The sport of horse racing is most commonly associated with individual stars, be that the brave riders in the saddle, the expert trainers, or, of course, the equine athletes themselves.
Before 2021, the only team-based competition on the British calendar came in the shape of Shergar Cup Day at Ascot, which saw squads of international riders locking horns in a single-day event.
Making its debut in 1999, the distinctive Shergar Cup proved a smash hit with punters and may have partially inspired the newest team competition – The Racing League.
What is the Racing League?
The Racing League is a team-based racing competition staged across a series of summer flat fixtures. The league sees regional teams of trainers and jockeys do battle for points, bragging rights, and prize money.
Each race within the league awards points, which contribute to a cumulative team score. At the end of the series of fixtures, the team with the highest points tally claims the Racing League title.
In adding a league format more commonly associated with other sports to traditional racing thrills, the Racing League provides one of the most unique and innovative events of the British season.
Aside from the unusual format, racegoers can expect a little extra from their race day experience at a Racing League fixture. Running under the slogan “Racing Reimagined,” the additional entertainment may include live music, as well as racing school exhibits, prize giveaways, and an opportunity to meet the teams, as well as further activities for kids.
The Teams
Launched in 2021, the Racing League switched the focus from the international competition of the Shergar Cup to a more regional rivalry.
The inaugural edition focussed on sponsored teams, with Arena Racing, Oddsbible, talkSPORT, and eToro among those to lend their backing to one of the 12 teams.
The switch to a streamlined regionally based format came in 2022, with seven teams representing regions from across the UK and Ireland.
Rather than the colours of their owners, all horses competing in a Racing League event sport the colours of their team. This creates a unique and immediately recognisable spectacle. The seven regional outfits and their respective team colours are:
- Ireland – Green
- London & The South – Purple
- Scotland – Blue
- The East – Yellow
- The North – Black
- Wales & The West – Red
- Yorkshire – White/Grey
A Racing League team consists of a pool of trainers, a squad of jockeys, and a team manager, whose task it is to oversee race entries, jockey selections, and overall strategy.
Each team begins with a core group of six trainers but may draft further trainers as the competition progresses. Selected jockeys may only ride for one team over the course of the competition.
The team manager is usually a recognisable figure from the industry, with broadcasters Matt Chapman and Leona Mayor, and trainers Jamie Osborne and Charlie Fellowes, among those to have stepped into the managerial hotseat.
The Format: How Does It Work?
The Racing League takes place over 42 races spread across six summer flat fixtures. Each Racing League fixture consists of seven handicap contests held over a range of distances.
Each team enters two runners in each Racing League Race, resulting in a field of 14 runners for every race as standard. The only exception to this is if a Racing League fixture takes place at a track with a 13-runner maximum field stipulation, e.g., Wolverhampton. In this instance, each team will enter two horses in six of the seven races and only one in the other.
Points Make Prizes
The Racing League awards 100 points per race. Points are distributed according to finishing position as follows:
- 1st Place – 25 Points
- 2nd Place – 18 Points
- 3rd Place – 15 Points
- 4th Place – 12 Points
- 5th Place – 10 Points
- 6th Place – 8 Points
- 7th Place – 6 Points
- 8th Place – 3 Points
- 9th Place – 2 Points
- 10th Place – 1 Point
- 11th-14th Place – 0 Points
In awarding points down to 10th position, the Racing League adds an additional layer of excitement to every race. In a competition where every point counts, the battle between 9th and 10th matters far more than in your standard British horse race.
The Joker
Since 2022, each Racing League manager has had the opportunity to play a Joker in two of the 42 Racing League races. The managers must announce if they are playing a Joker before each race begins. When played, the Joker acts to double the points obtained by the two horses representing the Joker-playing team during the race.
The Joker adds a layer of strategy to the Racing League, while many punters see the playing of a Joker as a tip in itself.
The Leaderboard and Prizes
All points obtained during the competition are added to a continually updating leaderboard, enabling fans to track the progress of the teams. At the end of the sixth and final Racing League fixture, the team sitting atop the leaderboard lifts the Racing League Trophy for that year.
The Racing League provides a big incentive for owners, trainers, and jockeys to get involved. The total prize money across the 42 races regularly tops £2 million – significantly higher than for a comparable set of midweek races. This race-by-race prize money is paid out according to standard British Horseracing Authority Rules.
In addition to the individual race prize-money, prizes are given out at the end of the competition:
- £50,000 goes to the winning team
- £35,000 goes to the jockeys in the winning team
- £20,000 goes to the jockey who scores the most points over the six weeks of the competition
Racing League Winners
- 2021 – talkSPORT – Team talkSPORT pipped eToro Racing on the final day, with Jack Mitchell claiming top jockey honours
- 2022 – Wales & The West – Wales & The West turned a 36-point deficit into a 93-point lead to overhaul London & The South on the final day, with Saffie Osborne’s treble helping her to the leading jockey prize
- 2023 – Ireland – Saffie Osborne retained her top jockey title, but Wales & The West lost out by just seven points, as Ireland topped the Racing League for the first time
- 2024 – Wales & The West – A hat-trick of top jockey triumphs for Saffie Osborne, as she led Wales & The West to a comfortable success
- 2025 – London & The South – Team manager Matt Chapman had plenty to shout about in 2025, as London & The South finished 75 points ahead of The East to claim a first title. Having contributed 299 points to that haul, Richard Kingscote bagged top jockey honours