Flag Race Guide: Best Shortcuts in Horse Racing

Flag Race is a minigame in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (EoW) where players collect flags while racing on horseback. Learn more about the best shortcuts and fastest routes to become a course master!

Flag Race Best Routes

Short Course

The Short Course takes place within Hyrule Ranch, so it's pretty straightforward with limited opportunities for shortcuts. The best way to master the course is to time your dashes before or after turns and stay close to corners to keep your momentum.

Medium Course

Just like with the Short Course, this course is pretty straightforward. We recommend staying close to the inner ring of the route to avoid making wide turns. Also, mind your dash just before you have to jump on the boxes as to not crash into them.

Long Course

The fastest way to finish the Long Course is to ignore the arrows after the third flag and jump across the crates and between the trees toward the fourth flag. After that, bypass the intended path to the north and continue straight ahead, rejoining the main route as you reach the fifth flag. From there it should just be a quick lap within Hyrule Ranch to reach the finish line in under 40 seconds.

Flag Race Courses and Rewards

All Courses and Rewards

Course and Best Route	Course Time	Reward
Short Course (Easy)	＜17 Secs.	・ Might Crystal x3 (First Clear Only) ・ Radiant Butter x2
	17-23 Secs.	・ Radiant Butter x2
Middle Course (Normal)	＜20 Secs.	・ Heart Piece (First Clear Only) ・ Fresh Milk x3
	20-25 Secs.	・ Prismatic Music Box (First Clear Only) ・ Fresh Milk x2
Long Course (Hard)	＜40 Secs.	・ Charging Horn (First Clear Only) ・ Fresh Milk x5
	40-50 Secs.	・ 50 Rupees (First Clear Only) ・ Fresh Milk x3

Flag Race Tips

You Don't Have to Touch The Flag's Center

The flag pickup detection is pretty lenient and will be considered collected even if you are a bit off-center. Use this to your advantage as you mind your direction from one turn to another.

Time Your Dashes

Pressing A lets your horse gallop faster in short bursts. Immediately Dash at the start of any race. From there, time your dashes correctly, using them in between obstacles to avoid collisions. You can also Dash before and after turns to quickly regain speed.

Stay on Corners

Staying on corners during the race helps you take tighter turns and maintain your momentum. Pull out some Dash moves after taking a turn to maximize your speed.

Be Mindful of Possible Shortcuts

Arrows are only there to guide you along the intended track, but you have the freedom to move anywhere as long as you're within the vicinity of Hyrule Ranch. Pay attention to your surroundings and experiment with possible shortcuts and alternate routes to complete the course. Luckily, we've already listed the best shortcuts for Flag Racing below!

Obstacles Can Be Moved with Bind

You can use Bind to move course obstacles like Decorative Shrubs and Crates. While it's not much of a strategy, as it saves very little time and could even cost you the entire race if done incorrectly, it could be a fun way to experiment with the track elements.

Bind Ability Guide

How to Unlock Flag Race

Complete Runaway Horse and Impa's Gift Side Quests

To play Flag Race, you need a white horse. And before that, you must have access to Hyrule Ranch to be able to rent out horses. Unlocking Flag Race requires completing two side quests: Runaway Horse and Impa's Gift. Check out our guide below for details on getting a horse and completing both side quests.

How to Get a Horse

Talk to the Woman in Hyrule Ranch

Once you've unlocked Hyrule Ranch and obtained a white horse, you can now play Flag Race! Speak with the woman who gave you Impa's Quest. Your first race will be on the Short Course (Easy), and you'll unlock higher difficulty levels as you complete each race. Please note that there is a participation fee of 10 Rupees each time you play.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (EoW) Related Guides

All Minigames and Rewards

All Minigame Guides