breadth of the UK, and these tend to be sited wherever a significant number of people with disposable cash can be expected.
Nowadays, a huge number of horse racing wagers are coursed through the internet, as the popularity of online betting continues to grow.
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