The chance to enjoy top-class horse racing across the globe is an experience that should feature high on anyone’s wish list for 2024 events.
Whether it is a one-off day at the races, or part of a holiday, taking in one of the world’s most prestigious flat races is an occasion that will live long in your memory.
The next 12 months look to be stacked with races brimming with quality, but some stand out more than others. Let’s explore the most elite races on the 2024 calendar.
Dubai World Cup
The first major highlight of 2024 for horse racing fans is the Dubai World Cup, held at The Meydan racecourse at the end of March.
The Meydan offers a luxurious experience for those able to attend, and always serves up high-quality action on the track. If you are placing a horse bet on this exclusive course, an early favourite is US-trained White Abbario, who is a 4/1 shot. White Abbario was a hugely impressive winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Like many winners of the Breeders’ Cup, White Abbario appears likely to also take the Dubai World Cup.
The globe-trotting Japanese horse Derma Sotogake is another leading contender after finishing runner-up to White Abbario in the Classic after previously winning the 2023 UAE Derby at Meydan before finishing sixth in the Kentucky Derby. Algiers’ name is also likely to feature in the horse racing tips as the leading UK hope after taking second behind Ushba Tesoro in the 2023 Dubai World Cup.
2000 Guineas and Kentucky Derby
For both racing fans and those who love a sense of occasion, the double-header of the 2000 Guineas, and Kentucky Derby are both held on the first Saturday in May. The only downside is that it is not feasible to attend both races on the same day!
The 2000 Guineas is the first English Classic of the season and is held at Newmarket. The 2024 renewal promises to be the first step on the road to history for City Of Troy, a colt that could become the first horse to win the Triple Crown in England since 1970. He certainly has the pedigree to do so. The colts sire, Justify, won the US Triple Crown in 2018 and City Of Troy’s juvenile campaign marked him as the best UK or Irish-trained horse since Frankel. His trainer Aidan O’Brien came close to winning the Triple Crown when Camelot won the 2000 Guineas and Epsom Derby, before finishing second in the final leg, the St Leger.
The Kentucky Derby, held at Churchill Downs, is the first leg of the US Triple Crown. Every horse that lines up for the ‘Run of the Roses’ will do so in the hope of emulating the likes of Justify. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, Fierceness, is the early favourite for the 2024 Kentucky Derby. That said, there is still plenty of time for other leading contenders to emerge.
Epsom Derby
The Epsom Derby is always an occasion to bring out the top hat and tails in early June. Its location on the North Downs in Surrey, less than 20 miles from London, makes it an ideal venue for combining horse racing and a city break.
If City Of Troy does win the 2000 Guineas, then the Derby is going to have an even greater sense of fervour and anticipation than usual. Since Nijinsky’s 1970 Triple Crown, only three horses have completed the Guineas-Derby double, which demonstrates just how difficult a feat it is.
City Of Troy is unlikely to have things his own way, with stablemate Henry Longfellow looking like a lively Classic contender, while Godolphin’s Group One-winning juvenile Ancient Wisdom has to be respected.
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
Autumn does not bring a slowing down in the flat racing calendar as there are still a host of prestigious races and meetings on the agenda. This includes the Breeders’ Cup and Melbourne Cup, but the Arc is the highlight of continental Europe’s fixture list.
Longchamp is only a few miles from the centre of Paris and stages the Arc on the first Sunday in October, providing the perfect setting to close a weekend away in the French capital. The race brings together the best middle-distance horses and is the richest race run in Europe.
With the quality of horses set to be on show throughout 2024, there is likely to be a huge buzz on Arc day when the best of the generations meet in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower for one of the highlights of the season.
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