Here’s a question for you: What springs to mind when someone asks you to name the best sports stadium? It’s a tougher question than it seems, as there are many things that can combine to make a great sports arena. Some might like the history of venues like the home of the Red Sox, Fenway Park, but even the most ardent fans from Beantown would agree that Fenway lacks modern comforts. So, others might say the newly-opened Allegiant Stadium built for the Raiders and UNLV is superior, given it’s a technological marvel. Further afield, you have the awe-inspiring venues they have built for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. But when it comes to discussing the best horse racing venues, the criteria can be a little different. For a start, bigger does not always mean better. Moreover, like golf courses, racecourses can be at one with their surrounding nature in ways that traditional brick-and-mortar stadia cannot. And despite our conviction that MLB venues like Fenway and Wrigley Field are historic, it’s worth remembering that racing goes back to time immemorial. And some of the most iconic racetrack venues have a history dating back centuries.
An Icon in the Heart of Melbourne
So, where to start? Let’s go Down Under to the race course synonymous with Australian racing, Flemington Racecourse. Like the United States, the history of Australia’s sporting venues only goes back so far. But what we love about Flemington is that it was built within five years of the founding of the city in 1835. As such, Flemington is part of the fabric of vibrant Melbourne. It can hold over 120,000 spectators, and it brings revelers in their droves for the Spring Carnival races, particularly the Melbourne Cup.
Further north (if you are looking up from Australia), there is Happy Valley, the scene of the famous Hong Kong night races. It’s difficult to describe this urban racetrack if you haven’t seen it, but imagine Manhattan’s financial center surrounded by a racetrack and the action takes place with the city’s skyline as a backdrop. There’s something mesmerizing about watching Happy Valley’s night racing on television, but if you can make the trip in person…
Dubai Racetrack Welcomes the World’s Racing Elite
Further west, we hit Meydan in Dubai. If you want your sporting venue full of five-star dining experiences, luxury hotels, and Rolls Royce cars, well, this is the venue for you. Slowly but surely, Dubai is becoming the epicenter of global horse racing. The reason for that is money, and they have spent a pretty penny building the ultimate luxury racing experience for jet-set globetrotters.
Over in Ireland, we have to mention The Curragh. It’s an old-Gaelic word meaning the running of the horse. The plain on which the current course is built has held racing going back centuries, although official races date back to the mid-19th century. Regardless, a trip to this iconic venue is worth it, and not just for the beautiful scenery of the Emerald Isle. Few countries are as racing-mad as Ireland, and the atmosphere at The Curragh is incredible for the big events. Go easy on the Guinness, though.
Finally, we’d list Ascot as one of the best around. It has a sense of pomp and ceremony from its royal patronage that is unmatched by any venue in the world. But while it holds its own history in high regard, modern redevelopment works have acted to complement that heritage. The perfect example of how to modernize a sports venue without losing the sense of what made it so special in the first place.
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