Editing Thoroughbred racing (section)

==Types of racing==
{{See also|Horse racing|Thoroughbred racing in Australia|Horseracing in the United Kingdom}}

Thoroughbred racing is divided into two codes: [[flat racing]] and jump races. The most significant races are categorised as [[Group races]] or [[Graded stakes race]]s. Every governing body is free to set its own standards, so the quality of races may differ. Horses are also run under different conditions, for example [[Handicap races]], [[Weight for Age]] races or Scale-Weight. Although handicapping is generally seen as serving the purpose of gambling rather than identifying the fastest horses, some of the best known races in the world, such as the [[Grand National]] or [[Melbourne Cup]] are run as handicaps.

===Flat racing===
{{Main|Flat racing}}
{{See also|Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing}}

Flat races can be run under varying distances and on different terms. Historically, the major flat racing countries were Australia, England, Ireland, France and the United States, but other countries, such as Japan and the United Arab Emirates, have emerged in recent decades. Some countries and regions have a long tradition as major breeding centers, namely Ireland and Kentucky.

In Europe and Australia, virtually all major races are run on turf (grass) courses, while in the United States, dirt surfaces (or, lately, artificial surfaces such as [[Polytrack]]) are prevalent. In Canada, South America and Asia, both surface types are common.

===Jump racing===
{{see also|National Hunt racing|Steeplechase (horse racing)|Steeplechase racing in Australia|Steeplechase racing in the United States}}

Jump races and [[steeplechase (horse racing)|steeplechases]], called [[National Hunt]] racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland, are run over long distances, usually from {{convert|2|mi|m|spell=in}} up to {{convert|4+1/2|mi|m|spell=in}}, and horses carry more weight. Many jump racers, especially those bred in France, are not Thoroughbreds, being classified as [[AQPS]]. Novice jumping races involve horses that are starting out a jumping career, including horses that previously were trained in flat racing. National Hunt racing is distinguished between hurdles races and chases: the former are run over low obstacles and the latter over larger fences that are much more difficult to jump. National Hunt races are started by flag, which means that horses line up at the start behind a tape. Jump racing is popular in the UK, Ireland, France and parts of Central Europe, but only a minor sport or completely unknown in most other regions of the world. [[National Hunt flat race]]s (or "bumpers") without fences or hurdles are also staged to provide experience for horses which have not taken part in [[flat racing]].<ref>{{cite web|title=About National Hunt racing|url=http://www.equine-world.co.uk/horse_sports/national-hunt-racing-information.asp#.UZHCc-pwbIU|work=equine-world.co.uk|access-date=14 May 2013}}</ref>