Do you consider yourself a horse racing fan? If you do, then you must have either heard of some of these races, watched some replays, or maybe even watched some of them in person.
Every sport has its moments, the ones that fans never forget. In football, there are moments like Maradona’s infamous ‘hand of God’ goal that should have been disallowed, or Zidane’s headkick on Materazzi. In horse racing, there are some races that have made horses legends – races that people still talk about decades later.
Whether it’s a rivalry for the ages, a display of raw dominance, or a photo-finish win, here, we’ll discuss some of the most iconic horse races that every racing fan must know about – any why they still matter even today.
1. Secretariat at Belmont Stakes (1973)
You can’t even start a talk about iconic races without starting here. Secretariat’s 1973 Belmont Stakes win isn’t just the most famous race in American (and worldwide) horse racing, but arguably one of the most dominant sporting performances in history.
After already winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, Secretariat came into Belmont with the Triple Crown on the line. Guess what happened next? What happened next was simply absurd.
He didn’t just win – he crushed the field by an incredible 31 lengths. He even set the track record time of 2:24 – a time that still stands today. bookmakers had him at 1-10, which is the kind of heavy favourite you’d usually only see in something like french roulette, according to Roulette Guru, where the house edge is the lowest.
These are some of the things that made this race so special:
- No one, not even the bookies, expected that kind of margin
- His stride was measured at nearly 25 feet
- Even casual fans became believers of the Triple Crown
2. Arkle at Cheltenham Gold Cup (1965)
Jump racing fans have two eras: the before-Arkle and after-Arkle eras. This Irish steeplechaser didn’t just win, but he dominated the field in a way that jump racing has yet to see again.
Arkle faced off against Mill House at the 1965 Cheltenham Gold Cup in what many considered to be the ultimate clash at the time. Arkle beat Mill House convincingly, securing his third consecutive Gold Cup and making him the national hero in Ireland and across the UK.
In fact, Arkle was so dominant in his day that handicappers had to make special weight rules just for him. To show you just how dominant he was, he had a Timeform rating of 212, which is still the highest ever given to a steeplechaser.
3. Red Rum at the Grand National (1973 & 1977)
Red Rum is a name that will stay in British culture forever. His wins at Aintree are the main reason of why the Grand National is the race it is today.
Here’s more info about these two iconic victories:
- In 1973, Red Rum came from 30 lengths behind to chase down Crisp in what’s still considered to be one of the most dramatic race finishes ever
- In 1977, at the age of 12, Red Rum won his third Grand National, becoming the only horse ever to do it
But what made Red Rum so iconic wasn’t just the wins, but the way he did it. He was gutsy, he was gritty, and he had a massive heart.
4. Frankel at the 2000 Guineas (2011)
Many consider Frankel to be one of the most dominant horses of the 21st century. If Secretariat was raw power, Frankel was ‘poetry in motion’. He was undefeated in 14 races, but his 2000 Guineas win at Newmarket was the moment that everyone recognised his greatness.
Frankel didn’t just win the race. He blew the field away from the very start. He went to the front and just kept going and going, winning by 6 lengths in a way that had everyone, including trainers, pundits, and punters, shaking their heads in disbelief.
This is what made Frankel’s win at Newmarket so special:
- He ran the race as it were a sprint and never slowed down
- It’s very rare to see a Guineas favourite go that hard that early, and still win
- It showed the world that we’re witnessing one of the greatest flat racers of all time