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Steeple Chasing And Other UK Races
A lot of people often think that horse racing is run around a
simple oval track that is flat and all the horses need to do to
win is to be the fastest one on the field. There are a lot of
different kinds of horse races in the UK and one of the most
well known, aside from the flat races that people are familiar
with worldwide, is the steeplechase. The steeplechase is a horse
race that gets the competing horses to run on a track that is
replete with obstacles like ditches and fences and is often run
at a certain distance.
There are numerous steeplechase races in the UK and the most
famous of all these is the Grand National Hunt which has been a
major race since its creation in 1837. This race is run in
Liverpool at the Aintree Racecourse and is a race that is
slightly over four miles. With the track sometimes having areas
of soft ground that are known to be rather draining on a horse's
stamina, this race is said to be one of the toughest of its kind
in the whole world.
Another famous steeplechase race is the Cheltenham Gold Cup that
is held every March. This race is for horses that are aged five
years old and higher and is run on a track that has 22 fences on
more than a three mile course. Held during the Cheltenham
Festival, this steeplechase race is also considered a very
prestigious race for a horse to be in and is one of the races
that of a lot of the more famous horses in the United Kingdom's
horse racing history have in their horse racing list of
achievements.
Aside from the steeplechase races, the other more famous races
in the UK include flat horse races and amateur steeplechase-like
races called point-to-point races. These other racing varieties
give the people in the country a chance to witness thoroughbreds
and other similar horses compete in races that show stamina and
speed at its best. Among the more famous flat horse races in the
UK, some of the more well known are the historical 2,000 Guineas
and the 1,000 Guineas. Also famous are the Queen Anne Stakes and
the St. Leger Stakes. These flat races all belong to the Group 1
status. There are also Group 2 and Group 3 flat races like the
Coventry Stakes and the York Stakes.
Other than the Group races, there are also handicap races that
are also very popular with the horse race loving crowd. Included
in the Handicap race list are the Victoria Cup, the Lincoln
Handicap and the Silver Bowl, among others. There are also a few
other races that are run without a specific group or category
and there are also a few horse races that have been discontinued
for one reason or another. Whatever type of race a horse is
running in the UK, there are a lot of enthusiasts who follow the
action on these horse race variations and many more who will
find the attraction of horse racing sooner or later to their
liking.
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