Horse racing at the Oaks Stakes is another British tradition. The Epsom Oaks is another race which is one of the five 'Classics' and it's also a superb race to bet on. Run on the Epsom Downs, the racecourse spans a distance over one mile long and the races usually take place in June every year.

The first Oaks Stakes race took place in 1779 when there was interest in this new sport and the betting which was being placed on this sort of race was proving financially and socially exciting. The racecourse and the associated events were named The Oaks after a stately home which was called The Oaks and belonged to the 12th Earl of Derby.

He was especially fond of horse racing and he had invented the race while entertaining friends at his home a year earlier. The first horse to win at The Oaks was actually owned by Lord Derby and was a mare named Bridget. These days, strict rules mean that the only horses which can race in the Epsom Oaks must be three years old and fillies only.

Like the other Classic races, The Oaks has been inspiration for other events around the world, such as the Prix de Diane in France, the Oaks d'Italia in Italy and the Irish Oaks in Ireland. If you want to place a bet on the original race though, all you need to do is get online and check out the odds in June to be able to place a bet and see a new page of history get written!