St Moritz: madness and merriment on top of the world

Horseracing is not short of courses set in a stunning location – from Goodwood’s glorious downs, to Laytown’s low tide, the grand chateau at Chantilly, jungle of skyscrapers surrounding Happy Valley, or Santa Anita's backdrop of mountains and Cheltenham with its picturesque hills – but none come close to matching the trackside vista at St Moritz for awe-inspiring beauty.

The 3,123m high Piz Rosatsch – that is 1m7½f in racing terms, or the Tingle Creek from start to finish – makes for such a jaw-dislocatingly gorgeous backdrop it is easy to forget you are standing slap bang in the middle of a frozen lake as horses thunder past and snow flies everywhere.

The stunning setting for White TurfCredit: Stuart Riley

The White Turf, which takes place over three consecutive weekends in February, started back in 1907 and features thoroughbred races as well as trotting and the utterly bonkers ski-jorging – in which those doing the steering are on skis a metre behind their horses right in the heart of the kickback. It is a unique concept right up there with the Velka Pardubicka and Palio di Siena for sheer madness.