Flat Racing in Great Britain
In Great Britain, (and the majority of Europe) flat racing is split into two distinctive bands, conditions races and handicaps.
- Conditions races are further split into:
- Pattern races
- Group 1 - (Classics and other races of major international importance)
- Group 2 - (less important international races)
- Group 3 - (primarily domestic races)
- Listed races - have less prestige than the group races but are still more important than handicaps.
- Pattern races
- Handicap races - where the Jockey Club official handicapper gives horses a different weight to carry according to their ability, are the bread and butter daily races although some of these are also quite prestigious.
Classic Races - In British horse racing, The Classics are a series of horse races run over the flat (i.e. without jumps). Each classic is run once each year and is restricted to horses that are three years old; two of them are further restricted to fillies only. There are five Classic races:
- 2,000 Guineas Stakes
- 1,000 Guineas Stakes
- Epsom Oaks
- Epsom Derby
- St. Leger Stakes
Read more about this topic: Flat Racing
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