With the jump racing season having come to a close after pulsating renewals of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Aintree Grand National, attention now turns to flat racing, which is well underway.
Jump racing is a sport that is full of thrills and spills but it is on the flat where racing royalty can be crowned. Known as the ‘sport of kings’ due to the aristocratic attention it garners, flat racing has produced some of the most legendary horses the world has ever known.
The biggest achievement that a flat racing horse can reach in Europe is the Triple Crown, so let’s have a look at the three races involved in the feat.
The 2000 Guineas
The first leg of the Triple Crown is the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. Last season’s top two-year-olds make their first statement of intent in the 1-mile contest, which is a great way for experts and fans of betting UK odds to see which horses may be in line for a big season.
For bettors that like to back ante-post across the season, the 2000 Guineas can also be the first leg of an accumulator that can reward handsomely for small stakes. Of course, a great way of working out exactly how much winnings you may receive is by using a bet calculator to find out the overall price of your ante-post bet.
Following horses under the care of the legendary trainer, Aidan O’Brien has been the most beneficial to bettors in the past, with the Irishman having trained a record 10 winners of the 2000 Guineas in the past. In 2023, O’Brien is responsible for the top two in the betting market, with last season’s top two-year-old, Little Big Bear, leading the way at +200, followed by Auguste Rodin at +1000.
The Epsom Derby
The Derby is the second leg for potential Triple Crown winners, but it takes a very special horse to step up from a 1-mile at Newmarket to follow up over 1 mile, 4 furlongs at Epsom.
In existence since 1780, the Derby has been won by some of the best-known horses in racing. Nijinsky, Shergar, Galileo, and Sea The Stars are just some that have crossed the line in front at Epsom, etching their name on the coveted winner’s list.
In 2023, Auguste Rodin is the well-fancied +200 favorite for the Derby, a race in which trainer, Aidan O’Brien, is also the record holder for most wins with eight.
The St Leger
The St Leger is where contenders can make history and put their names on the list of Triple Crown winners. Run over 1 mile, 6 furlongs at Doncaster racecourse, the St Leger really tests out the stamina of horses.
Nijinsky was the last horse to complete the Triple Crown back in 1970, whilst Camelot arrived at Doncaster in 2012 off the back of 2000 Guineas and Derby wins, but would go down by just an agonizing 3/4 length defeat.
These three races make up the Triple Crown of British flat racing, but there are many more top-level races for bettors to explore, such as the 1000 Guineas, the Epsom Oaks, and the Royal Ascot’s St James’s Palace Stakes.