The Biggest Flat Races to Look Out for in 2022

For the remainder of the year, there are some high quality group one races in prospect with the UK being the main hub for the big events.

File photo of 'Royal Ascot 2015' by Dumphasizer
By Karthik Raman | Apr 26, 2022 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

In the sport of horse racing, all the recent action has been over the jumps. National Hunt racing, as it is known, has dominated the scene with the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National taking center stage.

From May onwards, the focus will switch to the flat racing scene. For the remainder of the year, there are some high quality group one races in prospect with the UK being the main hub for the big events. 

Here, then, is a guide to the biggest flat races over the next few months.

1000 and 2000 Guineas

Newmarket is considered by many to be the home of horse racing and this historic course is host to two of the biggest flat races on the calendar. Over two days of racing, the 1000 Guineas and the 2,000 Guineas are the big highlights.

Both races form part of the UK’s five classics. The 2,000 Guineas is the first leg of the UK’s Triple Crown and is regarded to be marginally more prestigious but both are top class events. Look out for the Guineas in late April/early May each year.

The Derby

The Epsom Derby has been held on Epsom Racecourse since way back in 1780. There are five ‘classics’ on the UK horse racing schedules but this is considered to be the most prestigious of them all. The Derby also attracts the most interest in a flat race from a betting perspective.

Sportsbooks list their Epsom Derby markets well in advance of the race and the 2022 odds have been in place for some time. For reference, the bookmakers affiliated with sbo.net currently have a horse by the name of Luxembourg listed as the clear favourite.

A gap follows the market leader and the closest challengers are Point Lonsdale, Reach for the Moon and Native Trail. There are a number of other horses in contention and those markets will adjust in the days leading up to the 2022 Epsom Derby.

As the updates come in, sbo.net will reflect any market changes and visitors to the website can assess the new sets of odds. Articles relating to the world of horse racing will also be here and it’s possible for those who want to place a bet to get involved directly.

Each of the sportsbooks listed will accept new sign ups and many have generous welcome promotions. Once a secure and brief registration form has been completed, players can deposit using a range of funding methods and bets can then be placed.

Effective customer service can help out with registration if necessary and there are other benefits moving forward. Mobile betting via an app, in-play betting and a choice of other sporting markets are among the other advantages.

It’s a useful site to check out for the Epsom Derby and for all of the top class flat races on this list.

Royal Ascot

The highest concentration of group one horse races can be found at Royal Ascot. This is a five-day meeting which traditionally takes place in mid-June and there are top class events right across the card.

The main Highlights of Royal Ascot include the Gold Cup, the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, the Coronation Stakes and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. The meeting even gets underway with a group one as the Queen Anne Stakes kick starts the action on Tuesday each year.

Best of the Rest

Early summer is the time to find the biggest flat races on the UK calendar. However, there is more to look forward to, even when the curtain finally comes down on Royal Ascot. 

Goodwood is the focus in July for the Sussex Stakes, the Nassau Stakes and the Goodwood Cup. In August, the circuit moves north to York with the Nunthorpe Stakes a major highlight.

Elsewhere, the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster brings the curtain down in terms of the five classics. Flat racing will, however, continue through October with significant renewals at Newmarket, Ascot and Doncaster, before giving way to National Hunt once again.

It’s an exciting time for racegoers with the biggest flat meetings still to come and there will be drama and excitement in store at every turn.