Horse racing has been called the ‘sport of kings’. At the time that this grandiose title was assigned, the equestrian racing world was the domain of royalty, nobility, the landed gentry and the aristocracy. Far from being a sport for the masses, it was the realm of the few. For many, it was having the money to keep, breed, and race horses that ensured their interest, for others, their love of all things equine made this a natural pastime. Even in the days when this was the case, there was still money to be made, but mainly by those with plenty invested already.

How things have changed. Though the world of all things equestrian is still populated by often wealthy stable owners, it is no longer simply a playground for the posh, the wealthy, the gilded, it is now a sport that transcends social and financial boundaries. At any track, across the many horse racing countries of the world, you will find people from all walks of life, all discussing the latest horse races odds and, in some cases, some of those people may even have a stake in one of the runners. While previously race horse ownership was very much for royalty and attending a race meet was for the few, horse racing is now a global sport.

As well as people owning part of a horse, allowing for greater opportunities for those who may not be as wealthy as top breeders or stables, track as now visited by people from across the social divide. Beyond this, horse racing around the globe has, and continues to undergo a genuine revolution. Never before has it been so mainstream, never before has it been so popular. So, what factors have contributed to this? Quite a few, is the likely answer, so let’s see if we can look at some.

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