Horse Racing in Brazil

The Jockey Club Brasileiro at Gávea in Rio de Janeiro is one of the most breathtakingly located racecourses in the world — a green turf oval nestled between the Tijuca Forest and the Atlantic coast, with Corcovado and the Sugarloaf Mountain as backdrop. Founded in 1868, the JCB hosts the Grande Prêmio Brasil — the most prestigious thoroughbred race in South America, run over 2,400m on turf — and has produced horses capable of competing at European Group 1 level.

Brazilian racing operates under a unique legal framework — pari-mutuel betting is permitted at licensed venues, with the Jockey Clubs in Rio and São Paulo operating as non-profit entities whose racing revenues fund prize money. The country's breeding industry, predominantly based in Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo, has benefited from the import of North American and European bloodlines, producing thoroughbreds with genuine international class. Brazilian horses have competed at Group 1 level in France and the UK in recent years, reflecting the rising quality of South American racing.