Horse racing is one of the UK's oldest and most beloved sports, with a deep history spanning centuries. Among the many prestigious races held throughout the year, there are plenty that stand out for their tradition, prestige, and ability to capture the imagination of both fans and bettors alike. From the grandeur of the Royal Ascot to the excitement of the Grand National, these races represent the pinnacle of British racing. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the top five races in the UK, exploring their unique characteristics, history, and what makes them unmissable events on the racing calendar.

The Grand National (Aintree)

The Grand National does split opinions in the modern day, but there is no denying it is one of the most well-known races within the sport of horse racing and is probably the most unique at that. It’s a race that even the non-avid racing fan knows and plays host to plenty of sweepstakes within the workplace or families. 

Over 70,000 people attend the feature steeplechase at Aintree in April, and it gains millions of views on TV, with viewers from all over the world, let alone just in the UK. It is a huge spectacle within the sport, and is one that we need to protect at all costs. The most well-known winner of the race would be Red Rum, who won the race an incredible three times (1973, 1974 and 1977) - he was so famous, he was even a special guest on the 1977 BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Award!

The Grand National is a unique test that only the most hardy horses can complete, as they run over a marathon distance of four and a quarter miles, jumping 30 spruce fences in the process. It obviously takes quite a bit of skill to navigate the fences, but runners will also need an element of luck as other runners can cause chaos throughout. There is no other race like it, and it is a real spectacle to watch. More money is bet on the National than any other British race, with around 13 million punters in the UK enjoying a flutter or two on the race, and for quite a few it will be their only bets of the year.  

Derby (Epsom Downs)

You could argue this race has ever so slightly lost it’s sparkle in recent years, but for many within the sport it is still the pinnacle of the flat season, and is the main British classic contest of the year (Classic races are races throughout the year for three-year-old horses, other races are the 2000 & 1000 Guineas, Oaks at Epsom and St Leger). It is also widely considered the most famous flat race in the world of horse racing, and has been won by some of the very best the sport has ever seen in terms of flat horses, including the likes of Nijinksy, Galileo and Sea The Stars to just name a few of the many top class horses to have landed the contest.

Epsom is well known for being a unique, undulating style of track and is considered to be a huge test for the horse and jockey, due to the famous camber. The back straight features a significant climb, where the runners have to negotiate the sharp turn of Tattenham Corner, before coming back downhill in the home straight. The Derby has inspired versions all over the world, with most countries that have horse racing starting their own versions of the race, but this is the original that has been run since 1870 and is without a doubt in the top five races in the UK.   

Cheltenham Gold Cup (Cheltenham)

The blue riband contest for National Hunt racing, the Cheltenham Gold Cup can’t be touched in terms of stature of the race and is one of the most eagerly anticipated races of the whole Jumps season. Like all of these races in the list, the Cheltenham Gold Cup has seen its fair share of incredible horses to have won the race, as well as enthralling battles throughout the years. 

A 3 mile 2 furlong trip around Cheltenham for the steeplechasers, it is the most valuable Jumps race other than the Grand National, with more than half a million pounds up for grabs for the eventual winners, on top of earning the coveted prize of being a Gold Cup winner. The race has always been a glittering contest, but in recent years, we have seen a real growth from the race to become arguably the most eagerly anticipated contest of the whole jumps season, and one that all jumps racing fans can’t wait to see unfold as the season progresses. 

Horses that win the Gold Cup become household names within the sport, and the list of past winners features many of the great names of the jumping scene. Top of the list is Golden Miller, who won the race on 5 different occasions (to put into perspective how good that feat is, no other horse has won more than 3 Gold Cups in their lifetime), while Arkle, who is considered the best jumps horse ever in terms of ratings. Best Mate is another household name who captured many hearts for his toughness, along with Kauto Star, who was a real fan favourite for his classy performances on many different occasions. It’s the race that every Jumps trainer, jockey and owner wants to win in their careers, and if you can win it more than once, that is a real blessing. This is without a doubt a race that is firmly in the top fives races held in the UK.   

Ascot Gold Cup (Ascot)

Behind the Derby at Epsom, the Ascot Gold Cup is certainly the most prestigious contest of the turf season. A two-and-a-half mile contest for the flat, staying horses, it is a real war of attrition for the “speedier” flat horses, that has been won by some fan favourites of horse racing in years gone by. The Ascot Gold Cup is the longest flat Group race in the world and is most certainly the highlight of Royal Ascot, which takes part every year in June. 2013 was an incredible year for the race, as Queen Elizabeth II's horse Estimate battled on incredibly hard to land the feature prize. It was an incredible moment for the sport, and it was fantastic to see the joy on her majesty's face when Estimate crossed the line in front.

One of the most famous winners of the Ascot Gold Cup is Yeats, who won the prize four times in a row between 2006 and 2009. More recently, we have seen the likes of Stradivarius, who won the race on three different occasions but unfortunately came up short in his bid to equal Yeats’ record in 2022. More recently, Kyprios has won the race on two occasions and will no doubt be back next year to try and make it three. 

King George VI Chase (Kempton Park)

Aside from the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National, we have the King George VI Chase at Kempton which is probably the most prestigious race before the turn of the year. The feature Grade 1 contest of the day on Boxing Day, many, if not all, racing fans can’t wait year in and year out to watch the race unfold, as it is the perfect excuse to fill yourself up on Christmas leftovers and watch some top-class racing. The King George is accompanied by other brilliant races, but ultimately all eyes will firmly be on the King George. 

Run over three miles, with the runners jumping 18 fences on the way round, it has taken place at Kempton Park on Boxing Day since 1937. Some of the biggest names in the sport have their name on the trophy, notably Desert Orchid, who won it four times in 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1990. 

His record was topped by the Paul Nicholls-trained Kauto Star who managed an incredible five successes in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011. Paul Nicholls is the leading trainer in the history of the King George, winning the race an astonishing 12 times, with the closest number in behind being just 5, so it is clear to see this is a race Paul Nicholls very much targets with his best horses.