One of the biggest problems i have encountered over the years is the sheer amount of horses that run on the flat...
General Estimate
The number of flat horses running in a given year can vary significantly. Here are some rough estimates based on available data:
Great Britain: Around 14,000 - 16,000 individual flat horses typically run in a year.
Ireland: Approximately 8,000 - 10,000 flat horses run annually.
France: Around 10,000 - 12,000 flat horses participate in races each year.
When you consider this then you must conclude that you need to specialise somewhat which means you have to ditch something and the obvious answer is handicaps and low grade races that by logic are the most inconsistent beasts.
Now contrary to this one might want to just concentrate on the all weather or specific courses or ground conditions etc etc.
In my experience it pays to concentrate on the top tier ie group races. lets be honest here there is more than enough of them and they are the most consistent.
Estimates and Typical Data:
While exact numbers for a specific year would require accessing these reports, here are general insights:
Britain: Typically, around 1,000 to 1,200 horses might participate in Pattern races annually.
Ireland: Approximately 600 to 800 horses could be involved in these races each year.
France: Around 800 to 1,000 horses are expected to run in Pattern races annually