10 Weird and Wonderful Things you Should Know About Horse Racing.

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• The Triple Crown is an award given to the winner of the three thoroughbred horse races in the USA: Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stake. It is only awarded to horses of the age of three, therefore horses get one shot each. Horses generally begin racing at 2 years old, giving them limited experience when attempting to win the title.

• Frank Hayes was a trainer who occasionally rode in competitions. During one race he participated in, he suffered a heart attack mid-race, which ultimately killed him, yet he managed to remain in his saddle till his horse crossed the finish line, in first place. This was the first win Hayes achieved in his career, but did not live to see the finish line.

• The Triple Crown is not frequently awarded because the final race competitors have to win, the St. Leger, is so long that many simply don’t attempt to complete it (length of 2,921 meters). This had led to only one horse winning the award since the second world war.

• British horse races have a strict dress code, including the requirement that spectators attend the races in hats. This was originally a chance for people to evidence and show off their wealth and now the tradition has remained to this day.

• The Pegasus Cup was the highest paying horse racing competition in the world, with a purse of $16 million back in 2016. This took over from the Dubai World Cup, which has a purse of $12 million. However, in 2020, the purse is set at $3 million, considerably lower than in previous years. The Saudi Cup will now hold the title with a purse of $20 million in 2020.

• Every horse has a birthday on January 1st. This doesn’t change depending on when they are born and is done to make the process of placing horses into age groups much easier for competitions.

• From pounds to thousands, over $100 billion is spent on horse betting every year and with The Winners Enclosure you don’t have to miss out.

• It is strictly forbidden for a jockey to race a horse he owns or has a share in. If this does occur, repercussions are harsh and could include prison time. This helps keep the sport as cheat-free as possible.

• Horses can live till they are 30 but most retire at the age of 15. Horses have gone on to compete in races over the age of 15 but none above 18 years old have ever won.

• In 1945, the slowest recorded winning finish time was during a two miles race and the horse finished in a time of 11 minutes and 28 seconds. The jockey left his horse as it refused to jump the second fence, but went on to continue the race, and win, after he heard that all other competitors had fallen or been disqualified from the competition. This allowed the jockey to secure his win at a leisurely pace.