There are few more popular sports in the world to attend in person than horse racing, with meetings taking place across all four corners of the globe. From the hallowed turf of Ascot in the UK (if you decide to go here I also suggest to visit Oxford nearby), where Ladies’ Day is a fashion spectacle as much as a sporting event, to the vibrant atmosphere of Flemington Racecourse in Australia during the Melbourne Cup, the “race that stops a nation,” fans of the sport have their passports stamped from various locations. A number of tracks frequently appear on the bucket lists of avid followers of the sport, making travelling to watch some of the biggest events on the calendar exceptionally popular. Fans typically travel in their thousands to watch events such as the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup at the track, regardless of where they are from.
But, what are some of the key tips that racing fans should follow before going to the racecourse?
Choose Dates Carefully
An important consideration to take into account for fans looking to attend an international meeting on the calendar is to carefully examine the dates. Horse racing takes place throughout the year, meaning that there is never a bad time to make the journey to a new country to watch the racing.
However, the dates could have a direct impact on the prices that fans could be expected to pay, with flights and hotels likely to be more expensive during the periods when the schools are off. You can check TwinSpires.com for the latest race dates and you can learn how to place wages too.
Selecting dates around these term times could be an important way to ensure that you save yourself money, especially if you have no kids to travel with. Saving money this way could easily fund another trip to the racing in the near future, and could also help create a decent betting purse to play with when you get to your location.
Book Tickets and Accommodation In Advance
As one of the most popular sporting events to attend, hotels and other forms of accommodation typically sell out well in advance before some of the major events on the calendar.
Therefore, if you’re looking to attend a race such as the Kentucky Derby or Breeders’ Cup mentioned above, then it is important to get a place to stay booked up as quickly as possible to avoid running the risk of staying far away from the desired location. As well as this, if you have your sights set on a big race day, you should also buy tickets for the event well in advance to avoid the heartache of the event selling out.
Typically the biggest events on the schedule will sell out before the week of the event, meaning that tickets should be brought as early as possible. As well as accommodation and tickets, fans should also be quick to plot their way to the location, whether that be via a flight or a hire car. Both of these factors should also be booked in advance to avoid any setbacks.
Budget For The Trip
Like any trip, any visitor to the horse racing should budget for their trip from the minute that the confirmation email has been received. That means that you can put aside money every month for the trip, taking into account the money that you will need for food and drink, as well as any other trips that you wish to take in while you’re away.
Importantly, it could also be a good idea to take into account the money that you will be betting with during this period, as you can begin to build a purse that you can use for your gambling when you get to the track. This will avoid the risk of having to find the money just days before you make the journey overseas, and the money would have already been put aside for the wagers that you plan to make when you are away.
Budgeting can be done throughout a year, or less, depending on when the event that you’re attending is taking place. For example, if you are planning to go to the Derby and have booked up in May of the previous year, then you can put aside $100 per month to fund the trip to ensure that you have more than enough spending money when you arrived at Churchill Downs.
Start Looking At The Races
Big horse racing events will typically revolve around some of the biggest stars in the world, meaning that you can begin to track the form as soon as your booking has been confirmed.
For example, if you’re planning a trip to the Derby, then you can keep tabs on all of the prep races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby before travelling overseas to ensure that you have all the information required to make knowledgeable picks when you arrive at Churchill Downs.
Following the form from an early stage will not just give you the best chance of getting returns on your selections when you are overseas, but it will also raise your excitement levels ahead of the upcoming trip.
Lived in England since 1998 and travelled the world since 2005, visiting over 100 countries on 5 continents. Writer, blogger, photographer with a passion for adventure and travel, discovering those off beat places not yet on the tourist trail. Marco contributes the very best in independent travel tips and lifestyle articles.
