If you are into horse racing, then you must experience what it’s like to become a jockey. Football fans can always get a ball to kick to find out what it’s like to be a footballer, but horse racing fans cannot jump on a Thoroughbred horse, so the next best thing is video games.
Honestly, there aren’t many horse racing games available. Over the last couple of decades, we’ve seen about a dozen horse racing games, and only a few of them were good. Horse racing games are great if you want to learn more about the sport. They give you a behind-the-scenes look at the sport, teach you about horse ownership, being a jockey, training, and breeding.
Covering 7 decent horse racing games is a stretch, but we found some great games that might not have Red Dead Redemption 2-level graphics, but are fun to play.
Rival Stars Horse Racing (Desktop, Mobile & VR Edition)
Rival Stars Horse Racing is one of the best “modern” horse racing games that feels like it came out this century. It is also one of the hottest horse racing games at the moment, and it still gets frequent updates.
It’s a blend of simulation, stable management, and, of course, horse racing action. You can breed horses, train them, manage stables, race on tracks, and even compete with your friends online.
The best experience is the VR version of the game. It’s safe to say that this is the best VR horse racing simulator ever made.
So, if you want a modern game that’s still fun to play with all the new content added frequently, Rival Stars Horse Racing is the way to go.
Winning Post
The Winning Post series is another huge horse racing title that has been around since 1993. Winning Post 25 is the latest horse racing game ever released, and it’s safe to say that it’s the most well-made horse racing game in terms of graphics and realism.
This game is a bit more complicated than Rival Stars Horse Racing, where you don’t just ride horses but run a stable. You breed bloodlines, train them, and manage your finances. It’s like running a real-world horse racing business.
So, if you are a true horse racing fan or someone who dives into horse racing analytics and places bets, you’ll be ahead of your competition since you already understand all the important stuff. If you are new to the sport or just entering the betting world, maybe you should check out the horse betting predictions by TwinSpires.
Handicappers usually perform better in Winning Post just because they already know what to focus on. So, improving your real-world betting skills can actually help you in horse racing games.
The only drawback with this game is that it’s released for the Japanese market only, and there is no English version of their latest game.
Phar Lap: Horse Racing Challenge
If you are a console player, then your choice is very limited. You can either play Phar Lap (the game that carries the name of the legendary Aussie horse) or other no-name horse games that aren’t exactly focused on racing in the first place.
However, Phar Lap: Horse Racing Challenge is actually a decent game in terms of graphics, mechanics, and features. Just like the others we covered so far, you get a chance to act as owner, jockey, breeder, and even punter at the same time.
The game aims for realism without overloading you with the boring stuff, and the gameplay is quite straightforward, making it perfect for beginners.
Gallop Racer Series
This is a more retro game that defined the horse racing video game genre back in the late 90s. So, if you like to play some older games and don’t mind the boxy graphics, we suggest Gallop Racer 2001.
This game captured the fun mix of arcade-style racing and deeper racing mechanics. Even back then, they made games where you could own a stable, train horses, and mix up race types.
G1 Jockey
G1 Jockey is actually one of the highest-rated horse racing games, which was released in 2011 for PS2, PS3, and Nintendo.
You don’t get that flashy spectacle of modern racing games, but something more grounded. The game is difficult; let’s get that thing straight from the start. You really need to think about strategies in terms of when to push and when to hold back.
Yeah, this game is not for everyone, but something that every true horse racing enthusiast needs to try.
Melbourne Cup Challenge and Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships
We also have more niche games that are usually tied to a certain event, like the Melbourne Cup Challenge or the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. These games are made by smaller developers, and they don’t have the same lifespan as the other ones we covered so far.
But if you want some event-based horse racing games that enriched the history of the sport, these are the ones to try right now. They were both released in the PlayStation 2 era, and both have terrible graphics (Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championship has slightly better visuals).
However, that’s not the point here. Both of these games carry the tradition of the real-world events that go back decades, and that’s why they are included in this list.
So, which of these games do you think of trying first?
