Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in the UK and steeplechasing in the US. Jump racing can be further divided into hurdling and steeplechasing.
Thoroughbred horse racing is a spectator sport in Australia, and gambling on horse races is a very popular pastime with A$14.3 billion wagered in 2009/10 with bookmakers and the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB). The two forms of Thoroughbred horseracing in Australia are flat racing, and races over fences or hurdles in Victoria and South Australia. Thoroughbred racing is the third most attended spectator sport in Australia, behind Australian rules football and rugby league, with almost two million admissions to 360 registered racecourses throughout Australia in 2009/10. Horseracing commenced soon after European settlement, and is now well-appointed with automatic totalizators, starting gates and photo finish cameras on nearly all Australian racecourses.
Galileo was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from October 2000 until October 2001, he ran eight times and won six races. He is best known for having won the Derby, Irish Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2001. He was named the European Champion Three-Year-Old Colt of 2001.
Hurricane Run (2002–2016) was a world champion Irish-bred thoroughbred racehorse. He was the second French-trained horse, after his sire Montjeu, to win both the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He was trained by André Fabre in France and ridden in all but one of his races by Christophe Soumillon or Kieren Fallon.
Nashwan was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. After winning both his starts as a two-year-old, he developed into an outstanding performer in the spring and summer of 1989, completing a unique four-timer when winning the 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby, Eclipse Stakes, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. After sustaining his only defeat in the Prix Niel in September, he was retired to stud where he was a successful sire of winners.
Vaguely Noble (1965–1989) was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in the United Kingdom and France. The colt is best known as the winner of the 1968 Group One Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when he defeated the best horses from England, France, Ireland and Italy. He was later a leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland and a Leading broodmare sire in GB & Ireland. Vaguely Noble is one of the highest-rated horses ever to run in Europe.
Ethereal is a New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse. The mare is best known for winning the 2001 Melbourne Cup.
Ardan (1941–1959) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career which lasted from 1943 until 1946 he ran twenty-three times and won sixteen races. He was the leading racehorse in France in 1944 when his wins included the Prix du Jockey Club and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was retired to stud at the end of the 1946 season and had limited success as a stallion.
John M. Oxx is a retired Irish trainer of thoroughbred racehorses. By the end of the 2009 season Oxx had trained 35 Group One winners over his career, including the winners of 11 Classic races. He is best known as the trainer of Sinndar and Sea The Stars.
Urban Sea was an American bred Thoroughbred racemare best known for winning France's most prestigious race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, in 1993 and for her importance as a world-class broodmare. She is one of ten mares to produce two Derby winners, namely Galileo and Sea the Stars. She is the only mare in the 21st century to produce two Derby winners. None has produced three winners of this race.
My Typhoon is an American Thoroughbred racehorse whom the NTRA calls "one of the world's best-bred horses."
Zarkava is an undefeated French Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2008 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
The 2009 Epsom Derby was a horse race which took place at Epsom Downs on Saturday 6 June 2009. It was the 230th running of the Derby, and it was won by Sea the Stars. The winner was ridden by Michael Kinane and trained by John Oxx. The pre-race favourite Fame and Glory finished second.
Sea The Stars is a retired champion Irish Thoroughbred racehorse regarded as one of the greatest racehorses of all time. He won the 2000 Guineas, the Derby, the Eclipse Stakes – the first colt to accomplish this treble since 1989 champion Nashwan – the International Stakes, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in the same year. Sea The Stars is also a successful sire.
Stacelita is a Thoroughbred racehorse who was a Classic winner while based in France and became an Eclipse Award winner when relocated to the United States.
The 2009 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was a horse race held at Longchamp on Sunday 4 October 2009. It was the 88th running of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Sicambre (1948–1975) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion sire.
Nathaniel is an Irish-bred British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. Nathaniel failed to win in two races as a two-year-old but attracted attention by running Frankel to half a length at Newmarket. At three he recorded his first major win in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and then won Britain's most prestigious all-aged race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes over the same course and distance. Nathaniel returned in 2012 to win the Eclipse Stakes on his seasonal debut. Although he failed to win again he was placed in the King George, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Champion Stakes before being retired at the end of the year. During his racing career he earned £1,464,688. He made an immediate impact as a breeding stallion, siring the champion filly Enable in his first season at stud.
Miswaki was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse that was a Group One winner in France and a stakes race winner in the United States. He was an important sire of 97 stakes race winners and was the Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain and Ireland in 1999 and 2001.
Sea of Class was an Irish-bred British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. She was unraced as a juvenile and beaten on her three-year-old debut, but then made rapid progress, winning the Fillies' Trial Stakes in May and the Abingdon Stakes in June. When stepped up to Group 1 class she defeated top-class fields to take the Irish Oaks in July and the Yorkshire Oaks in August before being narrowly beaten in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Initially it was believed that Sea of Class died from colic, the supposed colic subsequently proved to be lymphoma, and an initial growth was removed. A further cancerous growth was discovered 19 days after the original operation; the discovery of the latter resulted in Sea of Class being euthanized on July 22, 2019. Sea of Class is widely regarded to be one of the best middle distance horses of her generation.
