The Highlights of the Racing Calendar in London and the Surrounding Ares in 2025
Horse racing is a sport that is enjoyed all over the globe, but if you’re located in London or the surrounding areas you have a veritable buffet of great racing meets to avail of. The south of England is home to some of the most iconic and exciting events on the domestic calendar.
There is of course the elegant Royal Ascot, the ever-exciting Cheltenham Festival and an awful lot more besides just those two. This year the calendar is once again jam-packed with high octane races, many of which we discuss below…
Iconic Racings Meets in the South of England This Year
Every horse racing fan gives a different answer when they are asked for their favourite event of the calendar. One event that does however seem more popular than most is the Cheltenham Festival which is scheduled for the 11th-14th March.
If you’re in central London you can be at the iconic Cheltenham racecourse in just over two hours, and every minute of the journey will be worth it when you get there as it is always an exhilarating watch.
The current favourites to win the Gold Cup – the main event at Cheltenham Festival – are Grey Dawning, Gentlemansgame and II Est Francais. What makes the Gold Cup so exciting though is that the favourites in the horse racing betting rarely run out as winners…
The other big name event in the southern calendar is Royal Ascot which will take place from Tuesday 17th to Saturday 21st June. Whereas Cheltenham is more of a boozy atmosphere, Royal Ascot is a more cultured and refined experience. Which is no wonder when you consider the regal connection to the event.
Another iconic event to take note of is The Derby which will be held just a couple of weeks before Royal Ascot at the illustrious Epsom Downs which is only 20 miles from central London. If you’re a fan of unpredictability and thrills and spills, The Derby is an event that you absolutely have to pencil into your diary.
(The Cheltenham Festival has produced some of the most iconic moments in horse racing history. With it taking place just 95 miles or so outside of London, you’d be a fool not to get yourself a ticket.)
Will the Favourites Gallop to Victory?
At the time of writing Christmas is not too distant of a memory. The evenings are still getting dark before the working day has finished and the mornings are frosty and chilly. So, at this stage it’s redundant trying to speculate who will win which race this year.
Put quite simply, there are too many variables between now and then which would make any of our predictions guesswork at best. What we will say though is that at least two of the three events mentioned above lend themselves to spectacular unpredictability.
Cheltenham and The Derby are both renowned for producing unexpected results. Whilst those looking to make regular profits from horse racing betting could lament that, it’s great news for the rest of us.
We watch horse racing because it is fun and it is fun because anyone can win. Added to that, the unpredictability makes it even more appealing to casual sports betters.
The chance of winning a couple of hundred quid from an outsider romping to victory is way more exciting than winning consistently smaller amounts betting on the favourites.
(Whilst it’s a fools game to make predictions now, something you should pay attention to is whether or not a horse is being rid by a super skilled jockey.)
Should You Visit a Race in 2025?
Yes, absolutely. There are plenty of sports that are best enjoyed on the television but horse racing is not one of them. The best way to experience the thrill of horses is to go to an event in person and here in the south of England we are blessed to have a number of great events on our doorstep.
If you’re a horse racing enthusiast, your New Year’s resolution should be to experience the thrill and atmosphere at an event like the Cheltenham Festival or Royal Ascot. Just make sure to be decisive and book your tickets in good time as the best seats in the house have a tendency of selling out quickly!