But racing is also an international sport, with British, Irish and French contenders in the Dubai World Cup meeting in March, in the BreedersCup series in America in the autumn and in the Hong Kong Festival meeting in December.
Even the horses got in on the act, with Best Mate retaining his Cheltenham Gold Cup crown, High Chaparral winning the Breeders' Cup Turf again - and Persian Punch continuing to duck retirement and keep on winning.