Horse racing is nothing but easy. In fact the level of difficulty is so variable that it is hardly ever the case that a horse race can be seen as simple and easy. For everyone who loves horse racing as well as for everyone who enthusiastically places horse racing bets in sites listed at https://allbets.tv/it/bookmakers/horse-racing/, this is pretty clear and evident. It is a beautiful, exciting and amazing sport and at the same time it is challenging, difficult and tough.
We don’t want to speak about the difficulty coming from the fact that horses and riders need to have excellent cooperation, but about the difficulty added by the horse race tracks themselves.
Horse racing fans know that not all tracks are the same. They are vastly different and this has implications on how horses perform and of course on the overall results of the competition. But which are the toughest horse races in the world? What makes them so hard and challenging?
Let’s see the three toughest ones and the main reasons making them tough.
1. The Grand National
The Grand National is regarded as the most unpredictable race of all. Being an annual competition taking place at Aintree England, this race has all the things that can make it difficult and challenging for horses and riders.
The long distance, the huge field, the long jumps as well as the handicap are all factors that add a considerably high level of difficulty. The Grand National is one of the longest races with approximately 7.2 km (or nearly four and a half mile) distance in two full circuits. But what’s more challenging is that this race features some of the biggest fences, presenting further challenges for jockeys and horses.
More difficulty is added by the fact that the Grand National is a huge field, with more than 40 horses participating in the race. This means that it gets much more crowded and thus it gets much more difficult for the horses themselves. And then on top of these, there is also the handicap which requires the best horses to carry weight during the entire race.
2. The Mongol Derby
This is an endurance race that takes place in the Mongolian Steppe. We are talking about a race that goes almost beyond 1000 km in a course that has everything: from mountain passes and rocky pathways to open steppes and river crossings.
The Mongol Derby is held annually and recreates the legendary long-distance message transmission system set by Chinggis Khan in 1224!.
Forty riders participate in the race, which usually lasts for ten days! Noticeably, the riders are required to change horses along the entire course because of the harsh and tough conditions of the race. In fact, horses are allowed to run for a maximum of 40 km before they are changed and there is always close monitoring of their condition or exhaustion to prevent their health and well-being.
Just think that only a small number of the 40 riders participating in this race eventually get to finish the competition!
3. The Ascot Gold CupWhile the Ascot Gold Cup is nothing compared to the previous two in terms of distance or harshness of the race, it still is a tough one. A flat race organized every summer, the Ascot Gold Cup runs in a 3.7 km distance which is a pretty long course. But what makes it difficult is that it is one of the most popular races and this means that it gathers top quality stayers who pose challenges to each other!
