![\"Shortest](\"https:\/\/www.bettingwebsites.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/shortest-horse-race-bigstock-300px.jpg\")
Your average horse race in the UK will run for a minute or two before it is all over, the winner is announced, and the successful bettors are on their way to collect their winnings.<\/p>\nYour average horse race in the UK will run for a minute or two before it is all over, the winner is announced, and the successful bettors are on their way to collect their winnings.<\/p>\n
A minute or two really isn\u2019t a very long time (just ask my girlfriend), but in the heat of the moment when your selection is battling it out with another runner for 1st<\/sup> place those seconds can start to feel much longer.<\/p>\n Of course, if you consider National Hunt racing the story is very different. Apart from the odd exception, jumps run at a minimum of 2 miles, but when it comes to flat racing, which races are the shortest?<\/p>\n Over here in the UK there are actually rules dictating the minimum distance a horse race must be \u2013 we love rules in the UK, don’t we? \u2013 and there are many different race distances to suit many different types of horses.<\/p>\n Since we are looking at the shortest, all of the races mentioned here would be classed as \u2018sprints\u2019. A sprint is any race shorter than 7 furlongs, and some people would include a 7 furlong race in this category although technically this is a bit of a specialist distance.<\/p>\n You might be wondering what a furlong is at this point. Don\u2019t be embarrassed, no one knows anything until they are told, so let us tell you in a number of ways:<\/p>\n Simply put, the shortest flat race in the UK racing calendar is 5 furlongs, so just over half a mile. Ordered by group, here are those races:<\/p>\n Over this distance, most horses can complete the race in just under a minute, but the fastest ever result recorded was 53.69 seconds in 2012, run by Stone of Folca at the Epsom Dash \u2013 which is the only handicap race at 5 furlongs in length so it doesn\u2019t get a table of its own in this article.<\/p>\n Not only that, but the horse had a starting price of 50\/1 and was only 0.01 seconds faster than the previous record holder, Spark Chief, who had held the record since 1983. That’s a pretty cheeky win in anyone’s book!<\/p>\n The 5 furlong minimum distance for flats actually applies to a lot of racing territories around the world, but America in particular seems fond of races so short they are barely worth running at all.<\/p>\n There are a many that come in well under 5 furlongs so we won’t list them all, but here are a couple worthy of special attention:<\/p>\nIn the UK<\/h2>\n
![\"Chester](\"https:\/\/www.bettingwebsites.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/chester-race-course-bigstock-EUO-800px.jpg\")
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Group 1<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n
\n Race<\/th>\n Course<\/th>\n Month Run<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n King\u2019s Stand Stakes<\/td>\n Ascot<\/td>\n June<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Nunthorpe Stakes<\/td>\n York<\/td>\n August<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Group 2<\/h3>\n
\n\n
\n \nRace<\/th>\n Course<\/th>\n Month Run<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Temple Stakes<\/td>\n Haydock<\/td>\n May<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Queen Mary Stakes<\/td>\n Ascot<\/td>\n June<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Norfolk Stakes<\/td>\n Ascot<\/td>\n June<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n King George Stakes<\/td>\n Goodwood<\/td>\n August<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Group 3<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n
\n Race<\/th>\n Course<\/th>\n Month Run<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Palace House Stakes<\/td>\n Newmarket<\/td>\n May<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Molecomb Stakes<\/td>\n Goodwood<\/td>\n July\/August<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Cornwallace Stakes<\/td>\n Newmarket<\/td>\n October<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Others<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n
\n Race<\/th>\n Course<\/th>\n Month Run<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Westow Stakes<\/td>\n York<\/td>\n May<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Marygate Fillies Stakes<\/td>\n York<\/td>\n May<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Achilles Stakes<\/td>\n Haydock Park<\/td>\n June<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Hilary Needler Trophy<\/td>\n Beverley<\/td>\n June<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Windsor Castle Stakes<\/td>\n Ascot<\/td>\n June<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Land O\u2019Burns Fillies Stakes<\/td>\n Ayr<\/td>\n June<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n City Walls Stakes<\/td>\n York<\/td>\n July<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Roses Stakes<\/td>\n York<\/td>\n August<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes<\/td>\n Beverley<\/td>\n September<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Harry Rosebery Stakes<\/td>\n Ayr<\/td>\n September<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n America<\/h2>\n
Lincoln Race Course, Nebraska \u2013 2014 \u2013 1 Furlong<\/h3>\n
![\"Lincoln](\"https:\/\/www.bettingwebsites.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/lincoln-racecourse-simulcast-800px.jpg\")
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