Horse
racing is one of the most ancient of competitive sports and can be
traced back to the first domestication of the horse.
It
flourished for thousands of years as the preserve of kings and nobles
but is now a sport enjoyed by millions across the globe.
The
earliest written records trace horse racing back to the ancient
Greeks and of course the Romans who were particularly keen on
chariot racing.
The
origins of modern horse racing can probably be traced back to around
the 12th
Century when English knights returned from the Crusades with Arab
horses. Over the subsequent centuries many Arab horses were
brought back and inter bred with English horses to produces breeds
of speed and stamina.
Placing
a wager on the results of the outcome of a race is probably as old
as the sport itself but horse racing first became professional
around the early 1700s when racing between several horses began on
which spectators placed bets. Racecourses appeared throughout
England and increasing purses were offered to the winners.
The
Jockey Club was formed at Newmarket, England in 1750 to rule the
sport as a central governing body. Certain racecourses were
sanctioned and rules drawn up to conduct meetings. The Jockey
Club also took steps to regulate the breeding of racehorses
and introduced the General Stud Book to record the pedigree of every
foal born and ensure that only "Thoroughbreds" are allowed
to race.
Thoroughbreds
are so inbred that the pedigree of every single animal can be traced
back father-to-father to one of three stallions, called the
"foundation sires." These stallions were the Byerley Turk,
foaled c.1679; the Darley Arabian, foaled c.1700; and the Godolphin
Arabian, foaled c.1724.
Since
1814, five races for three-year-old horses have been designated as
"classics." Three races, open to male horses (colts) and
female horses (fillies), make up the English Triple Crown: the 2,000
Guineas, the Epsom Derby (see DERBY, THE), and the St. Leger Stakes.
Two races, open to fillies only, are the 1,000 Guineas and the Epsom
Oaks.
Of
course horse racing is equally popular throughout the world, in
particular, North America, Australia and most Arab states.
Want
to know the best bookmakers for horse race betting? Visit
www.sportbettingonline.co and find out how to get free horse race
bets on all the top meetings.
