Magic Man and friends: Brazil's influence on racing

Two years after the country staged football's World Cup, Brazilian minds will be focused on another sporting jamboree over the coming weeks when Rio de Janeiro hosts the Olympics.

For two weeks after August 5 – plus another fortnight of Paralympics in September – a nation more often in thrall to the 'selecao' and samba-style football (sometimes) will turn its attention to running, jumping, swimming and shooting. Or twirling ribbons and pushing hoops if rhythmic gymnastics is your bag, although it probably isn't.

However, at least one other serious sporting discipline will also be taking place for the duration of the Olympics in the shape of horseracing, which means the elegant city-centre racecourse Gavea in a picture-postcard setting in Rio.