They share so much common ground, so why doesn't racing foster a better relationship with eventing?

Burghley Horse Trials concluded on Sunday, with British rider Ros Canter and her horse Lordships Graffalo teaming up for a magnificent second successive triumph in the coveted five-star three-day event. 

Why am I telling you this, you might ask? Well, it's because racing has a lot in common with eventing. First, it’s centred around the use of horses for sport, a topic that has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years through the likes of extremist group Animal Rising. 

Like racing, eventing allows men and women to compete on equal terms, with Olympic champion Canter celebrating her latest major victory having announced her pregnancy just weeks before, just as Hollie Doyle continues to rewrite records set by Hayley Turner in racing. 

Both sports attract a similar demographic, with eventing and racing boasting strong links to rural communities. Top racing broadcasters Nick Luck and Tom Stanley pivoted to cover Burghley over the weekend, while the Horse and Hound magazine is to eventing media what the Racing Post is to racing.

There are plenty of links between eventing and horse racingCredit: Lotte Simons

The riders themselves also share a similar lifestyle. As well as dedicating themselves to the unglamorous daily care of equine athletes, they must possess unique physical strength, an attention to technical detail and a penchant for thrill-seeking within their respective sporting arenas.

Neither sport is easily accessible to the general public, with capital investment and familial relations often integral for those wanting to pursue either discipline as a career. 

That said, eventing and racing are also fundamentally very different. For instance, racing’s funding model is intrinsically linked to betting and eventing is not. Racing also benefits from terrestrial TV coverage through ITV, whereas eventing more or less disappeared from the BBC in 2012. 

Nevertheless, different sports can learn plenty from each other, as we have seen with Formula 1's Drive To Survive triggering a raft of sports documentary series in a bid to attract new audiences, and it is surprising racing and eventing don’t commingle more closely given the common ground they share.

Formula 1's Drive To Survive series has attracted new fans to the sportCredit: Bryn Lennon (Getty Images)

When they have finished on the track, many racehorses go on to compete at a high level in eventing. Arctic Soul completed Badminton on three occasions and Burghley once for Gemma Tattersall before his death in 2022.

While having an unremarkable career on the racecourse in Ireland, the son of Luso showcased the excellent grounding racing can provide while promoting the brilliance of the thoroughbred breed, and he is one of countless success stories spanning both sports.

Retraining for Racehorses does magnificent work, but racing can surely do more to maintain and foster these valuable links to eventing, particularly at a time when there is an increased focus on traceability and aftercare. 

Luxury clothing brand Holland Cooper leverages influencers and celebrities to sell the country lifestyle in both sports, but racing should be asking how it can position itself as attractive to similar equestrian and lifestyle brands, which were out in force at Burghley.

While racing has dipped its toe into the influencersphere through Love Island contestants Chris Hughes and Frankie Foster, it can surely do more to utilise the profiles of the likes of Millie Stennett and Kate Hutchins, the Magnolia Cup rider who has more than a million followers on Instagram.

Both regular racegoers, Stennett and Hutchins were at Burghley and active on social media in their individual styles, and racing's promoters should be more proactive in using their platforms to grow the sport's reach to a new generation. 

I attended Badminton last year and enjoyed the day out immensely, but there were no visible links to racing, and the same goes if you were to attend a racing meeting in Britain.

This seems like a missed opportunity, and I can't help but think both sports would prosper from more unity. 

Arc picture looks grim

Blimey, this year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe might not take much winning. 

I had my reservations about Kalpana (class) and Whirl (trip) prior to their runs over the weekend, and both their defeats mean we’re now in a position where one of the joint-favourites isn’t even entered.

That's Minnie Hauk and, along with the September Stakes winner Giavellotto, she will surely bypass the race if the going is as testing as it usually is at Longchamp in October, while the Japanese raiders would prefer it rattling quick too.

Minnie Hauk: joint-favourite for the ArcCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

I suspect Byzantine Dream and Alohi Alii would only have outside chances in a regular year and the only potential springer in the market I can see is the prime Japanese hope Croix Du Nord, who will run in the Prix du Prince d’Orange on Sunday. 

A strong showing from him would breathe some life into the race, so perhaps this is the year France Galop will consider just how much it would have to gain by allowing geldings to run. Goliath, who won the Grosser Preis von Baden on Sunday, and the Champion Stakes-bound Calandagan would certainly add some much-needed flair. 

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