Horse racing has had its fair share of incredible moments that have been talked about in the media and across the globe for decades. Horse racing has seen a massive rise in terms of success and viewership, providing some of the must-watch sporting events of the year. Fans worldwide want to get involved in the sport, either by attending races to experience the incredible atmosphere or by participating in betting. While horse racing betting varies from your typical betting activities, such as casino slots, it’s an activity that has become a common practice in the sport. Horse races take place in various nations and, over the years, have created some memorable moments, so let’s take a look at some of the greatest horse racing moments of all time.
1973 Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes in 1973 has gone down in history due to an incredible performance from the American racehorse Secretariat. The Belmont Stakes takes place in Belmont Park, New York and consists of a 1 ½ mile length dirt track. The 1973 instalment had an audience of around 69,000 witnessing history being made in front of them.
The favourites, Sham and Secretariat, were prepared to battle it out throughout the race as to what was predicted to be a very close and exciting race, however, it was evident by the 3rd quarter of a mile that Secretariat was going to break ahead and take the lead, but not on the fashion that had occurred. The horse took a 31-length lead into the finish ahead of 2nd place Twice a Prince, setting a new record for the longest distance win.
Secretariat went down in Bemont stakes history by breaking the record of the quickest lap time of 2 minutes and 24 seconds. Not only did this race go down in American horse racing history, but the horse also went down in worldwide horse racing history with one of the most astonishing performances we have seen.
Frankie Dettori’s Ascot Domminance
Frankie Dettori is one of the most well-regarded jockeys in the sport’s history, with the reputation of being one of the greatest jockeys we have witnessed. His extremely well-decorated career has many notable points that really emphasise how good of a jockey he was, however, it was at Ascot, on September 28th 1996, that he shocked the horse racing world.
While Dettori was one of the most popular riders to win at least 1 or even perform a double on the day, he managed to defy near impossible odds and win every single one of his 7 race cards. The expectations of Dettori have always been high due to his professionalism and incredible previous rides and winnings, but for the jockey to win all 7 was something that cost bookies millions of pounds.
In fact, it was calculated that Detori winning all 7 of his races would have been priced at over 25,000/1, highlighting how incredible of an achievement this was. Dettori’s 7 rides were as follows:
- Cumberland Lodge Stakes – Wall Street (2/1)
- Diadem Stakes – Diffident (12/1)
- Queen Elizabeth II Stakes – Mark Of Esteem (100/30)
- Tote Festival Handicap – Decorated Hero (7/1)
- Rosemary Stakes – Fatefully (7/4)
- Blue Seal Conditions Stakes – Lochangel (5/4)
- Gordon Carter Stakes – Fujiyama Crest (2/1)
Dettori’s 1996 Ascot performance has gone down in history and will be spoken about for decades to come.
Red Rum at Grand National
Red Rum, the Irish-born racehorse, is one of the most iconic names in horse racing history. Red Rum left a remarkable legacy in the 1970s with some incredible performances in the Grand National, winning 3 in total, more than any other horse in the race’s history. However, it was the 1973 Grand National that was the most notable out of the 3.
The Grand National is a global must-watch horse race that takes place at the Aintree racecourse in Liverpool, registering over 500,000,000 viewers globally each year. In the 1973 Grand National, a battle was unfolding between the two very well respected horses Crisp and Red Rum. The race was dominated by Crisp, who took a massive lead throughout the race ahead of all competition, including Red Rum. At the 2nd to last hurdle, Crisp’s lead had stretched to 20 lengths and was looking to win the Grand National comfortably, however, the consistent speed and stamina from Red Rum meant the Irish born racehorse was able to catch up onto the final hurdle and win the Grand National by ¾ of a length.
The extremely tight finish to the race and incredible story of Red Rum’s comeback in such a short gap made headlines worldwide and set up the horse to win a back-to-back Grand National in 1974. Red Rum then went on to win his 3rd and final Grand National in 1977 after a change of Jockey, from Brian Fletcher to Tommy Stack, after 2 consecutive 2nd place finishes. The dominance of Red Rum in the 70s and the fashion in which he won the 1973 Grand National have cemented the horse’s name in the history of sport and legacy of Aintree.
