Five Major Horse Races Still To Happen In 2023

We take a look at five of the best horse races to come in the remaining months of 2023.

Gauteng Summer Cup

Kenilworth Racecourse will stage two prestigious Group One races in December, providing three-year-olds with a platform to impress in both the Cape Guineas and the Cape Fillies’ Guineas.

However, the most valuable race to be staged in South Africa at the end of the year is the Betway Summer Cup, where the sponsors have boosted the prize pot up to R5,000,000.

Huge crowds have been flocking to Turffontein Racecourse since 1887 to enjoy this Group One Handicap.

Puerto Manzano ran out an impressive winner of the Gauteng Summer Cup last year, but the defending champion could face stiff competition from Durban July winner, Winchester Mansion and last year’s leading three-year-old, See It Again.

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

Before we reach December, there’s a wide range of valuable races to enjoy from the USA, Asia and Australia.

On the first Sunday in October, Europe’s best middle distance horses will have their chance to shine in another brilliant renewal of the historic Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Bookmaker Ladbrokes are offering the code BLACKBOOK for punters signing up and placing a bet on their favourite to win the Arc in 2023, unbeaten three-year-old Ace Impact, who wowed home fans with an explosive victory in the Prix du Jockey Club earlier in the summer.

The first and second from a superb renewal of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Hukum and Westover will make the trip over from England for main event at Longchamp.

Top Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien could hand a supplementary entry to Continuous, following his dominant victory in the St Leger at Doncaster.

Melbourne Cup

The eyes of millions of racing fans will be fixed on Flemington on November 7th, as a field of 20 top stayers battle it out in the Melbourne Cup with betting extremely intense with betting site Ladbokes.

Known as “The Race that Stops a Nation”, the 2023 Melbourne Cup will reach a much wider audience, given that the favourite to win this year’s event according to Bets.com.au tips is Vauban, trained by Ireland’s finest jumps trainer, Willie Mullins.

Locals will be cheering on the defending champion, Gold Trip and Chris Waller’s Soulcombe, who has impressed since making the move down-under to become a star of Australian horse racing.

Ebor Handicap winner, Absurde will join stablemate Vauban on the plane over from Ireland. Japan will also be represented in this year’s Melbourne Cup, if Yoichi Kuroiwa’s Breakup takes up his entry.

Japan Cup

The world’s highest-rated flat horse is pencilled in for an appearance at Tokyo racecourse at the end of November, where Equinox will carry the tag of favouritism into the Japan Cup.

Tetsuya Kimura’s star announced himself on the global stage at this year’s Meydan World Cup, destroying a top-quality field to win the Sheema Classic. Equinox extended his winning run into a fifth race earlier this year, swooping home from the rear of the field to win the Takarazuka Kinen.

Christophe Lemaire’s mount will return to the Tenno Sho before heading on to the Japan Cup, where Equinox will attempt to win the lion’s share of the staggering R648,000,000 prize pool.

Breeders’ Cup Classic

The Breeders’ Cup Carnival returns to Santa Anita Racecourse in November, where flat racing fans will enjoy two days of scintillating action.

The last of nine Group One races that will be staged on the second and final day is, arguably, the most prestigious race in all of dirt racing, the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The early favourite with the bookmakers is Arcangelo, for little known trainer, Jena Antonucci. Arcangelo caused a stir by beating favourite Forte in the Belmont Stakes at the start of the summer.

Antonucci’s three-year-old proved that victory was no fluke by following up in the Travers Stakes and Arcangelo currently heads Arabian Knight and Geaux Rocket Ride in the Breeders’ Cup Classic market.