If you enjoy watching real horse racing events, one way to extend your interest in the subject is to buy one of the different horse racing games that are out there. And actually, by playing through different scenarios on the virtual horse racing games with simulations of real events such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Grand National or the Kentucky Derby, you may also improve your ability to pick actual winners in these key racing calendar events.
Horse racing fans are loyal to their sport, and usually passionate about it. However, there are far fewer followers of racing than there are of other sports, so you’ll find that the range of horse racing video games is pretty limited when compared with another sport such as football or Formula One. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some pretty decent games out there though – we’ve detailed three of the best below.
Starters Orders is a popular and long-running series of horse racing management games. The game allows players to virtually breed, own, train and race horses and features a number of the world’s most famous races, including the Melbourne Cup, the Breeders Cup, the Kentucky Derby and the Grand National.
It’s possible to choose between flat racing or jump racing at UK courses such as Aintree, Cheltenham, and Ascot, flat and jumps in Ireland, and flat racing in Australia and the US. There are hundreds of different races to choose from and realism is enhanced with features such as handicapping, stewards’ enquiries and penalties, as well as photo finishes. The latest version of Starters Orders (Starters Orders 6) gives 3D imagery and the possibility of racing in fields of up to 40 horses.
If you like the idea of ‘being’ the jockey, then Champion Jockey: G1 Jockey & Gallop Racer is another great choice. You can play as the jockey in a range of different world races. Part of the game is instruction in how to control the horse with the reins and where considered use of the whip will encourage your horse to reach the finish post first. The whole point of the game is so that you can put yourself in the jockey’s shoes. It’s been produced by Tecmo Koeil and is the follow-up game to the Tecmo Gallop Racer series and the Koei G1 Jockey series.
Due to a lack of licences to use real world race tracks, the courses are named differently, but any horse racing fan will be able to spot their favourite courses easily enough. Players begin by creating their jockey, then deciding which stable owner to work with. Game play includes exhibition races and completing pre-set challenges. There are 19 different tracks including dirt tracks and steeplechases to choose from on the Xbox 360 Kinect version of the game, and you can switch to Fun Race mode if you prefer less authentic simulation and just want to use the motion controls to race with.
Another horse racing management game is Raceclubs – where you can be the virtual owner and trainer of race horses. It’s possible to do everything from feeding the horses to designing the racing silks your jockey will wear. Training mode allows you to focus on developing the horse’s fitness and its performance, deciding which horse suits which track surface, distance and race category. Racing mode is what you’d imagine – racing against other horses that are owned by other players. There are Division races which you can work your way through towards the goal of being owner of a Champion stable. Leaderboards allow you to see how your progress ranks against other players’.
Raceclubs is free to sign up and play, and you’ll be allocated one free horse. If you want to add games features and buy extra horses, you’ll need to deposit cash into your Raceclubs account. But it’s possible to continue just playing for free.
Horse racing games can be pretty exciting, especially when you race against other players’ horses, but it’s probably safe to say that none of them quite match up to the experience of watching a big horse racing event such as the Preakness Stakes or the Grand National in real world racing.