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Horseracing has a long and illustrious history. It’s a sport steeped in tradition and has a rich heritage full of intriguing tales and remarkable statistics.
Here are 10 facts about the so-called ‘Sport Of Kings’ you may not know:
1. The original racehorses were bred for war
The three founding sires of Thoroughbred racing were bred for war. The Darley Arabian, the Byerley Turk and Godolphin Arabian were fast, powerful horses and they were mated with mares in bloodstock industries around the world to form the thoroughbred lineages we have today.
2. Racing authorities recognise nine colours for thoroughbreds
The various Jockey Clubs recognise the colours Bay, Black, Chestnut, Dark Bay, Brown, Grey, Roan, Palomino and White.
3. Racehorses celebrate their birthday on the same day
For ease of grouping them by age for racing and training, and regardless of what date they were born on, each thoroughbred turns a year older on 1 January in the Northern Hemisphere or 1 August in the Southern Hemisphere.
4. An average racehorse weighs around a half-ton (1,000 pounds; 500kg).
The Australian racer Shinshinto was the heaviest horse in recent history. He was bigger and taller than others and weighed 635kg!
5. Thoroughbred hooves, like those of all horse breeds, are made of the same protein as human fingernails: keratin.
A horse’s hooves grow slower in the winter, but are ordinarily trimmed every five to ten weeks.
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6. Racehorses have big appetites:
A thoroughbred can consume 10kgs of food or more, plus up to 60 litres of water every day. When in full training, they have carefully prepared diets and strict feeding regimes.
7. Speed, more speed!
A Thoroughbred can top 80 km/h when racing, though they usually don’t sustain top speed for the entire race. Jockeys try to reserve a horse’s energy for the home run before the finish. Due to the intensity of races, they have to be fully fit to compete.
8. Racehorses can fetch astronomical amounts at auction sales
Well-bred racehorses can sell for millions of dollars. The most expensive thoroughbred ever sold at public auction was an unraced 2-year-old named The Green Monkey, who was bought for $16 million due his exceptional pedigree but never won a race.
9. The best Thoroughbred races are categorised as Grade/Group 1 stakes races.
Stakes races generally have the best horses, and they can be categorised as “Listed,” Grade 3, Grade 2 or Grade 1 in ascending order.
10. Horseracing is Britain’s second-favourite sport after football
Horseracing is so popular in the UK that it’s only surpassed by football in terms of spectatorship. With over six million attendees passing through the turnstiles at racecourses around the UK every year, the sport’s popularity is widespread
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