Gran Premio Latinoamericano: The Champions League of horse racing
Updated
11:26 AM EDT, Fri March 22, 2019
(CNN) —
Celebrating the very best thoroughbred racehorses in South America, the Gran Premio Latinoamericano is the most prestigious date on the continent’s racing calendar.
The race, also known at the Longines Latin American Grand Prix, was first run in Uruguay in 1981 and, much like the Breeders’ Cup in the USA, is held at a different location every year.
A constantly changing venue allows the race to stay fresh, with the distance and surface varying every year.
The stunning Club Hipico de Santiago, Chile, played host to the latest edition of the spectacle, in a country steeped in racing history. The 150-year-old venue was designed in a European style and shares a striking resemblance to the iconic Longchamp Racecourse in Paris.
When the thoroughbreds fly out of the stalls to the cry of an impassioned crowd, it’s not just the $500,000 prize purse up for grabs, though. National pride is also a huge part of South America’s richest horse race.
Boasting the world's first five-star trackside hotel, restaurants and a museum, Dubai's Meydan Racecourse is a first-class racing destination.
PHOTO:
The Meydan Hotel
Photos: 10 of the most picturesque racecourses
St. Moritz, Switzerland —
St. Moritz is known for world-class skiing, glitz, glamor and...horse racing? The venue for the White Turf event, held three days a year, isn't your typical racecourse. Instead, it's held on a frozen lake.
PHOTO:
Scott Barbour/Getty Images
Photos: 10 of the most picturesque racecourses
Flemington Racecourse, Australia —
Flemington is Australia's oldest metropolitan racecourse and home to the famous Melbourne Cup. The revamped venue was first used in 1840 when the town of Melbourne was just five years old.
PHOTO:
Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Photos: 10 of the most picturesque racecourses
Piazza del Campo, Italy —
Simply put, there is no racecourse in the world quite like the Piazza del Campo in Italy. Its origins date back to medieval times when jockeys rode buffalo. The piazza is packed with spectators with racing around the outside.
PHOTO:
VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: 10 of the most picturesque racecourses
Happy Valley, Hong Kong —
Happy Valley Racecourse was built in 1845 to provide horse racing for expat Britons living in Hong Kong. It's surrounded by giant apartments and skyscrapers -- giving visitors an unusually beautiful scenic view.
PHOTO:
Getty Images
Photos: 10 of the most picturesque racecourses
Ascot, England —
Just the name "Ascot" conjures visions of royalty, elegance, high fashion and world-class racing. The racecourse was opened in 1711 by Queen Anne, and Royal Ascot is still one of the most celebrated meetings on the calendar.
PHOTO:
Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe
Photos: 10 of the most picturesque racecourses
Chantilly, France —
Spectacular and timeless, historic Chantilly sits in front of the 16th-century Chateau de Chantilly and the majestic Great Stables (pictured) amid forests 30 miles north of Paris.
PHOTO:
Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
Photos: 10 of the most picturesque racecourses
Laytown Races, Ireland —
Laytown Races is the only official beach race in Europe. Situated on the Irish coast, the 150-year-old tradition attracts more than 5000 regular visitors every year. Horses race along the sands on a makeshift course.
PHOTO:
PAUL FAITH/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: 10 of the most picturesque racecourses
Goodwood Racecourse, England —
The rolling Sussex countryside unfolds in front of one of the most iconic venues in flat racing. Goodwood has hosted racing since 1802 and offers the perfect setting for the famous Glorious Goodwood meeting.
PHOTO:
Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Photos: 10 of the most picturesque racecourses
Cheltenham Racecourse, England —
Cheltenham is a shrine to jump racing against the idyllic backdrop of the Cotswold hills. It hosts the prestigious Cheltenham Festival every March, the highlight of the world's jump racing calendar.
PHOTO:
Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Entrants represent their countries in the Latinoamericano – much like in the Olympic Games.
This year’s race featured participants from four visiting countries – Peru, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina – who are all looking to challenge their Chilean hosts for the prize.
Brazil is the most successful country in the race’s 35-year history, with 10 winners, but the Chilean horses had a unique advantage at the Club Hipico de Santiago.
“We run clockwise, all other race tracks in South America run counterclockwise. It’s an advantage for certain, the times we host the Latino, we only have victories from Chilean horses,” racecourse manager Oscar Vargas told CNN Winning Post.
It’s a pattern which once again repeated itself in 2019, with favorite Ya Primo winning Chile its ninth victory.
It was winning trainer Guillermo Aguirre’s first victory in the race, a feat which left him visibly emotional.
“It’s such a great feeling, to be up there with the other horses amongst such great talent. I lost my wife four months ago and I’m quite sure she’s helping me from the sky,” he told CNN’s Winning Post.
Watch the video at the top of the page to see CNN Winning Post’s guide to the prestigious Gran Premio Latinoamericano.
