Jockey Club and Orsi Mangelli: Milan once again at the Heart of Horse Racing

Just before the races begin, there is a moment when the city’s noise fades away. What remains are the excited murmurs of the crowd, the steady rhythm of the horses’ breathing, and the silhouette of the grandstands against the Milanese sky. It is in this moment that the magic of the Snai San Siro Racecourse is truly felt.

Two events, in particular, gave the public the feeling of witnessing something special this autumn: the gallop weekend featuring the Jockey Club Grand Prix and the trot weekend marking the return of the Paolo and Orsino Orsi Mangelli Grand Prix.

On 19 October, more than 3,500 spectators filled the racecourse with energy for the Gran Premio del Jockey Club S.I.R.E. – Trofeo Pio Bruni.

Halloween weekend added a festive atmosphere, offering surprises for visitors of all ages. The Paddock was transformed into a vibrant, colourful village thanks to the collaboration between the Snaitech Foundation and the Francesca Rava Foundation, hosting creative workshops, ghost hunts, dancing, a Monster Parade, and the ever-popular “baptism of the saddle.” A vintage carriage offered a charming journey into the past, while the #ScopriSanSiro tours recounted anecdotes and curiosities about the historic Art Nouveau venue.

On the track, the 103rd edition of the Jockey Club crowned Eydon — the six-year-old owned by Prince Faisal and trained by Andrew Balding — who added another accolade to an already distinguished international record. The afternoon also featured the other Group races on the card: the Premio Dormello (G2), the Gran Criterium (G3) and the Premio del Piazzale – Memorial Enrico Camici (G3), delivering a programme of technically impeccable racing.

The spotlight then shifted to trotting, with the long-awaited return of the Gran Premio Paolo e Orsino Orsi Mangelli after a seven-year absence. Bringing the race back to the Milanese oval — on the new track inaugurated in 2024 — felt like celebrating an important anniversary, a long-awaited homecoming.

On Saturday, 1 November, the Group 1 race for three-year-olds, both Italian and international, honoured not only the discipline’s technical excellence but also the legacy of Paolo Orsi Mangelli, the “father of Italian trotting,” whose vision reshaped breeding and the organisation of horse racing in Italy.

The day’s programme brought the elite of international trotting back to Milan, with races including the Gran Premio delle Nazioni – Elite UET (G1), the Mangelli Filly (G2) and the Coppa di Milano – Trofeo Ferrario (G3). It was a compelling day, marked by powerful starts and finishes fought down to the final metre.

Together, these two weekends confirmed once again that the Snai San Siro Racecourse is far more than a sporting venue: it is a place where tradition, beauty and the spirit of the city meet — without ever losing its identity.