Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest and most exciting horse racing festivals in the world, with jump races galore for fans to enjoy. And while Cheltenham is fun, jump racing may not be for everyone. But not to worry, as there are plenty of flat racing festivals to be enjoyed as well. These festivals feature races on flat surfaces, without any of the jumps that take place at Cheltenham. These flat festivals in particular are high-profile enough to be comparable to Cheltenham, with plenty of unique flair of their own.

Royal Ascot
The most high-profile flat festival, Royal Ascot is a summer staple thanks to its ability to bring in top horse racing talent and combine it with one of a kind pageantry. Royal Ascot features at least 17 races over the duration of the festival, with millions of pounds of prize money being awarded throughout the five days. The course has been in use since the 1700s, with the tradition of Royal Ascot perhaps being the only thing that can overshadow the quality of the racing itself.

As a result of the massive prize pool for the festival, the talent that shows up to compete in the Royal Ascot races is top notch. Because of that, the betting on Royal Ascot is comparable in quality to Cheltenham Festival betting . With the best horses in the world at their discipline, in this case flat racing, going at it, there is no denying that the betting action is even more exciting than a standard day at the race track.

Doncaster St. Leger Festival
Right up there with Cheltenham Festival is also the Doncaster St. Leger Festival, with a week of flat racing that is up there with Cheltenham, only without the jumps. The week at St. Leger starts with a day dedicated to legends, where jockeys who have competed in the festival in the past saddle up once more for a charity race. This is always entertaining, and just the start that a festival needs. Light hearted and still exciting, this sets the tone for the rest of the week.

The festival is highlighted by the St. Leger Stakes, which has seen some of the biggest names in horse racing compete in it in the past. This is always the marquee event, but with days dedicated to the dress of ladies and gentlemen happening during the festival as well, the real marquee event for some festival goers is the fashion. With so many things to appeal to so many different people, there is definitely something for everyone to enjoy at St. Leger.

While Cheltenham Festival may be at the top of the lists of some horse racing fans for the jumps and the drama associated with them, St. Leger and Royal Ascot have plenty to enjoy themselves. These flat festivals make up for a lack of jumps with some of the biggest names in the world of horse racing, and plenty of other outlets for entertainment from start to finish.