World's most famous race
 

a heads up that it is taking place this Saturday - the Grand National. It should be a great race as usual. I'd love to see one of the previous winners Hedgehunter or Numbersixvalverde win it but Point Barrow looks like the ideal type!
Hopefully, all the horses and riders will arrive home safely!

I will disagree entirely with that... in the States the Derby obviously is more popular, but when taking the whole world into account it is certainly the Grand National.
Who name is more recognisable worldwide - Red Rum or Secretariat? Im sure its the former!

Are you including South America and Asia when you say worldwide?
I highly doubt that the Grand National is more famous if you include the whole world. First of all because I don't belive steeplechase is more popular than flat racing worldwide.

i dont think it matters that steeplechasing isnt as popular around the world -its the actual event. People are all very aware of the Superbowl without actually following American Football.

Ive been in the middle of absolute nowhere on Grand National day and still somehow, seen newspaper and television reports on it!

Can't wait for The Chair.

Had Innox who went down at the first last year. Shortest bet I ever made.

Too bad it won't be on TVG this year, I'll have to watch on the computer.

from the Grand National website the estimated TV audience worldwide for this years race is 600 million

http://www.grandnational.org.uk/

2004 Kentucky Derby was watched by 14.6 million viewers in the US. Do you think that there are 583.4 million viewers of the Kentucky Derby outside the US?

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/New...ws3monday.html

I have no clue. Where are the six hundred million people that watch this race? What countries? That number is to me impossible to believe. if its true fine, I don't really care.

I've watched this type of racing and don't find it very interesting. In fact, to be quite honest it seems cruel.

anyway, good luck with whomever you are backing.

I know its hard to beleive that the World doesnt being and end at the borders of the USA but that is actually the truth

This information is pretty accurate. The Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National are extremely famous and popular.

When I went to Australia, I didn't meet one person who knew too much about the Kentucky Derby or that it was even ran at Churchill Downs.

I think ArlJim is understimating the reach of the once mighty British Empire!!!

you're barking up the wrong tree buddy.

that is not my position whatsoever. i didn't doubt the number because of some belief that anything big or important has to be from the US perspective.
I doubted it just because I am sceptical by nature and the number seems too high. its not like I would be upset to find out that another race was more popular than the Kentucky Derby outside of the US. No big deal.

actually I follow international flat racing everywhere, in every country.

I have learned something new about the popularity of the Grand National. thank you.

The US was once part of this empire, no? :)


Other than Australia and Europe, what countries are making up the 600Million number?

Well its not only the old Empire countries...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_d...al/1235924.stm

WOW! its in China now. 200 million there alone.

I had no idea. I see that I can watch it on Bris Saturday morning. I will give it a look to see what its all about.

40 horses going 4 miles over some of the biggest jump fences anywhere. Oh yes and its a handicap with top weight Hedgehunter carrying 162 and bottom wieght carrying around 140

There is nothing like it.

well there certainly is Nothing like that over here that I know of.

I'm always up for something new so I will give it a look.

Take the class, a lot of them don't belong......

box 5 and pray they don't fall

I don't plan to wager, wouldn't know how to approach it. I will pray that the horses come through this. If it turns out that horses are falling left and right I will be checking out. Not my kind of entertainment.

Don't they also run the bulls this time of year at Pamplona?:)
When they start putting numbers on the sides of the bulls and taking wagers, I might start watching this one also.:D