The first official race was held at Brighton's racecourse in 1783, which rose in popularity as the then Prince of Wales (later King George IV) attended the races with his aristocratic entourage and their horses. It is even said that it was then and there that hurdle racing was invented. Nowadays, the one-and-a-half mile, seaside course is an established part of the Sussex racing circuit, with the season running from April to October with the popular three-day festival in early August.