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Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: flat racing and jump racing. Jump racing can be further divided into hurdling and steeplechasing.
Ownership and training of racehorses
Traditionally racehorses have been owned by a small number of very wealthy individuals. But it has become increasingly common for horses to be owned by syndicates or partnerships. Notable examples include the 2005 Epsom Derby winner Motivator owned by the Royal Ascot Racing Club and Soviet Song, winner of a group 2 race at Royal Ascot in 2006, owned by the Elite Racing Club.
A horse runs in the unique colours of its owner. These colours must be registered under the national governing bodies and no two owners may have the same colours. The rights to certain colour arrangements ("cherished colours") are valuable in the same way that distinctive car registration numbers are of value. It is said that Mrs Sue Magnier (owner of George Washington, Galileo etc) paid £50,000 for her distinctive dark blue colours. If an owner has more than one horse running in the same race then some slight variant in colours is oftenly used (normally a different coloured cap).
The horse owner typically pays a monthly retainer to his trainer, together with fees for use of the gallops, vet fees and other expenses such as entry fees and jockey's fees where the services of a professional jockey are retained. The typical cost of owning a horse trained to be run under rules for one year is in the order of £15,000, but of course depending on regional and qualitative differences.
The facilities available to trainers vary enormously. Some trainers have only a few horses in the yard and pay to use other trainers' gallops. Other trainers have every conceivable training asset. It is a feature of racing that a modest establishment often holds its own against the bigger players even in a top race. This is particularly true of national hunt racing.
Organisations
Ireland
In Ireland, racing is governed by the Irish Jockey Club.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom thoroughbred horse racing is governed by the Horseracing Regulatory Authority (the HRA) which makes and enforces the rules, issues licences or permits to trainers and jockeys, and runs the races through their race course officials. The Jockey Club in the UK has been released from its regulatory function but still performs various supporting roles.
A significant part of the HRA's work relates to the disciplining of trainers and jockeys, including appeals from decisions made by the course stewards. Disciplinary enquiries usually relate to the running of a horse, for example: failure to run a horse on its merits, interference with other runners, excessive use of the whip. The emergence of internet betting exchanges has created opportunities for the public to lay horses and this development has been associated with some high profile disciplinary proceedings.
In order to run under rules a horse must be registered at Weatherbys as a thoroughbred. It must also reside permanently at the yard of a trainer licensed by the HRA or a permit holder. Similarly the horse's owner or owners must be registered as owners.
United States
The Jockey Club is the authority for all thoroughbred horses in North America, Canada, and Puerto Rico and maintains offices in New York City and Lexington, Kentucky. The Registry maintained by the Club, called the American Stud Book, dates back to the club's founding and contains the descendants of those horses listed, as well as horses imported into North America up to the present.
The Jockey Club website explains that "Horse Racing Boards or Racing Commissions - Government-appointed bodies which act on behalf of state, provincial or local governments in the regulation of pari-mutuel horse (or other) racing within their jurisdiction."
The National Steeplechase Association is the official sanctioning body of American steeplechase horse racing.
Types of racing
See also: horse racing, horseracing in Australia, and horseracing in the United Kingdom
Racing is divided into two codes: flat racing and jump races. The most significant races are categorised as Group races or Graded stakes races. Every governing body is free to set it's own standards, so the quality of races may differ. Horses are also run under different conditions, for example Handicap races, Weight for Age races or Scale-Weight. Some of the most prestigious races in the World, such as the Grand National or Melbourne Cup are run as handicaps.
Flat racing
Main article: flat racing
See also: Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
Flat races can be run under varying distances and on different terms. Historically, the major flat racing countries were Australia, England, France and the United States, but other centres, such as Japan or Dubai, have emerged in recent decades. Some countries and regions have a long tradition as major breeding centers, namely Ireland and Kentucky.
In Europe and Australia, virtually all major races are run on turf (grass) courses, while in the United States dirt surfaces (or, lately, artificial surfaces such as Polytrack) are prevalent. In South America and Asia, both surface types are common.
Jump racing
See also: National Hunt racing, Steeplechasing, Steeplechase racing in Australia, and Steeplechase racing in the United States
Jumping races and steeplechases, called National Hunt racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland, are run over long distances, usually from two miles (3200 m) up to four and a half miles (7200 m), and horses carry more weight. Novice jumping races involve horses that are starting out a jumping career, including horses that previously were trained in flat racing. National Hunt racing is distinguished between hurdles races and chases: the former are run over low obstacles and the latter over larger fences that are much more difficult to jump. National Hunt races are started by flag, which means that horses line up at the start behind a tape. Jump racing is popular in the UK, Ireland, France and parts of Central Europe, but only a minor sport or completely unknown in most other regions of the world.
Horse breeding
In the world's major Thoroughbred racing countries, breeding of racehorses is a huge industry providing over a million jobs worldwide. While the attention of horseracing fans and the media is focused almost exclusively on the horse's performance on the racetrack or for male horses, possibly its success as a sire, little publicity is given the brood mares. Such is the case of La Troienne, one of the most important mares of the 20th century to whom many of the greatest thoroughbred champions, and dams of champions can be traced.
List of terms
* A handicap race is one in which the runners have been "handicapped" by carrying more weight, according to their performance in other races. Theoretically, all horses have a chance of being competitive in a race that is correctly handicapped. Examples include the Grand National at Aintree, the Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket, the Santa Anita Handicap at Santa Anita Park, the Easter Handicap at Ellerslie Racecourse, and the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse.
* Graded stakes races in the United States and Canada, or conditions races as they are referred to in England and France, are higher-class races for bigger prizes. They often involve competitors that belong to the same gender, age and class. These races may, though, be "weight-for-age", with weights adjusted only according to age, and also there are "set weights" where all horses carry the same weight. Furthermore, there are "conditions" races, in which horses carry weights that are set by conditions, such as having won a certain number of races, or races of a certain value. Examples of a stakes/conditions race are the Breeders' Cup races, the Two Thousand Guineas Stakes, the One Thousand Guineas Stakes, the Epsom Derby, the Epsom Oaks, the St. Leger Stakes, the Kentucky Derby, the Kentucky Oaks, the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, the Travers Stakes, and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
* A maiden race is one in which the runners have never won a race. Maiden races can be among horses of many different age groups. It is similar to a stakes race in the respect that horses all carry similar weights and there are no handicapped "penalties." This is the primary method for racing a 2 year old for the first time, although only against other 2 year olds. Three year olds also only race against their own age in maiden races early in the year.
* An allowance race is one in which the runners run for a higher purse than in a maiden race. These races usually involve conditions such as "non-winner of three lifetime." They usually are for a horse which has broken its maiden but is not ready for stakes company.
* A claiming race is one in which the runners run for a tag and anyone may claim a runner via the claim box. The intent of this is to even the race, since you may lose your horse for the given claiming price. Someone may wish to claim a horse if they think the horse has not been trained to its fullest potential under another trainer.
* An optional claiming race is a hybrid of allowance and claiming race, developed to increase field sizes. A horse who does not fit the conditions can still run for the tag.
Ownership and training of racehorses
Traditionally racehorses have been owned by a small number of very wealthy individuals. But it has become increasingly common for horses to be owned by syndicates or partnerships. Notable examples include the 2005 Epsom Derby winner Motivator owned by the Royal Ascot Racing Club and Soviet Song, winner of a group 2 race at Royal Ascot in 2006, owned by the Elite Racing Club.
A horse runs in the unique colours of its owner. These colours must be registered under the national governing bodies and no two owners may have the same colours. The rights to certain colour arrangements ("cherished colours") are valuable in the same way that distinctive car registration numbers are of value. It is said that Mrs Sue Magnier (owner of George Washington, Galileo etc) paid £50,000 for her distinctive dark blue colours. If an owner has more than one horse running in the same race then some slight variant in colours is oftenly used (normally a different coloured cap).
The horse owner typically pays a monthly retainer to his trainer, together with fees for use of the gallops, vet fees and other expenses such as entry fees and jockey's fees where the services of a professional jockey are retained. The typical cost of owning a horse trained to be run under rules for one year is in the order of £15,000, but of course depending on regional and qualitative differences.
The facilities available to trainers vary enormously. Some trainers have only a few horses in the yard and pay to use other trainers' gallops. Other trainers have every conceivable training asset. It is a feature of racing that a modest establishment often holds its own against the bigger players even in a top race. This is particularly true of national hunt racing.
Organisations
Ireland
In Ireland, racing is governed by the Irish Jockey Club.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom thoroughbred horse racing is governed by the Horseracing Regulatory Authority (the HRA) which makes and enforces the rules, issues licences or permits to trainers and jockeys, and runs the races through their race course officials. The Jockey Club in the UK has been released from its regulatory function but still performs various supporting roles.
A significant part of the HRA's work relates to the disciplining of trainers and jockeys, including appeals from decisions made by the course stewards. Disciplinary enquiries usually relate to the running of a horse, for example: failure to run a horse on its merits, interference with other runners, excessive use of the whip. The emergence of internet betting exchanges has created opportunities for the public to lay horses and this development has been associated with some high profile disciplinary proceedings.
In order to run under rules a horse must be registered at Weatherbys as a thoroughbred. It must also reside permanently at the yard of a trainer licensed by the HRA or a permit holder. Similarly the horse's owner or owners must be registered as owners.
United States
The Jockey Club is the authority for all thoroughbred horses in North America, Canada, and Puerto Rico and maintains offices in New York City and Lexington, Kentucky. The Registry maintained by the Club, called the American Stud Book, dates back to the club's founding and contains the descendants of those horses listed, as well as horses imported into North America up to the present.
The Jockey Club website explains that "Horse Racing Boards or Racing Commissions - Government-appointed bodies which act on behalf of state, provincial or local governments in the regulation of pari-mutuel horse (or other) racing within their jurisdiction."
The National Steeplechase Association is the official sanctioning body of American steeplechase horse racing.
Types of racing
See also: horse racing, horseracing in Australia, and horseracing in the United Kingdom
Racing is divided into two codes: flat racing and jump races. The most significant races are categorised as Group races or Graded stakes races. Every governing body is free to set it's own standards, so the quality of races may differ. Horses are also run under different conditions, for example Handicap races, Weight for Age races or Scale-Weight. Some of the most prestigious races in the World, such as the Grand National or Melbourne Cup are run as handicaps.
Flat racing
Main article: flat racing
See also: Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
Flat races can be run under varying distances and on different terms. Historically, the major flat racing countries were Australia, England, France and the United States, but other centres, such as Japan or Dubai, have emerged in recent decades. Some countries and regions have a long tradition as major breeding centers, namely Ireland and Kentucky.
In Europe and Australia, virtually all major races are run on turf (grass) courses, while in the United States dirt surfaces (or, lately, artificial surfaces such as Polytrack) are prevalent. In South America and Asia, both surface types are common.
Jump racing
See also: National Hunt racing, Steeplechasing, Steeplechase racing in Australia, and Steeplechase racing in the United States
Jumping races and steeplechases, called National Hunt racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland, are run over long distances, usually from two miles (3200 m) up to four and a half miles (7200 m), and horses carry more weight. Novice jumping races involve horses that are starting out a jumping career, including horses that previously were trained in flat racing. National Hunt racing is distinguished between hurdles races and chases: the former are run over low obstacles and the latter over larger fences that are much more difficult to jump. National Hunt races are started by flag, which means that horses line up at the start behind a tape. Jump racing is popular in the UK, Ireland, France and parts of Central Europe, but only a minor sport or completely unknown in most other regions of the world.
Horse breeding
In the world's major Thoroughbred racing countries, breeding of racehorses is a huge industry providing over a million jobs worldwide. While the attention of horseracing fans and the media is focused almost exclusively on the horse's performance on the racetrack or for male horses, possibly its success as a sire, little publicity is given the brood mares. Such is the case of La Troienne, one of the most important mares of the 20th century to whom many of the greatest thoroughbred champions, and dams of champions can be traced.
List of terms
* A handicap race is one in which the runners have been "handicapped" by carrying more weight, according to their performance in other races. Theoretically, all horses have a chance of being competitive in a race that is correctly handicapped. Examples include the Grand National at Aintree, the Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket, the Santa Anita Handicap at Santa Anita Park, the Easter Handicap at Ellerslie Racecourse, and the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse.
* Graded stakes races in the United States and Canada, or conditions races as they are referred to in England and France, are higher-class races for bigger prizes. They often involve competitors that belong to the same gender, age and class. These races may, though, be "weight-for-age", with weights adjusted only according to age, and also there are "set weights" where all horses carry the same weight. Furthermore, there are "conditions" races, in which horses carry weights that are set by conditions, such as having won a certain number of races, or races of a certain value. Examples of a stakes/conditions race are the Breeders' Cup races, the Two Thousand Guineas Stakes, the One Thousand Guineas Stakes, the Epsom Derby, the Epsom Oaks, the St. Leger Stakes, the Kentucky Derby, the Kentucky Oaks, the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, the Travers Stakes, and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
* A maiden race is one in which the runners have never won a race. Maiden races can be among horses of many different age groups. It is similar to a stakes race in the respect that horses all carry similar weights and there are no handicapped "penalties." This is the primary method for racing a 2 year old for the first time, although only against other 2 year olds. Three year olds also only race against their own age in maiden races early in the year.
* An allowance race is one in which the runners run for a higher purse than in a maiden race. These races usually involve conditions such as "non-winner of three lifetime." They usually are for a horse which has broken its maiden but is not ready for stakes company.
* A claiming race is one in which the runners run for a tag and anyone may claim a runner via the claim box. The intent of this is to even the race, since you may lose your horse for the given claiming price. Someone may wish to claim a horse if they think the horse has not been trained to its fullest potential under another trainer.
* An optional claiming race is a hybrid of allowance and claiming race, developed to increase field sizes. A horse who does not fit the conditions can still run for the tag.