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Hollywood’s love affair with the races

The movie industry has always had a healthy relationship with sports in that they provide a natural sense of drama and an impressive climax that’s perfectly suited to the silver screen. But horse racing in particular seems to show an impressive ability to attract larges audiences from around the world. So here are some of Hollywood’s best horse racing efforts.

Seabiscuit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3BcfoKhvzc

One of the best horse racing films in recent years was 2003’s Seabiscuit. Starring Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges, it followed an lowly-rated racehorse through its life on the racecourse during the Depression years in the USA.

Although the film follows the classic rags-to-riches format, the sheer emotional pull provided by the racing action and impressive cinematography provided the perfect example of how horse racing can be successfully adapted for the silver screen. Another feature that added weight to the story was the introduction of subtle themes of economic hardship, which when coupled with the amazing camerawork of the races, delivered the high watermark for all horse racing films to come.

The Derby Stallion

Another recent movie that found some success with the racing format was 2005’s The Derby Stallion.This saw teen heart-throb Zac Efron starring as a boy who seeks escape from his troubled home life through the mentoring of a former champion steeplechase jockey.

Although not quite as visceral as the award-winning Seabiscuit, the film provided another example of the incredible public demand for horse racing movies. With increasing amounts of people being able to access the thrill of horse racing thanks to sites like Betway that provide easy to use online betting slips, it’s expected that we will see many more films like The Derby Stallion in the future.

Secretariat

Never ones to shy away from a good dose of animal-based melodrama, Disney’s 2010 sports drama Secretariat delivered another story of homespun horse-racing success. Boasting all of the hallmarks that we’d expect from a horse racing film – traditional values, widescreen panoramas, intense montage sequences – Secretariat provided another real-life story of a family that manages to overcome the odds to product a champion horse.

Based on the real-life exploits of a housewife who agrees to take over an ailing stable, Secretariat overcomes most of the cliches of the genre thanks to the powerful cast that features John Malkovich and Diane Lane, as well as the heartwarming storyline that should make just about anybody a horse-racing fan.

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