Right next to San Siro is Milan’s horse-racing epicentre and home of the world’s largest horse statue.
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rnThere are two racetracks (or hippodromi): one for Roman Empire-style chariot races (from January to December and from June to mid-September), always at a trotting pace – hence the name ‘Trotto’; and one for horse-racing (‘Galoppo’; from March to November).
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rnThe Milanese turn their noses up at the races – it’s really a working-class preoccupation, comparable to going to the dogs; similarly it’s a good place for a cheap flutter.
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rnFree entrance for women all year is an incentive to remove the large male bias (but that’s yet to make any difference). At the entrance to the Galoppo is Da Vinci’s vertiginous bronze horse, only built in 1999 when an American philanthropist took on the challenge to bring to life the seven metre high design that had physically defeated Da Vinci in the 15th century